Program offers faculty/staff new opportunity to travel abroad
An innovative new program is providing funding for Ohio University faculty and staff to travel internationally and take part in global engagement programs.
The Office of Global Opportunities has created the OHIO Global Connections Professional Development Initiative. Participants in the first cohort will travel to Vietnam and Thailand for two weeks in May 2019.
The Office of Global Affairs and International Studies and the University International Council’s Global Mobility Subcommittee assisted with development of this new program.
“Robust engagement with international opportunities and partners is essential to maintaining our vitality as a public research university,” said Joseph Shields, interim dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. "This program provides an opening for faculty and staff to pursue their academic passions in new settings and with new perspectives."
The initiative is designed to strengthen university-wide global engagement efforts, promote study away or collaborative international education programs, increase international research and creative activity, encourage global partnerships, and foster a diverse and inclusive environment for the university community. The Office of Global Opportunities is providing the majority of travel costs, and each participant’s department or college will commit to providing $1,000.
“This is a unique opportunity for faculty and staff to forge global connections, particularly those with interest, ideas and capacity, but with limited to no international experience,” said Lorna Jean Edmonds, vice provost for global affairs and international studies. “This program provides the opportunity to explore the possibilities and to expand OHIO’s global reach”
The immersive experience in Vietnam and Thailand will allow participants to learn how to make global connections and mobilize a global program of their interest. They will connect with counterparts at universities, learn about the culture and history of the host countries, engage with OHIO alumni, talk with students interested in attending OHIO, and participate in a service project. The participants will learn more about global mobility models, such as study abroad or exchange programs, international research collaborations and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) classes. The program will be led by Catherine Marshall, director of the Office of Global Opportunities, and Jeffrey Shane, Southeast Asia reference librarian, and facilitated by an on-site program coordinator from CIS Abroad.
“I am thrilled that we are able to offer this new initiative for faculty and staff, and I hope that we have applications from all across our university community, including our regional campuses,” Marshall explained. “Our students benefit in countless ways from the opportunity to travel and study abroad, and we are proud to offer this program as a way for faculty and staff to forge new global connections.
The following individuals are strongly encouraged to apply for the program:
- Staff and faculty who have never been outside the U.S. or have limited experience out of the country or in Southeast Asia
- New faculty
- Regional campus staff and faculty
- Faculty interested in exploring global mobility options for their students, such as a study abroad, COIL, or research and creative activity
- Staff from academic or administrative units whose work directly furthers the strategic priorities outlined by President M. Duane Nellis
- Faculty from departments that are currently not actively engaged in student global mobility and/or international activities.
For additional information on this innovative new program, please visit the OHIO Global Connections Professional Development Initiative webpage or contact Marshall at the Office of Global Opportunities at 740-593-4583 or marshalc@ohio.edu.
An information session about the new program will be held on Friday, February 8 from 12-1 in the Walter International Education Center. Anyone who cannot attend in person and would like to attend remotely can do so at this web page. Additional information can be found on the Global Connections webpage.