The Office of Global Engagement is pleased to announce five faculty and staff projects funded through its Advancing Global Learning at Home program, which supports innovative campus-based initiatives that bring international perspectives and global skills development to NC State students.

Jason Bocarro, College of Natural Resources – Global Perspectives in Sport, Events, and Tourism Management

NC State sport management students will gain new opportunities to explore the global nature of their fields through the Global Perspectives in Sport, Events, and Tourism Management project facilitated by Jason Bocarro, in collaboration with international expert Dr. Mike Duignan, director of the Centre for Events and Festivals. With support for Duignan to visit campus and collaborate with NC State faculty, the project will bring international perspectives on sport, events, festivals and tourism directly into the classroom.

The project will create a flexible global learning module featuring international case studies, applied activities, career resources and insights from Duignan’s experience in academia and the global sport and events industry. Students will examine how cultural, political, economic and institutional differences shape event planning and management around the world, while exploring international career pathways and the skills needed to work across cultural contexts.

The module will provide global learning opportunities to students who may not participate in a study abroad experience and can be incorporated into undergraduate and graduate courses. The project will also include a professional development seminar for Ph.D. students focused on career opportunities beyond academia, including entrepreneurship, consulting and industry roles. The resulting instructional materials will serve as a lasting resource for NC State faculty and students beyond the project’s funding period.

Xiaolin Duan and Sandria B Freitag, College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Building an Interdisciplinary Framework for Place-Based Global Learning through Community Engagement and International Exchange

NC State history students will explore local communities through a global lens in the Building an Interdisciplinary Framework for Place-Based Global Learning through Community Engagement and International Exchange project, connecting students with international peers and community practitioners in India and East Asia. This project, led by Xiaolin Duan and Sandria B Freitag, will build on two history courses, established international partnerships and an existing digital platform to create place-based global learning opportunities without requiring students to travel abroad.

Through community-engaged coursework and public-facing digital projects, students will investigate how communities create, preserve and interpret meaningful places. Students will research locally significant sites and issues, then compare their findings with community-based approaches to social change, cultural heritage and public history in India and China. They will also exchange feedback with international students through the project’s digital platform, giving them opportunities to collaborate across cultural and disciplinary perspectives.

The project will culminate in an interdisciplinary campus workshop in spring 2027, where students will present selected projects alongside faculty and international and community partners. The project team will use student reflections and assessment data to develop a reusable framework for place-based global learning that can be adapted across disciplines and courses at NC State. By bringing international collaboration into local learning, the project aims to expand access to meaningful global experiences while strengthening connections among students, faculty and communities around the world.

Katherine Kinkopf, College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Reconstructing Ancient Foodways in Global Perspective at NC State

NC State anthropology students will gain hands-on experience in international archaeological research through the Reconstructing Ancient Foodways in Global Perspective at NC State project, organized by Katherine Kinkopf. This project will bring international experts from the University of Pisa to campus to work with students on archaeological samples from Volterra Le Colombaie, Tuscany, Italy, an ancient Etruscan site that has been inhabited since the eighth century BCE, under the scientific direction of Dr. Lisa Rosselli.

Students will learn how bioarchaeologists use stable isotope analysis to investigate ancient diets, migration, mobility and other aspects of lived experience. Working on campus alongside Dr. Giulia Riccomi, students will prepare archaeological samples, conduct laboratory research, analyze original data and develop skills in scientific research, writing and presentation. The experience provides students with access to international research opportunities without the cost and logistical barriers of traveling abroad.

The project will also support the development of a new Advanced Bioarchaeology Methods course and new modules for existing anthropology courses. Students will have opportunities to present their research, develop professional connections and potentially contribute to publications and conferences. The course and research pipeline will continue beyond the initial project, creating recurring opportunities for students to engage in international collaborative research and use project-generated data in future coursework.

Alicia McGill, College of Humanities and Social Sciences – International Public History Education and University/Community Partnerships in the U.S. and Belize

NC State students will connect with peers and heritage professionals in Belize through this new project focused on international public history, cultural exchange and community engagement. The International Public History Education and University/Community Partnerships in the U.S. and Belize project will pair students in NC State’s Department of History with students at the University of Belize through Collaborative Online International Learning, creating opportunities to explore how communities in the United States and Belize understand, preserve and share their history and cultural heritage.

During the spring 2027 semester, students will meet virtually every other week to discuss topics including heritage and identity, community-based research, museums, Indigenous knowledge, heritage tourism, foodways and the ethical challenges of public history. Virtual guest speakers from around the world will add perspectives from a range of cultural and professional contexts. Two Belizean heritage scholars will also visit NC State for a week, joining students on field trips and meeting with Raleigh community organizations and NC State partners.

The project will give students practical experience in intercultural communication, community engagement and public history while introducing them to career pathways in museums, archives, heritage management, tourism, education and related fields. The partnership is designed to continue beyond the initial project, with plans for annual virtual exchanges, future in-person opportunities and continued collaboration between NC State and the University of Belize.

Donghwan Moon, College of Design – Studio Kenya

NC State architecture students will gain a deeper understanding of global design practices through a residency by an architect and faculty member from Pwani University in Kilifi, Kenya. Integrated into the College of Design’s Studio Kenya course, the residency will bring an international perspective directly into the classroom through studio instruction, design critiques, workshops, collaborative design exercises and a public lecture.

Students will explore the social, cultural, environmental and spatial conditions of Kilifi while examining how local knowledge, community priorities and cultural values influence architecture and urban design. Through comparative analysis and collaborative projects, students will consider how design approaches can respond to specific places and communities rather than relying on universal assumptions.

The residency will also strengthen the emerging partnership between NC State and Pwani University, creating opportunities for faculty collaboration, future virtual exchanges, research, study abroad and additional international studios. By bringing global expertise to campus, the project will expand access to globally engaged learning for students who may not have the opportunity to study abroad while building a sustainable foundation for continued collaboration in East Africa.