To the UC Davis Community:
The new academic year starts in just a few weeks and I look forward to seeing our campuses full of new and returning Aggies.
For many of our students, summer is a popular season to engage in global learning opportunities, and approximately 1,200 students are participating in study abroad programs this year.
They are Aggies like Chinyere Egbuziem, a third-year student-athlete majoring in political science and psychology. She returned last month from Bologna, Italy, where she took classes in cognitive science and literature. Not only did she earn credits through this coursework — she bonded with new friends and embraced the opportunity to step outside her comfort zone.
For Chinyere, the experience was life-changing in the ways it enhanced her cultural awareness, problem-solving skills and self-reliance. These attributes will serve Chinyere well as she pursues her career goal of becoming a successful lawyer and businesswoman.
Global learning experiences, through domestic, online and abroad programs, help our students expand their knowledge about the world around them. These experiences enhance critical thinking skills and encourage independence, which is important for academic, career and personal development.
At UC Davis, global learning centers on the belief that our students will be better prepared to solve tomorrow’s challenges as they develop global awareness through a range of worldly experiences. From delivering pediatric health care in Bolivia to providing veterinary care at an elephant refuge in Thailand, UC Davis students are getting hands-on experience and making a difference around the globe.
UC Davis students also gain invaluable experiences right here on campus. Over 9,000 students each year engage in global learning opportunities on campus, online or in our region. For example, the Quarter at Aggie Square program offers a study abroad-like experience in Sacramento. Quarter at Aggie Square is an immersive learning experience focused on critical areas in health care policy, multilingual education, transformative justice and human rights.
Making global experiences accessible for all students
True literacy in the 21st century demands global perspectives. That’s why UC Davis is pursuing an ambitious goal known as Global Education for All, which aims to provide 100% of undergraduate, graduate and professional students with global learning opportunities. The initiative is geared to help students succeed in a workforce that demands global awareness, understanding and skills to address the world’s greatest challenges.
UC Davis’ Global Learning Hub is a key spot for connecting students to global engagement opportunities. Think of it as a one-stop shop for students to explore hundreds of global learning opportunities on campus, online, locally, across the U.S. and abroad.
The Global Learning Hub provides students with opportunities to study abroad, such as enrolling in a “Human Rights, Memory and Democracy” program in Santiago, Chile, or learning the basics of winemaking in Dijon, France, which includes visits to France’s major wine regions. Virtual summer internships are also offered in fields such as business, communication, public health and green tech, as well as on-campus opportunities like our Sustainable Development Goals internship program, which enables students an opportunity to engage with this important global agenda.
We support students in many ways to make their global experiences possible. Last year, UC Davis awarded over $300,000 in scholarships and grants to 262 students in support of their global learning pursuits.
UC Davis also awarded 59 free passports to undergraduate students through the U.S. Passport Grant Program, which covers all related costs for first-time applicants. The program especially encourages applications from students who identify as part of a historically marginalized or underrepresented community in study abroad participation. In 2024-25, UC Davis aims to support 100 passports.
Faculty and staff drive global learning
To truly be a world-class university, we must be a global university that positions our faculty, staff and students to lead and innovate in an interconnected world. Realizing this goal requires increasing diversity among our students, faculty, staff, classes, programs, opportunities and partnerships.
The benefits of this work are exemplified through people like Professor Ermias Kebreab, a globally recognized scholar and expert in sustainable agriculture and animal science. He represents UC Davis abroad, has chaired key international advisory groups, and developed and implemented training programs at UC Davis for individuals from more than 27 countries. This impactful work led to him earning a Chancellor’s Award for International Engagement earlier this year, along with three other outstanding recipients from our faculty and staff community.
There are many ways that UC Davis supports a global learning experience for faculty and staff, including collaborating with colleagues from other countries on publications and research projects, or leading study abroad or study away courses.
Faculty may also teach classes with a global dimension. At UC Davis, we have programs, funding and resources that support course development, research and collaborations, and faculty/staff professional development.
Faculty can also participate in “Teaching for Global Learning,” which launched in 2018. This is a cohort-based opportunity that helps faculty infuse global learning into course curricula, enabling thousands of students to pursue global learning opportunities.
UC Davis is moving boldly into the future with so many faculty and staff who are dedicated to advancing our global programs, relationships and engagement. These members of our community make UC Davis and our world a more compassionate, connected and better place.
This year, to reflect advancing conversations about incorporating global engagement in faculty recognition at UC Davis, Academic Affairs introduced a new, optional “Statement of Contributions to Public and Global Impact” as part of the campus merit and promotion process. The statement allows faculty to write about the aggregate impact of their global activities across research, teaching and service.
A two-way process
Our international students and scholars bring diverse ideas, perspectives and values to our community. The breadth of their experiences helps to broaden our thinking and spur creativity and discovery.
Currently, our campus community includes around 9,000 international students and scholars from more than 100 countries. By comparison, in 1999, we had fewer than 900 international students.
We also welcome hundreds of leaders and visitors from many countries to campus and enter into international agreements to strengthen and support international scholarship and research.
Some of those leaders are participants in two global professional programs hosted by UC Davis: The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program and Mandela Washington Fellowship. 2024 marks the eighth cohort of the Mandela Washington Fellowship and the 33rd cohort of the Humphrey Fellowship Program. I am proud to say that we are the only UC that hosts the Humphrey or Mandela Fellowship Program and are one of only five universities nationwide that are doing both.
The most recent cohort of the Mandela Washington Fellowship included emerging leaders in such fields as clean energy, democratic politics and food security.
I invited Uyi Effiom, a Mandela Washington Fellow from Nigeria, to join me last year as a guest on Face to Face With Chancellor May. We discussed her work with environmental restoration and her efforts to build a more sustainable future through “waste-to-wealth” solutions
UC Davis was also selected to host the Humphrey Fellowship for another five years. The program supports mid-career professionals from countries with developing and emerging economies to strengthen their leadership skills and build networks. The next cohort of Humphrey Fellows will arrive next week, and I look forward to welcoming them to our vibrant campus.
Future forward
The value of global education and global engagement extends far beyond employment. Immersion in global culture enriches our humanity, expands our creativity and builds an appreciation for the power of diversity.
Global experiences broaden our horizons while building our empathy. Knowing more about how others see the world connects us and makes us realize the power of our shared values.
Global learning continues to excite and prepare our students for a thriving future. That’s certainly the case with Aidan Chiang, a rising second-year student who hopes to join the Department of State as a foreign service officer. To get a jump on these career goals, Aidan participated in Global Affairs’ Global Engagement Opportunity program to live and learn with peers from around the world.
Aidan also studied abroad this summer in Malaysia, where he relished the opportunity to visit a new continent and engage with people from diverse cultures. He participated in classes that were focused on mental health along with exploring Kuala Lumpur and practicing tai chi. He believes that global learning is crucial for challenging ourselves to solve problems in different ways, all while striving to improve everyone’s well-being.
We will continue to welcome the world to UC Davis and bring UC Davis to the world. The exchange of ideas and learning of new cultures — all of which come from being a part of a global campus — are more important than ever.
Sincerely,
Gary S. May
Chancellor
In the most recent episode of Thursday Thoughts, Chancellor Gary S. May and LeShelle May discuss summer plans and resources.