Category: Global Matters
Global Programs Launches New ‘Talk About’ Event Series for International Students
More than 1,000 students registered for the eight Talk About events that ran last year
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and its many challenges, Global Programs has been striving to meet the ever-evolving needs of international students. Like the pandemic’s lasting effects felt by so many, students’ needs have evolved as we collectively respond to the twists and turns of the pandemic.
International students have encountered myriad obstacles – from visa challenges to travel bans to online courses in different time zones, to name just a few. Amid these complications, Global Programs saw an opportunity to develop a new way for international students to come together and get access to resources alongside a community of international classmates, albeit virtually. The event series Talk About was born.
“The concept for Talk About was to create a platform for international students where they feel comfortable to come together to collaborate, meet other people, share ideas, and help create a greater sense of community at BU,” says Kamelia Turcotte, Assistant Director of International Student Initiatives. “Event topics are largely informed and chosen by international students. They are involved with the events from conception to completion to help ensure that topics resonate and meet the needs of the international student community.”
Turcotte is no stranger to the challenges that international students can face, even without a global pandemic looming. She came to the U.S. as an international student from Bulgaria and remembers what it feels like to complete one’s education away from their home country.
“As a former international student from Europe who also studied abroad in Asia, I know what it means to find my way in a new place, and all the excitement and challenges that come with this transition,” she says. “Our goal with the Talk About series was to, in collaboration with campus partners, ensure international students have a successful academic and social experience at BU. It is so rewarding to see them thrive in the university community and beyond.”
The 2020-21 Talk About event series generated more than 1,000 student sign-ups from its eight events that ran from September to February. Nine campus partners, ranging from Student Activities Office, to Student Health Services, to Alumni & Friends, shared resources and recommendations for international students on how to adjust to LfA, engage with the BU community, manage societal and cultural changes, normalize experiences related to COVID-19, and find employment in and outside of the U.S.
On the docket for fall 2021, Turcotte has four virtual Talk About events planned:
- International Students and Academic Success: September 7 at 4 p.m. ET
Hosted in collaboration with the Education Resource Center, this event discussed strategies for academic success in the transition to in-person learning.
- What You Really Need to Know: September 27 at 5 p.m. ET
The event featured a panel of upper-class international students, sharing what incoming students need to know from the perspective of a peer. Topics included academic opportunities, campus life, student organizations, employment, and adjusting to life at BU.
- International Students & Safety: October 7 at 4 p.m. ET
This discussion will help students learn when they should call for emergency help and how to avoid scams targeting international students. Chief Kelly A. Nee, Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police will present.
- Networking and Employment in the U.S. – November 4 at 1 p.m. ET
Representatives from the Center for Career Development and the International Students and Scholars Office will discuss services and resources available to international students. A panel of international BU alumni will share their experiences and recommendations for successfully obtaining employment.
If you have ideas or feedback on Talk About events, please let us know. Or if you would like Kamelia’s input or help with any international student issues or initiatives at your college or school please email her at kameliat@bu.edu.
A Remote Internship Offers Next Best Thing to Studying Abroad
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Will Andronico (COM ’22) has always been interested in the timeless art of storytelling and plans to pursue a career in this area. More
Study Abroad is Back!
Photos Capture the Joy of Welcoming Students Back to Study Abroad Sites
After 18 long months of being shuttered due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most Boston University Study Abroad programs have re-opened and many Study Abroad sites joyously welcomed students back for the first time since March 2020.
BU students have made their way to various Study Abroad locations excited to start their journeys in international education. Among the many different opportunities that await students: interning with international organizations; improving foreign language skills; earning academic credit in awe inspiring locations; gaining a global perspective, and more.
No matter the paths that students will take, Boston University Study Abroad is delighted to be able to offer these life-changing opportunities to students again. COVID-19 protocols will remain a part of daily life to help create a safe environment, as Study Abroad locations around the world continue to prioritize the health, safety, and security of our students, faculty, and staff.
For the locations with circumstances that do not yet permit them to welcome back students, Study Abroad staff will continue to prepare and plan for the resumption of programming. It’s never too early to start planning your study abroad experience and research program options. Get in touch with an advisor to learn more about opportunities.
International Students & Scholars Overcome Travel-Related Challenges
Most international students & scholars have successfully made it to campus this fall
The start of the 2021-2022 academic year has been anything but typical as we collectively continue to navigate living through a pandemic. COVID tests and daily attestations are part of daily life now. But the familiar buzz of BU’s dynamic, diverse campus is also back – and it is a welcomed jolt of energy that has been missing for many months.
Naga Rithika Roddam
Many international students and scholars have had to overcome additional pandemic-related challenges to return to campus for their academic pursuits. Constantly changing travel restrictions and fewer visa appointments being available – to name just two hurdles that international students are facing – can add stress to an already nerve-racking situation.
“I had to travel alone for 20 hours from India and had no one to call on if something happened…my parents could not travel with me because of COVID travel restrictions,” says freshman Naga Rithika Roddam. “It added to the stress and anxiety of the whole situation.”
Another student, Parnian “Par” Asgari experienced other travel challenges as she navigated coming to Boston for the first time.
“Because of the country I come from, I had some issues and difficulties getting to Boston,” Asgari says. “I had to stay away from my family almost all summer because I had to quarantine in another country for 17 days before coming to the U.S.”
Like Rithika Roddam, Asgari had to travel alone for 15 hours.
Parnian “Par” Asgari
“I came here never having been to Boston before,” Asgari says. “But the ISSO [International Students & Scholars Office] helped me.”
According to the ISSO, most international students have been able to make it to Boston this fall despite the extra obstacles they faced. Generally, each fall about 3,300 new international students check-in, but this fall, we’ve already surpassed that, and BU has nearly 4,500 “new” international students checked-in because so many couldn’t travel to Boston last year.
“We are pleased to welcome most of our international students and scholars back to campus this fall,” says Jeanne Kelley, Managing Director of the International Students & Scholars Office. “They overcame significant visa processing delays and COVID travel restrictions to return to the U.S. and should be congratulated for their perseverance and their commitment to BU!”
Despite the added stress associated with traveling to Boston, many new international students who are a part of BU’s International Peer Mentor (IPM) Program report that the first few weeks on campus have been either what they expected or better than they expected.
The IPM Program assists new international undergraduate students in making a successful academic and personal transition to Boston University, and helps them acquire cultural knowledge, make new friendships, and understand available campus resources. The Program matches new students (“mentees”) with trained current students (“mentors”) based on background, common interests, academics, and professional goals.
“It [the IPM Program] has been excellent,” Rithika Roddam says. “My mentor is also from India, so I could ask her about visas and packing and immigration because she had been through the same things. When I got here, she showed me how to take the T. We also meet every two weeks. It’s been a helpful experience.”
Asgari says she has connected with some clubs on-campus and has found them to be a good way to make friends. “When you find a club or organization that is the right one for you, you will feel more supported and the older students who are in charge of the clubs will help,” she says.
Asgari also noted that she has been pleased with how friendly and helpful students have been. “My roommate didn’t even know me yet, but she and her family helped me,” she says. “They picked me up at the hotel where I was staying and helped me move in.”
The University is proud of all BU students for the big and little ways they are helping each other and fostering an inclusive campus community.
Global Faculty Funding Opportunities
Global Programs is proud to once again sponsor global research and engagement opportunities for Boston University faculty members.
Global Programs / Boston University Foundation-India (BUFI) Seed Fund
The Global Programs / Boston University Foundation-India (BUFI) Seed Fund is designed to seed new or support existing collaborative research projects in India conducted by BU faculty and their peers in India. The research project may be in any discipline but must directly benefit India. Foreign travel is allowed on this award, enabling face-to-face meetings, which aims to benefit collaboration and outcomes of the research project between BU faculty and their research partners in India.
The 2020 Request for Proposals for one seed fund of $30,000 will open on January 22, 2020. The award will be divided equally between the BU principal investigator (PI) and the PI from an Indian Institution.
The deadline to submit is March 4, 2020 by 5 PM EST. All full-time Boston University faculty are eligible to apply. Indian PIs must be Indian citizens and currently employed full-time at any Indian University Grants Commission-recognized institution. Finalists will be announced April 1, 2020.
Past recipients of the Global Programs / BUFI Seed Fund include:
- Natasha Hochberg, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, BUSM, and Department of Epidemiology, BU School of Public Health, for her 2019 research proposal titled “Scaling up Nutritional Interventions to Stop Tuberculosis in India.” Dr. Hochberg’s study aims to determine optimal implementation strategies for nutritional interventions as part of the effort to combat tuberculosis in India. Dr.Hochberg is working with a multidisciplinary team of BU co-investigators: Dr. Nalin Kulatilaka, Wing Tat Lee Family Professor in Management, Finance Professor, and Co-Director of the Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy, and Dr. Lindsey Locks, Assistant Professor, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. The BU team is also collaborating with an India PI on this study, Dr. Subitha Lakshminarayanan, MBBS, MD, and Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, India.
- David Henderson, Chair of Psychiatry at BU School of Medicine, won the seed fund in 2018 for his research proposal titled “Capacity-building in Mental Health Research on Serious Mental Illness in Tamil Nadu, India and Boston, MA.” Dr. Henderson worked with Dr. Vandana Gopikumarof the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) School of Social Work in India on this project.
Global Programs seeks to advance Boston University’s global strategy and serve as a champion for global initiatives at home in Boston and abroad. BUFI is a separate not-for-profit entity in India, created to promote charitable activities in India, including research and education that directly benefit India and its people.
BU Faculty Exchange Program in Padua, Italy
Another upcoming opportunity for faculty members is the BU Faculty Exchange Program in Padua, Italy. The Boston University-Università degli Studi di Padova Faculty Exchange Program is part of a 25-year-old collaboration between the two universities. Through this program, up to three BU faculty members may participate per year in a one-to-one exchange with Italian faculty.
The length of the program is generally two-to-four weeks at the Università during May–July, when the Università is still in session, though other dates may be arranged. Italian language skills are not required.
Applications for this exchange program are due Feb. 14, 2020, with final selection notifications sent in early March. For more information about the program, please visit the Global Programs site here.
If you have questions about submitting a Global Programs / BUFI Proposal for 2020 or an application for the Padua Faculty Exchange, please contact Deepti Nijhawan, Director of Special Projects for BU Global Programs at deeptin@bu.edu.
Sharks, STEM & Sydney
Hands-On STEM Teaching & A Unique Career Path at BU Sydney
Sharks continue to make headlines for attacking humans. The probability of an attack remains very low: in fact, you are twice as likely to win the lottery as be attacked by a shark. The statistics say it’s much more dangerous to do certain every-day things, like drive a car. But Julianna Kadar, a BU Sydney alumna, researcher, and BU Sydney course instructor recognizes that people still fear the danger – and she studies shark behavior to track activity patterns. Gaining a better understanding of why sharks behave the way they do can help researchers like Julianna gain insight into how to avoid negative interactions.
“A lot of the work we do today is around changing misperceptions of sharks,” Kadar says. “You’ll hear about large sharks, like Great Whites or Tiger sharks, attacking people, but there are hundreds of species of sharks. In fact, most of them are smaller in size, hang out on the ocean floor, and pose absolutely no risk to humans. They also perform functions that are incredibly important to the environment.”
She also studies the impact of sharks on the environment and across her years of study has seen how climate change may be playing a role in how sharks are affecting their surrounding ecosystems. Kadar focuses on Port Jackson sharks that are common across Australia’s harbors and bays. Utilizing sophisticated technology, such as accelerometers, which function like Fitbits for sharks, she gathers fine-scale movement data. Then, Kadar and her team use machine-learning algorithms to distill the massive sets of data and build a picture of shark behaviors and movements in the ocean.
Kadar first fell in love with Sydney and Australia’s biodiversity while studying abroad with BU during her junior year abroad. She studied both literature and biology and completed an internship in science communication with COSMOS Science Magazine. She recalls how the location and the experience drew her in and fostered her interest in marine science. Since studying abroad, she has graduated from BU, lived in Hungary for a year, and returned to Sydney, completing a Master of Science in Biodiversity Conservation and a Master of Research from Macquarie University. Kadar now teaches in BU Sydney’s Engineering Program and works toward completing her Ph.D. at Macquarie University.
For BU Sydney, Kadar serves as a lecturer for the STEM in Australian Culture and Society course (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), teaching students about the intersection of research, policy, and STEM culture in Australia.
“We cover the cultural differences that exist between America and Australia as well as current STEM initiatives happening here in Australia,” Kadar says. “We look at the effects of political decisions like budget cuts to publicly funded science and research, and as the STEM approach dictates; problem-solving and critical thinking is built into everything we do.”
The course helps show how innovations in STEM have positively influenced so many aspects of human life and how things like government policy and funding impact the scientific community’s ability to do this important work.
Kadar also takes students to Canberra, Australia’s capital city, where they visit Mount Stromlo Observatory. On the last visit, students saw a satellite shortly before launch. In Canberra, they also visit the country’s largest science museum, which is home to hundreds of hands-on exhibits and activities.
“It’s important to know when you are working in the STEM fields that you may not just work in a lab every day,” Kadar says. “Today, more scientists are expected to be working across different fields, shaping policy and be visible on platforms like social media. This experience helps students gain a wider view of what being an engineer can encompass.”
Students take most of their classes and labs at the University of Sydney, Australia's first university and one of the world's leading universities.
“Being put in a different university and culture, you have to adapt to and make connections with local laboratories, for example” Kadar says. “Some students do an internship in a lab and take part in cutting-edge research. One student interned in a nanotechnology lab, and she was included as an author on a published paper as a result of their research.”
Learning from professionals who are different from you culturally can be incredibly enriching and rewarding – and it can help students stand out with potential employers.
STEM jobs continue to grow faster than any other U.S. sector, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available jobs in the field are projected to increase 17 percent by 2024, while non-STEM employment is projected to grow just 12 percent. In Australia, similar growth rates are reported by the Bureau of Statistics with STEM occupations growing by 11 percent and non-STEM jobs growing by only 6 percent over the same time. As the interest in STEMM careers continues to grow, so too does work being done to improve the imbalances in racial, ethnic, and gender representation across scientific fields.
“This is a critical point, and it’s becoming a part of the daily rhetoric,” Kadar says. “For example, we’re seeing individuals take action in Australia like male professors and CEOs turning down panel opportunities if females aren’t also represented.”
One organization that’s working to foster inclusivity in STEM, and with which Kadar is affiliated, is called Homeward Bound. It is building a network of 1,000 women in STEM over ten years and pushing forward agendas like diversity in STEM. The prestigious organization hosts monthly workshops and leadership training opportunities. Kadar was selected to be one of 80 awardees this year from hundreds of applicants. She is taking part in the year-long program that will culminate in a voyage to Antarctica to see the effects of climate change first-hand.
“I’m incredibly excited to meet a group of leading women in science who are all working to change policy, drive research, and initiate conversations regarding environmental health, climate action, and diversity in the STEM fields,” Kadar says. “Traveling to Antarctica will give us a chance to see an area of the world that has experienced some of the greatest warming on earth.”
The lessons Homeward Bound offers on collaboration, hands-on learning, and creative problem-solving are central to STEM culture in Australia and abroad. Kadar looks forward to integrating these lessons into her classes at BU Sydney.
“Julianna’s teaching is a fusion of her undergraduate academic background in writing and journalism and her post-graduate work in science, along with her Ph.D. work in the biological sciences,” says Mark Connellan, Director of BU Sydney. “Putting these things together makes her a valuable communicator and teacher. I love that she can bring together the social aspects of STEM alongside the scientific aspects.”
Students explore how STEM initiatives work and how this is communicated to the wider Australian society, encouraging them to think beyond the lab so that by the end of the course, they know how to advocate for the work they’re doing in STEM.
“Julianna has been great about reaching out to students across disciplines within STEM,” Connellan says. “She engages students and shows them the greater social purpose of their studies and future careers.”
A Look Back at International Education Week 2019
Global Programs was thrilled to facilitate International Education Week (IEW) 2019 at Boston University for the eighth consecutive year. IEW is a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and of Education, seeking to highlight the importance of international education. From November 18 - 22, more than 45 BU offices, student groups, schools, and colleges hosted nearly 40 events across the University’s campuses – including at many BU study abroad sites – to celebrate the University’s global identity and the exchange of ideas, customs, and cultures.
“We are proud to play a lead role in International Education Week for Boston University,” said Willis G. Wang, Vice President and Associate Provost for Global Programs. “This week shines a spotlight on – and is a terrific example of – the important and exciting work being done to create unique opportunities for global engagement at BU.”
This year, Global Programs’ marquee IEW panel event featured multi-disciplinary experts in environmental history, nutrition, global health, food and water, agricultural history, and geology to discuss the future of food and its global impact. More than 100 students, faculty, and staff attended the event to explore how we can more sustainably feed the world’s growing population in the face of climate change and the evolving geo-political landscape.
The panel discussion featured Dr. Sarah Phillips (CAS) Associate Professor of History; Dr. Lindsey Locks (SPH & SAR) Assistant Professor in Health Science and Global Health; Dr. Benjamin Siegel (CAS) Assistant Professor of History; Dr. Magaly Koch (CAS) Geologist and Research Associate Professor; Dr. Richard Samuel Deese (Pardee & CGS) Senior Lecturer and Faculty Research Fellow at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future; and Michael Leviton (MET) Chef, Instructor, and Co-founder of Craigie Burger.
Global Programs also hosted a global film series and faculty-led discussions after each showing. The series featured five different films from five different parts of the world: South Korean film “The Host;” Finish film “The Man Without a Past;” Iranian film “The Color of Paradise;” U.S. documentary “Clínica de Migrantes;” and Chinese film “Su Zhou He” (Suzhou River).
Across the University, offices hosted receptions, lectures, open houses, and more to foster the exchange of ideas and make cultural connections. Metropolitan College (MET) celebrated IEW with a free Thanksgiving Dinner for students. MET also partnered with the Center for English Language & Orientation Programs (CELOP) to host a global cooking demonstration and discussion. Their standing-room-only event featured student teams who presented on food from their home country and culture, with a live cooking demonstration and tasting opportunities for the audience.
A Latin America “Lightning Talk” event presented by Global Programs highlighted the work of students and faculty across BU who have participated in short-term global service learning, education, and research projects in Latin America. Faculty and students talked about their work in short presentations and shared how they are making an impact in Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and at the Mexican border.
Student Groups also hosted and attended events. BU’s Latinx dance team and Sabor Latino hosted “Por La Cultura / For the Culture” to unite diverse clubs through tabling and cultural group performances. Boston University Study Abroad was proud to sponsor the event.
At BU Madrid, students took part in Paella Night, an event that brought together Madrid students to reflect upon their experience abroad through meaningful pictures presented to the group. This year, alumni also participated in the event, as students spoke about their host families, friends, classes, trips around Spain, and the experiences they shared. Faculty and staff also joined the discussion, and everyone enjoyed paella. The below image was shared by Ryan Lane, who said the week that his family visited felt gratifying and eye opening. He was able to confidently show them around Madrid and Spain, and he realized how comfortable he had gotten over the semester and how much Madrid felt like a second home to him.
In Boston, many BU Study Abroad sites hosted events to bring together study abroad alumni and students who are interested in learning more about study abroad opportunities.
If you are interested in learning more about IEW 2019 or would like to discuss ideas for next year’s IEW, please contact us at global@bu.edu. Please consider sharing your IEW photos either on Instagram with the hashtag #BUIEW19 or with us directly.
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Great BU Turnout for Summer Career Fairs in China
Once again BU participated in the (American Universities’ China Association) AUCA CAREER FAIRs this summer in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing. Boston University was one of the founding sponsors of the career fairs three years ago, and this year the fairs brought students and recent alumni from 20 American universities together to meet representatives from 145 companies from a wide variety of industries offering over 4,000 internship and full-time employment opportunities. Leading multinational companies like Amazon, Bloomberg, Dell, KPMG and Unilever were there along with top Chinese firms like Alibaba, BOE, ByteDance and CreditEase, to name just a few of the participating companies.
Boston University had the second highest attendance among the 20 participating schools after USC with 211 graduate, undergraduate and recent grads attending.
If you are aware of local career fairs in other countries that would be of interest to our diverse student and recent alumni population, please let Global Programs know at global@bu.edu. We would be happy to help promote the events.
Global Feature
Global Feature
Global Feature
