Student Learning and Success Supported by the Global Center

The Center for the Study of Global Change supports faculty in embedding experiential and project-based global learning into IU classrooms. Through collaborative course design, international partnerships, and applied learning initiatives, these programs help students work across borders, engage in real-world challenges, and build skills for global citizenship and careers. 

In collaboration with the IU Indianapolis Office of International Affairs, we launched a new course on global learning foundations available for all IU educators utilizing the IU Expand platform. In just a few short modules, educators across Indiana University can learn how to connect with students from around the world, build an international network, and develop critical skills for a global economy. This new course joined a suite of offerings including a Global Learning Toolkit, and a Global Learning Module for First-Year Students. Enroll in these free courses today to enhance your skills through global learning.

The Global Center was pleased to collaborate with the Service-Learning Program at the IUB Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning for the third iteration of the Global Community-Engaged Learning Course Development Institute. This year, we were joined by thirteen faculty from IU Bloomington, IU Indianapolis, and IU Columbus, making it the biggest cohort yet! We also transitioned to a hybrid model, utilizing online materials, synchronous virtual discussions, and culminating in a two day in-person workshop. One piece of feedback we received from a faculty participant is "you set up a relaxed yet super productive environment—that’s a difficult balance to achieve, and you found that sweet spot! I’m encouraged by all of the side conversations about collaboration and brainstorming, too." 

Our Global Classroom initiative expanded access to international collaboration in Spring 2025 by pairing IU courses with parallel classes at partner universities abroad. Faculty from IU Bloomington, IU Southeast, and IU Northwest collaborated with colleagues in Egypt, England, India, and Poland to design shared, virtual projects that brought students together across borders. These partnerships enabled students to gain global perspectives and intercultural experience through sustained, technology-enabled collaboration.  

Through the Client-Based International Projects (CLIP) program, faculty connected their courses with international partners to give students hands-on consulting and design experience. In Spring 2025, two faculty-led projects engaged students in applied work with an events company in Morocco and a children’s neurodevelopment clinic in Kenya, while additional projects launched in Fall 2025, including a completed collaboration with an education nonprofit in Kenya and several ongoing initiatives. These projects allow students to deliver professional, client-ready solutions while developing cross-cultural communication and problem-solving skills. Reflecting on his project with Global Premium Events in Morocco, Andrew Vendt (BS’28) shared that “working with a real-life client as a freshman in college… [was] a fantastic opportunity” that provided him with a broader perspective. 

The Global Center continued its support of Diplomacy Lab, a partnership with the U.S. Department of State that integrates real-world diplomatic research questions into IU courses. Across Spring and Fall 2025, fourteen IU Bloomington faculty from the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, Religious Studies, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design guided students in producing policy-relevant research on topics such as security, climate change, cybersecurity, governance, product design, and humanitarian finance. These projects offered students the opportunity to contribute directly to active foreign policy challenges while building applied research and professional communication skills. 

The Center also hosted the second annual Global Learning Showcase in May 2025, bringing together students, faculty, and staff to celebrate globally engaged coursework.  The event opened with a keynote address by Svitlana Ramer, Honorary Consul of Ukraine to Indiana, who reflected on the role of global engagement and international cooperation in times of crisis. Featuring thirty student posters from five IU Bloomington schools, the Showcase highlighted projects developed through Global Classroom, Client-Based International Projects (CLIP), Diplomacy Lab, and projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Global Learning Showcase provided a culminating space for students to share their work publicly and reflect on the impact of global, experiential learning. Reflecting on the experience, Sanjana Jain, a student in a public health course focused on the SDGs, shared that the project was “very eye opening… stepping into the global and public health world has really shown me what issues are impacting my community and… what actions I can take… to make a positive impact.”