Carolina Diplomacy Fellows launches, preparing future leaders and problem-solvers
February 12, 2025UNC Global Affairs
UNC Global Affairs celebrated the launch of Carolina Diplomacy Fellows with more than 100 students, faculty and staff gathered at the FedEx Global Education Center on Thursday, Jan. 30. Photo by Huth Photo.
“We heard early on from students this question: How do I know if I’m part of the Diplomacy Initiative?” said Barbara Stephenson, Carolina’s vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer. “Tonight, we have an answer for you.”
UNC Global Affairs launched the Carolina Diplomacy Fellows program with more than 100 students, faculty and staff gathered at the FedEx Global Education Center on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Open to all students, in all academic programs, Carolina Diplomacy Fellows provides a framework for students to participate in the Diplomacy Initiative in community with like-minded Tar Heels.
“You’ll build a deeper understanding of the complexities and nuances of global issues, and you’ll develop critical skills including one that I think is so important: listening in the search for common ground,” Stephenson said.
At Thursday’s event, students, faculty and staff learned how Carolina Diplomacy Fellows works. Students apply to become a Carolina Diplomacy Fellow by submitting a brief intake form at no additional cost. As students participate in knowledge building, skill development and career preparation activities through the Diplomacy Initiative, they will receive digital badges – which validate their experiences on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles – and priority access to events with limited attendance and networking opportunities. Students may complete the required activities at their own pace during their time at Carolina.
Feeling part of a community is a core part of the program.
“There are going to be several opportunities for you all to engage with your peers… not only to network, but also to share diverse voices,” said Sharmila Udyavar, Carolina’s associate director for global education.
In addition to Stephenson and Udyavar, four students spoke about their excitement for Carolina Diplomacy Fellows and how it will bring coherence and meaning to the Diplomacy Initiative. The students were Matthew Tweden ’25, Kate Klinger ’26, Annabelle Gallinek ’26 and Emma Sampson ’25.
Tweden, a Robertson scholar studying public policy and peace, war and defense, called Carolina Diplomacy Fellows a “start-to-finish, four-year experience” that gives students the structure they need to navigate a career in global affairs.
“You all have something that a lot of us didn’t have when we arrived at Carolina, and that’s a roadmap in front of you,” he said.
Klinger studies peace, war and defense and data science and serves as a Diplomacy Initiative student ambassador. She became involved with the Diplomacy Initiative as a first-year student by participating in the annual Policy Brief Competition. Initially, she said, it was more challenging to “find her community within the Diplomacy Initiative” due to a lack of concrete membership for students.
“From interfacing with foreign ambassadors, to government practitioners, writing policy analyses and participating in various simulations,” Klinger said, “Carolina Diplomacy Fellows will provide an avenue to make your skills concrete to employers while providing opportunities to easily create lasting connections with peers and professionals.”
Stephenson and Udyavar hope that Carolina Diplomacy Fellows will inspire more Tar Heels to engage with the Diplomacy Initiative and build stronger connections to one another and to future fellows.
“By joining Carolina Diplomacy Fellows, you become part of that great Tar Heel tradition of opening doors for the ones who are coming up,” Stephenson said. “Then, when you’re up there, you become the mentor.”
All UNC-Chapel Hill students are welcome to participate in Diplomacy Initiative programs. For students interested in becoming a Carolina Diplomacy Fellow, apply here or contact Sharmila Udyavar (udyavar@email.unc.edu) with any questions.
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