When the COVID 19 pandemic struck in the beginning of 2020 and all in-person classes converted to online classes, Global Engagement decided to host a series of sessions offering students the opportunity to connect and reflect on the impact of COVID-19 with students from across the globe. In these sessions, DePaul faculty members have partnered with faculty from our international partner universities from countries including Brazil, India, The Netherlands, Mexico, Australia, the UK and more. These dynamic sessions have cultivated intercultural, meaningful discussions on how the pandemic has affected various academic disciplines and industries, such as psychology, public health, business and more. In upcoming sessions, we encourage faculty members from DePaul and from our international partner institutions to propose topics on a variety of global issues, not exclusively related to a pandemic.
Global Conversations Details
Global Conversation sessions are 90-minute lively Zoom synchronous sessions in which students from several international partner institutions interact in a guided, facilitated manner on a list of global topics.
The session is designed for student dialogue and international connection, NOT as a faculty lecture. Faculty prepare a short introduction, possibly a very brief presentation, and guiding discussion questions.
Sessions are co-facilitated by faculty members from various participating international institutions. Faculty teams are often most manageable when they are composed of 2-4 members. Faculty members can form their own international teams if they already have partners, or they can request to be matched with an international/DePaul partner(s). This is a great opportunity to work with someone new and make new international connections.
The next round of sessions will be held during the weeks of April 12-23, 2021.
The Global Engagement Team at DePaul will take care of the logistics of the sessions, coordinating the registration, and providing an in-room assistant that will help manage the Zoom room.
Faculty teams are expected to:
Commit to bring at least 7 students per faculty to participate in the session. Faculty may feel free to incorporate the sessions as part of their current syllabi as they see fit, but this is not an expectation or a requirement.
Have one DePaul faculty member be the convener of the group, calling the team together. The Global Engagement team will help find a DePaul partner if you are not a DePaul faculty member and need one.
Commit to conduct at least one synchronous planning meeting in advance of the session, ensuring that the team finalizes the structure of the sessions and the discussion questions that will guide students’ participation in advance of the actual session.
Ensure that the sessions open with a short introduction of the topic, and give ample time for student interaction.
Be flexible and adaptable during the planning stages and during the synchronous session.
Share their feedback with DePaul’s Global Engagement team by completing a short survey after all sessions conclude.
If you are a faculty member interested in participating in the next round of Global Conversations, please complete this form by January 15, 2021 with information on your 90 minute session. If you already have faculty partners in mind, please confirm their participation prior to proposing a topic. Please make sure that only one team member completes the survey. For any questions, please email Emily Kraus. For a list of former Global Conversations conducted, please click here.
Thank you to our partner institutions:
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands)
Australian Catholic University (Australia)
Centro Universitário Christus (Brazil)
EADA Business School (Spain)
Huaqiao University (China)
Kansai University (Japan)
Loughborough University (The United Kingdom)
Nottingham Trent University (The United Kingdom)
The Open University (The United Kingdom)
Radboud University (The Netherlands)
Symbiosis International University (India)
Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Universidad de Monterrey (Mexico)
Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) (Brazil)
Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (Brazil)
University of Stirling (The United Kingdom)
University of Uyo (Nigeria)
Weifang University (China)