As President Sullivan referenced in her recent message, Care for All in Our Community at a Time of Change in America, we are attentive to potential changes impacting Global Engagement across higher education. These may include impacts to international students and scholars, study abroad, research abroad, global partnerships, international university-sponsored travel, and global diversity and learning. As changes occur, we will communicate with the members of our community who may be impacted. You can learn more about SCU’s global community and relevant federal government policy updates on our website.

Santa Clara University’s Impact 2030 strategic plan is more important than ever, and work advancing Strategic Priority One: Reach on a Global Scale is moving forward in exciting ways.  Recently, we shared that the University has adopted a new travel assistance provider to support university-sponsored international travel. Also, we are expanding education abroad opportunities for students and look forward to sharing more about that work in coming weeks, in keeping with the goals of Impact 2030.  

In addition, I would like to highlight two opportunities for you to engage in SCU’s global community: Submit a photo for the annual Global Engagement Photo Contest, and share your native language via the survey below to receive a button to wear on International Mother Languages Day next month. See below for how you can celebrate with us by participating in this programming.

Finally, in Global Engagement, we seek out ways to expand intercultural experiences and globally diverse perspectives across all our work, and occasionally we highlight books, artwork, music or media that speak to some aspect of global learning. This month we are finding inspiration in We Are Lady Parts, a show about a British women’s Muslim punk band that gives voice to complex identities. It also includes some hilarious music and scenes based at one of SCU’s partner universities, Queen Mary University, London. Watch it and let us know if you think it is as joyful as we do.

Best,
Susan Popko
Associate Provost for International Programs

Highlighting Faculty Research Abroad

Heather Clydesdale, Assistant Professor of Art and Art History, served as a Global Engagement Faculty Fellow in Fall 2024 and has been awarded the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Taiwan Fellowship for her project “Building Public Character.”  Heather’s research focuses on buildings and environments designed by Taiwanese architects since the turn of the twenty-first century. She will investigate design processes, aesthetic principles, and how people activate sites as they move through and use them. She expects her findings will illuminate how Taiwan’s tangled cultural legacies, commitment to sustainability, and political system are foundational to the emergence of architecture that preserves local heritage, connects people to natural environments, and promotes civic engagement. 

The MOFA Taiwan Fellowship is an internationally-competitive grant open to scholars of all disciplines conducting research on Taiwan, cross-strait relations, the Asia-Pacific region, and Sinology. The fellowship will support Heather’s travel to Asia and three months of research in Taiwan during the summer of 2025. Heather will be based in Taipei and hosted by Taipei National University’s Graduate Institute of Building and Planning but will traverse the island to visit sites, architectural firms, university programs, and public archives.

Research abroad is an important component of SCU’s global footprint, connecting SCU scholars with colleagues around the world. 

View from bridge to visitor center at Cherry Orchard Cemetery 櫻花陵園 by FieldOffice Architects 田中央工作群. Photo by Heather Clydesdale

Proposing University-Sponsored International Travel

Faculty and staff interested in learning more about proposing international travel at SCU are encouraged to attend the Proposing University-Sponsored International Travel presentation on February 5, 12-1PM, on Zoom. RSVP to receive the Zoom link.

As a reminder, those wishing to propose international travel during May/June 2025 must complete their proposal by March 15. See our website for more information.

Study Abroad and Global Programs for 2025-26

The application deadline for study abroad and global programs for Summer 2025 and Academic Year 2025-26 was December 5, 2024. We received applications from 526 students. We are grateful for the 82 faculty and staff members who served as reviewers this year. In keeping with Impact 2030 and Strategic Priority One: Reach on a Global Scale, we are expanding education abroad opportunities for students for 2025-26 and applicants will receive notification letters by late-February.  

Faculty and staff who are interested in learning more about the study abroad and global programs admissions process can reference the Application Update webinar recording. 

Calling All Pell Eligible Students - Study Abroad Scholarships Available

Come learn about study abroad scholarships: Thursday, Jan. 23, 1:00 p.m. Aloysius Varsi Hall.

Undergraduate students receiving the Pell Grant are invited to attend our upcoming informational session to learn more about the Benjamin A. Gilman International Award. This opportunity offers eligible students awards of up to $5,000 to help fund their study abroad experience. Students studying Critical Need Languages are eligible for an additional $3,000.

International Student Workshops Supporting Internships and Career 

International students are encouraged to participate in upcoming workshops:

• January 22: CPT Workshop
• February 4: Tax Workshop

Did you know that SCU offers international students workshops on academic internships (Curricular Practical Training- CPT), post-graduation employment (Optional Practical Training- OPT), and tax information on a regular basis to help students integrate their academics and career?  Learn more about OPT and CPT on our website.

Global Engagement Coffee Hours

International students are invited to attend Global Engagement Coffee Hours as a chance to hold space around this time of change in the United States. Come visit with other international students and ask any immigration-related questions at Aloysius Varsi Hall: 

• January 24, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. 
• January 29, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Nominate Yourself or a Colleague - Global Engagement Award for Faculty

Nominations for the Barbara Cassin Award for Excellence in Global Engagement are open. The Barbara Cassin award recognizes outstanding faculty efforts supporting global engagement annually. All faculty, staff, and students are welcome to nominate faculty members for this award. Nominations and self-nominations are due April 22, 2025. Visit our website for more information.

See SCU global data on our website.

January 2025

• January 23: Study Abroad Scholarship Info Session
• January 24: Global Engagement Coffee Hour
• January 27: Deadline to Request Mother Language Button
• January 27-31: Photo Contest Voting Period
• January 29: Global Engagement Coffee Hour

February 2025

• February 4: Tax Workshop for International Students
• February 5: Proposing University-Sponsored International Travel