Category: Featured News
Data-Driven EnviroLab Tracks Climate Action
January 10, 2023Promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are often the focus at international conferences about climate change. Countries, coalitions and companies announce pledges and plans to combat climate change, but how do we judge their progress? The 27th United Nations Conference of Parties in Egypt focused on better ways to track how (or if) those promises are being kept. Angel Hsu, founder and principal investigator of Data-Driven EnviroLab, was a key figure in the November conference’s emphasis on “global stocktaking.” Her lab presented its own assessment of climate action by cities, regions and companies. She was also one of 10 experts contributing to … Read more
Carolina Celebrates Fulbright Community at Fall Reception
December 6, 2022UNC-Chapel Hill’s Fulbright community celebrated its shared commitment to cultural exchange at the Fulbright Fall Reception hosted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs (OVPGA) on Nov. 16. Current and former Fulbright Program participants, including UNC-Chapel Hill and international faculty, staff, graduate students and scholars, gathered in the Florence and James Peacock Atrium of the FedEx Global Education Center. “The Fulbright Program provides a tremendous opportunity for participating students and faculty to become better scholars, better problem solvers and better leaders,” said Barbara Stephenson, vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer. “These experiences can teach … Read more
Tackling Global Challenges Together: UNC Hosts Tübingen Partners
December 6, 2022UNC-Chapel Hill hosted senior leaders and staff from its longtime strategic partner Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Nov. 14-15 to identify joint research opportunities, deepen a new joint initiative related to data science and celebrate the roots of the partnership. The German delegation, led by Monique Scheer, vice president for international affairs and diversity, was welcomed by Carolina leaders including Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Provost Christopher Clemens. “The foundation we have built with Tübingen has paved the way for us to embark on new ventures,” said Barbara Stephenson, vice provost for global affairs. “Together UNC and Tübingen are exploring the promise … Read more
COIL Courses Bring World to Students, Faculty
November 17, 2022Carolina’s Collaborative Online International Learning program began in response to a global pandemic that paused international travel. But after more than two years, COIL has grown into something much bigger and more impactful, forging educational partnerships throughout the world and diversifying the way Carolina students and faculty learn and teach. The Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs has continued to expand COIL support for Carolina faculty, and many are now taking their learning and collaboration outside the classroom, sharing their experiences widely. The growing success of COIL exemplifies how the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs advances Globalize, the … Read more
Koji Sode on the Value of Global Research Collaboration
November 17, 2022Every year, Koji Sode, William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, hosts graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from Japan and Korea at his research lab on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus. A 2018 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Sode is always excited to engage the group and share his latest research, which often fuses biomedical engineering, biology, chemistry and other disciplines. His recent work is focused on developing biosensors, such as devices used by diabetics to continually measure blood sugar. This project, like Sode’s previous ventures, is grounded in international collaboration, a tenet that is central to his … Read more
UNC Ranks 11th Among US Universities for Study Abroad in 2022 ‘Open Doors’ Report
November 17, 2022The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked 11th for the number of students earning credit for study abroad in the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) 2022 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. The report presents comprehensive data on international students and scholars at U.S higher education institutions, as well as data on U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit. According to Open Doors, the overall percentage of U.S. students studying abroad decreased by 91% over the previous cycle reported, which was less than half of the last complete pre-pandemic report of 2018-2019. However, the report shows early … Read more
US Intelligence Officials Visit Campus, Engage with Students on Climate Change
November 16, 2022Working in intelligence requires critical thinking, considering an issue’s nuances, and also staying open minded, two U.S. intelligence officials told students during a visit to UNC-Chapel Hill last month, hosted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs as part of the Diplomacy Initiative. The National Intelligence Council (NIC) officials, who asked that their names not be published given the sensitivity of their intelligence work, used all of those skills recently to author and publish a policy document detailing the effects of climate change on national security. Their 27-page National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), entitled “Climate Change and International … Read more
Noreen McDonald Named New Senior Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Global Programs
October 19, 2022Noreen McDonald has been named by Dean Jim White as the next senior associate dean for social sciences and global programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. Her appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2023. She will succeed Rudi Colloredo-Mansfeld, who will complete his term on Dec. 31. McDonald brings a wealth of experience to the role. She has been a member of the UNC faculty since 2007. Since 2016 she has served as chair of the department of city and regional planning, where she holds the Thomas Willis Lambeth Distinguished Term Chair in Public Policy. She is also the … Read more
UNC-Chapel Hill and King’s College London Foster Rich Collaboration in Humanities, Social Sciences
October 18, 2022For the first time since the start of the pandemic, a group of UNC-Chapel Hill senior leaders and staff traveled to King’s College London (KCL) in September. One of UNC-Chapel Hill’s longest standing strategic partners, the UNC-King’s Strategic Alliance was established in 2005. “It was terrific to visit our partners at King’s again,” said Barbara Stephenson, vice provost for Global Affairs. “Both UNC-CH and KCL are enthusiastic about continuing and, in some cases, resuming our engagement now that pandemic-related travel restrictions have eased considerably. We also identified new areas for potential growth in the coming years.” More than 1,000 undergraduate … Read more
FedEx Executive Chairman Frederick W. Smith Calls for Restoring U.S. Leadership in Global Trade Agreements
September 30, 2022For a thriving global economy and to protect national security interests, the United States must reengage on trade agreements. That was the call to action issued by Frederick W. Smith, founder and executive chairman of FedEx Corporation, in a keynote address delivered on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill Thursday, Sept. 29. “The U.S. should embrace its history as a leader in the creation of the modern global trading system,” Smith said. “That system has been good for the U.S. and the world—maintaining peace and stability and creating economic opportunity.” Recently, he made the case that an anti-trade narrative has emerged … Read more