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UNC-Chapel Hill Ranks 30th in 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities

September 1, 2020

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked 30th in the world and is tied for 20th in the United States among global universities, according to the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) released by the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy on August 15, 2020. Carolina ties at 20th with Northwestern University. The University also ranks 7th among U.S. public universities. “Measures like Academic Ranking of World Universities highlight the high caliber and superb work of our faculty, students and staff,” said Barbara Stephenson, vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer. “I am proud to see Carolina recognized as … Read more


Storytelling and Service

June 17, 2020

When the pandemic forced faculty members to pause in-person teaching midway through the spring semester, Gwendolyn Schwinke was determined not to let COVID-19 put a damper on creativity. But she was faced with a real challenge — how to give her acting students a meaningful outlet to practice their skills. Schwinke is a David G. Frey Fellow in the department of dramatic art and one of two resident vocal coaches for PlayMakers Repertory Company. She was also the vocal coach for PlayMakers’ spring production of Julius Caesar, which had to shut down shortly after opening night. Many of the students in her first-year MFA class in … Read more


Class of 2020: Remember Your Resiliency and Strength

May 4, 2020

Shai Nickerson’s Carolina story is one of extremes: She once spent two weeks living in a mountain cave in Nepal as part of a Buddhist meditation retreat, taking a vow of silence, shutting down all technology and subsisting on only white rice. But in some ways, her journey from her hometown of Wilkesboro, N.C., to Carolina felt just as extreme. The first-generation student describes growing up in a “nontraditional background.” “My family was very poor and we had struggles with unemployment and drug abuse; it was a dark place,” Nickerson said. “I never thought I’d go to college, much less … Read more


Remote Learning Begins with Successes, Surprises

March 25, 2020

A look at how Carolina’s faculty and students are responding to remote teaching and learning in the first few days. In an unprecedented move, Carolina faculty began teaching remotely this week, re-starting courses suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our faculty have worked tirelessly to ensure that 96 percent of our courses are available,” Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz said in a video message to campus. “Thanks to that work, we’ll be able to continue learning and growing together.” For many, #VirtualFDOC did feel like the first day of class, one full of successes, surprises, some bumps and lots of learning. Internet love … Read more


COVID-19, Novel Coronavirus Information

March 3, 2020

Health officials worldwide are monitoring a respiratory illness outbreak caused by a new coronavirus, named COVID-19. UNC-Chapel Hill continues to monitor global circumstances. The UNC Coronovirus Resources page provides the University’s current information about COVID-10, including campus resources, travel restrictions and changes to study abroad programs.


Global and Area Studies Centers: Seven Hubs for International Education

February 26, 2020

Global and area studies centers provide the UNC-Chapel Hill community with essential services and resources for instruction, learning and research related to global issues, world regions and modern foreign languages.


Celebrating Carolina Firsts

January 21, 2020

As junior Darian Abernathy stood at the United States-Mexico border listening to a presentation by a medic with Cruz Roja (the Mexican Red Cross), she was captivated by the seven principles emblazoned in red on the speaker’s white vest: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. While visiting the border between the sister cities of Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, students learned about the suffering witnessed at that space: injuries, illness, rape, hunger, human trafficking. When Abernathy asked the Red Cross medic if she could take a picture of his vest, he quietly took it off, then gave … Read more