UNC-Chapel Hill Hosts International Visitor Leadership Programs
November 14, 2018
UNC Global Affairs
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill hosted two delegations from the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in October and November 2018.
The first IVLP delegation included government officials, technical consultants and public officers from Nigeria, who visited the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law on October 29 to learn about intellectual property rights. Associate Dean Mary-Rose Papandrea provided an overview of the school. Andrew Chin, professor of Law, and Deborah Gerhardt, associate professor of Law, led a discussion about emerging issues in intellectual property rights, such as the intersection of the arts with copyright and trademark law and the debate between the right to public access and what is protected by law. Participants were able to compare intellectual property rights standards and policies in the U.S. with those in Nigeria.
Chin and Gerhardt also described the school’s curriculum and training for students on international and national IPR standards and procedures.
The second visit, which took place on November 5, brought representatives from the Ministries of Education of three Gulf Countries to Chapel Hill to learn about university admissions processes in the U.S.
Officials from Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia met with Patty Haydon, assistant director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, to learn about UNC-Chapel Hill’s undergraduate admissions process and how applicants are assessed and selected at a competitive public university. After a campus tour led by a student ambassador, the delegation spoke with Dan Thornton, associate director of the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid, who provided an introduction to financial aid procedures and discussed UNC-Chapel Hill’s dedication to maintaining college affordability for students.
The Department of State operates IVLP as a professional exchange program that brings international professional and educational leaders to the U.S. for short visits. During their time in the U.S., IVLP participants visit private and public sector organizations in their field of interest and form lasting connections with their counterparts.