Category: Featured News
Graduate students pursue peaceful solutions to the world’s grand challenges
January 22, 2025“Lifechanging, mind-opening… The list could go on and on,” said Khaled Shaath when asked how he would describe his experience as a Rotary Peace Fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill. Rotary International created the Rotary Peace Centers program in 1999 to offer master’s level education in fields related to peace-building and conflict resolution to the world’s next generation of leaders in peacemaking. Today, there are seven Rotary Peace Centers in the world, and the Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center — established in 2002 — is the only Rotary Peace Center in North and South America. Out of hundreds of applications received each year, … Read more
Carolina enhances Arabic language learning through virtual reality, wins competitive grant
January 22, 2025Virtual reality is transforming language learning at Carolina. As a result of the Tabadul program, students studying Arabic participate in virtual exchange with university students in the Middle East and North Africa. They tour historic landmarks together, complete assignments and practice language skills. Caroline Sibley, teaching assistant professor, and Bud Kauffman, teaching associate professor, have embraced Tabadul — which translates to English as “exchange” — in their Arabic language classes. According to Sibley, this approach transcends traditional learning methods and empowers students to develop complex and critical language skills. Caroline Sibley (front row, third from left), integrates Tabadul into her … Read more
Carolina guarantees a global education to every Tar Heel
January 18, 2025As the nation’s oldest public university, UNC-Chapel Hill’s history is one of excellence in education, research and service to the state of North Carolina. For 20 years, Carolina has ranked No. 1 for best value in education in the U.S. That remarkable achievement is rooted in our commitment to make excellence accessible. Five years ago, the University amplified this commitment with the Global Guarantee, which promises to make a global education available to every Carolina student. In committing to offer the richest menu of global education opportunities possible, we took an ambitious step. But given Carolina’s extensive language learning offerings, … Read more
UNC World View bridges global education, local educators
December 10, 2024More than 300,000 North Carolina jobs exist because of foreign direct investment in the state. Disruptive technologies like generative artificial intelligence are altering economies. For 26 years, UNC World View staff — educators and experts themselves — have linked educators throughout the state with knowledge and resources from UNC-Chapel Hill, the state’s flagship university, and elsewhere. Their purpose is to equip North Carolina educators to prepare students to thrive in the state’s globally competitive and connected workforce. “UNC World View is unique,” said Charlé LaMonica, director of UNC World View, which is part of UNC Global Affairs. “We build partnerships … Read more
Faculty embrace simulations, case studies to help students develop global problem-solving skills
December 10, 2024The Americans had discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba through aerial photography, and there were already seven minutes on the clock. The students in Michael Morgan’s “Global Cold War” course had to decide how to proceed in the Cuban Missile Crisis simulation. Preparing students to address real-life challenges through collaboration and communication is a core goal of Carolina’s Diplomacy Initiative. It is for Morgan, too, who received a Curriculum Development Award in 2023 from UNC Global Affairs, which created and delivers the Diplomacy Initiative. In addition to funding these awards, UNC Global Affairs maintains a comprehensive listing of global problem-solving case … Read more
Global Heel: Jennifer Mulveny
December 10, 2024Jennifer Mulveny ’96 starts every workday with a notebook — of the pen-and-paper variety. Her office has a locker full of these physical notebooks, peppered with sticky notes outlining plans, processes and ideas, as well as a good old-fashioned to-do list. Mulveny is not opposed to technological advancement. In fact, she is at the forefront of policymaking related to one of the world’s most disruptive technologies: generative artificial intelligence (AI). She lives in Sydney, Australia, where she works for Adobe Inc., serving as director of government relations and public policy for the tech company in the Asia-Pacific region. On Monday, … Read more
Rising Japanese scientists visit Carolina, explore collaboration
December 6, 2024This November, four scientists from Japanese universities, selected by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), similar to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), traveled to Chapel Hill for a fast-paced, five-day series of workshops, presentations, site visits and networking. The program’s purpose was to generate new collaboration between Japanese universities and UNC-Chapel Hill by developing ASPIRE grant projects, which JST funds. Through the ASPIRE grant, JST funds a Japanese visiting scholar to conduct research at UNC-Chapel Hill for up to three years, plus travel expenses for both the scholar and Carolina faculty partner. UNC Global Affairs designed the program … Read more
Carolina ranks 9th in U.S. for study abroad participation, remains national leader
November 18, 2024UNC-Chapel Hill ranked ninth among universities in the U.S. for study abroad participation, according to the Open Doors 2024 Report on International Educational Exchange. This is the University’s highest ranking in nearly 20 years. Last year, Carolina ranked 13th. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education (IIE) released the report Monday, Nov. 18. The report summarizes international exchange across U.S. colleges and universities, including study abroad participation (2022-2023) and international student enrollment (2023-2024). “This achievement — ranking ninth in the nation for study abroad — distinguishes Carolina as … Read more
Carolina’s global partnerships propel transatlantic research on media, democracy
November 11, 2024Rapid technological advances and growing concern over information warfare are shaping today’s media landscape with the potential to undermine democracies. Researchers from a wide array of disciplines at UNC-Chapel Hill and two of Carolina’s strategic partner universities — Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen and King’s College London — discussed these ideas, Oct. 23-24, at a two-day workshop called “Threats to Democracy: A Transatlantic Workshop on Media and the 2024 Elections.” Carolina’s Center for Information, Technology and Public Life (CITAP) hosted the workshop in partnership with UNC Global Affairs, Thomas Mann House Los Angeles, the UNC Center for European Studies (CES) and … Read more
Carolina joins annual forum with state officials, diplomats, Japanese industry leaders
November 11, 2024The North Carolina Department of Commerce hosted the Southeast U.S./Japan (SEUS/Japan) Conference in Charlotte, Oct. 27-29. For the first time in the meeting’s 46-year history, organizers invited higher education institutions to participate, highlighting the valuable role colleges and universities play in workforce development and innovation. Due to existing academic partnerships between Carolina and Japanese universities and strong economic ties between the state of North Carolina and Japan, UNC-Chapel Hill has prioritized greater collaboration with Japan. In 2023, the first-ever UNC delegation visit to Japan created opportunities for new research collaboration and exchange with support from the U.S. Embassy Tokyo, Japan … Read more