VCU Global Education Office

Mark your calendar and register to join us for the next workshop of the Spring 2025 Global Initiatives Master Class Series: Global Engagement Strategies on Thursday, March 27, from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. in the Student Commons, Virginia Rooms C-D. Malaika Marable Serrano, PhD., vice president for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging of Guild Education will present the workshop, "Inclusive Program Design in International Education," which will explore strategies for prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility, and emphasize the importance of equitable access to global learning. To register and for more information about the workshop and the speaker, visit https://lnkd.in/e84YrEUx

Our spring break study abroad programs are in full swing! Pictured are some images from exciting destinations where our students, faculty and staff engage in life-changing study abroad experiences! - VCU Spring Break: Costa Rica: Healthcare Shadowing, led by Krista Scott of the College of Humanities and Sciences and in collaboration with VCU's Developing Men of Color, the study abroad program allows students to explore a variety of healthcare careers from a global lens. - VCU Spring Break: TRIO Service-Learning in the Dominican Republic led by Shay Lumpkin of VCU's TRiO, a program allowing students to be involved in service-learning experiences. For information about more study abroad opportunities, visit https://lnkd.in/ebF9ShQM

Ximena Motta Hernandez, a VCU international student from Colombia, recently completed GEO's English Language Program and is now a master’s student in public administration in the VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. Featured in the World@VCU series by VCU News, Ximena speaks about her experiences while studying at VCU and gives some insight about her home country in her profile at https://lnkd.in/eSuthxSK.

We're proud to recognize Mahmoud Kaid from Egypt, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at the College of Humanities and Sciences, featured in the latest issue of World@VCU! https://lnkd.in/eZx7hfs2

The GEO Global Learning team constantly strives to provide global student engagement opportunities for our international and domestic students. Such is the case with our popular "Nori Maki Night" that included sushi-making demonstrations by our visiting students from Shimane University, Japan. It was an incredible experience for everyone who attended this first Global Café of the semester, as students learned the art of making sushi while meeting new people.

Congratulations to our colleague, Dr. Paulo Zagalo-Melo, on his recent appointment as president of the AIEA - Association of International Education Administrators!

The Global Education Office in collaboration with VCU TRIO, is coordinating a spring break study abroad in the Dominican Republic, a service-learning study abroad opportunity offered for the second year which also is serving as a national model for other universities. Read about how Mariah Cropp, a health, physical education, and exercise science major in the vcu College of Humanities and Sciences, benefited from the study abroad program that has inspired her future aspirations in this VCU News feature article by Amelia Heymann: https://lnkd.in/et5VdBWa.

There's still time to learn about the Global Learning Development Awards during our virtual CFP Informational Webinar today at 1 p.m. Register for the workshop at https://lnkd.in/ecgPsA9Y and join us via Zoom today!

Congratulations to our very own Kelly Richard, global learning specialist, who was recently interviewed for the VCU Graduate School podcast, "Grad Pod!" Hear from Kelly as she gives an informative overview of the many services and global engagement opportunities GEO provides to international students, including the Global Buddies program, the Global Intercultural Association and the International Student Advisory Board, in addition to other programs we offer. She also brings light to some of the issues and obstacles international students may face while studying at VCU. Thanks to the Graduate School and host Haya Hamid for featuring our colleague and shining a spotlight on the work we do to support our international students! https://lnkd.in/evv8s_57 For more information about global engagement opportunities for international students, visit GEO's website at https://lnkd.in/etSpy5J7

The Global Education Office is proud of the record number of study abroad opportunities offered to VCU students during winter break. More students experienced study abroad than ever this winter break, as students took advantage of several first-time destinations during the short-term timeframe. Programs of study included Cuba, China, Qatar, India and Guatemala, and represented five diverse academic disciplines: nursing, political science, education, social work and leadership/VCU Transform. Read more about these winter break opportunities at: https://lnkd.in/eXtaM4B5 For more information on study abroad during the upcoming summer and fall semesters, visit global.vcu.edu/abroad.