A Global Guarantee

Carolina is among the nation’s leading institutions for students studying abroad, with 35 percent doing so before graduating. The University offers 400 programs in more than 70 countries.

But to be a truly global university and prepare global citizens, every student should graduate with the skills and tools to succeed in an interconnected world, whether they go abroad or take advantage of international opportunities here at home. Further, the University aspires to help North Carolina and the nation succeed in a global economy, as well as address pressing international problems through teaching and collaborative research among UNC faculty experts, students and their partners around the world.

To do that, we must infuse a global dimension throughout the University’s teaching, research and service activities, broaden UNC’s worldwide reach and enhance its global visibility. UNC GlobalOpens in new window leads our efforts to strengthen Carolina’s global presence, build global awareness, and foster partnerships with other universities around the world to promote international scholarship and understanding, thereby improving the quality of life for all.

That’s what Carolina’s new campaign Signature Initiative, A Global Mindset, and its Global Guarantee are all about. Through the Center for Global InitiativesOpens in new window’ (CGI) collaborative programsOpens in new window and competitive funding opportunitiesOpens in new window, we connect people across borders and disciplines. CGI works to expand global opportunities, open accessOpens in new window and remove barriers to opportunities for underserved students.

That’s how Jacob Moore ’19, of Wake Forest, North Carolina, and 11 other UNC students traveled to Puerto Rico in May as part of CGI’s Takeoff: Puerto RicoOpens in new window experience. It was Jacob’s first time out of the 50 states, and he tells us about his experience in this video.

Thanks to a CGI travel awardOpens in new window, Randi Thompson ’20, of Mebane, North Carolina, is in Lilongwe, Malawi, interning with Parliament and studying human rights and democratic governance in the context of southern Africa. The first in her family to travel or study abroad, she is visiting government institutions and various human rights non-governmental organizations. Just on the ground, Randi shares the beginning of her adventure here.

For the CGI and programs like it, philanthropy is the pathway to achieving our students’ and the University’s global aspirations, fueled by the Chancellor’s Global Education FundOpens in new window. The only University-wide fund supporting Carolina’s strategic global priorities, the fund has helped:

Establish more than 40 student internships and research fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students across a wide range of majors and disciplines;
Create globally themed courses, such as Arabic, business Chinese, Persian, immigration and cultural identity, and peace and popular culture in Pakistan and Afghanistan;
Sustain and enhance acclaimed area studies centersOpens in new window in the UNC College of Arts & Sciences, supporting foreign language instruction, library collections expansion and faculty research awards;
Co-sponsor lectures and programs on topics such as Arctic sovereignty issues, the Arab Spring, trends in the European Union and University-wide efforts such as Food for All: Local and Global PerspectivesOpens in new window; and
Cultivate and strengthen strategic partnerships with leading international institutions, including King’s College LondonOpens in new window, National University of SingaporeOpens in new window, Eberhard Karls University of TübingenOpens in new window in Germany, Peking UniversityOpens in new window in China, the University of San Francisco de QuitoOpens in new window in Ecuador, and UNC’s global health partnerships in Malawi and ZambiaOpens in new window.