Global UGRAD Fall 2017 University Site Visits

Global UGRAD Fall 2017 University Site Visits

This October, Will O’Roark had the opportunity to travel to the University of Connecticut – a new partner on the Global UGRAD Program. UConn is the largest university in the state and is home to over 23,000 students. The university is proud of its strong engineering program and its nationally recognized women’s and men’s basketball programs. In addition to meeting with university administrators and staff in the …

U.S. Academic Culture: A Firsthand Reflection by Hasna El Asri

U.S. Academic Culture: A Firsthand Reflection by Hasna El Asri

The only truth I used to hold in my mind about the U.S. academic system was its ranking among the first globally. Today, I am experiencing this truth through my own personal perspective. I finally stepped into the American classroom and gained the greatest insight into what is truly called the U.S. academic system. As a Global UGRAD exchange student …

The Global UGRAD Booklist – Part II

The Global UGRAD Booklist – Part II

National Book Month may be over, but reading suggestions from our current participants and alumni are not! Check out what the Global UGRADs are into this month:   Sibongile Hokonya (Zimbabwe), Carroll College, Global UGRAD 2017-18 Concrete Economics by J. Bradford DeLong and Stephen S. Cohen My room was very warm today and so I decided to sit outside and enjoy the cool …

Getting a Jump-Start on Community Service!

Getting a Jump-Start on Community Service!

The Global UGRAD students complete a minimum of 20 hours community service during their academic semester in the United States. While many are just beginning to think about how they’d like to spend their time volunteering, others have already started! Here is Aarif Badarny’s (Israel) account of his first experience doing community service near his host campus, Castleton University. On …

Journey to the United States

Journey to the United States

The Journey Begins “When ‘Life is full of surprises’ meets with a ‘Dream comes true’ moment, things simply can’t get any better. Being able to participate in the Global UGRAD Program has been an experience of a lifetime! In Bangladesh, as soon as I completed my semester final exams, I was psyched and excited to prepare myself to board my flight to head …

From Where I Stand part I | The Global UGRAD Photojournalism Project

One of our favorite sayings is “Once a UGRAD, always a UGRAD”. Even when the U.S. portion of the Global UGRAD experience is over, alumni are always a part of this big and talented family of impact. The lessons learned and knowledge gained during the exchange live on as alumni share their stories and dedicate efforts to shine brightly in …

AEIF Project Competition Winners

Each year, the U.S. Department of State hosts its Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) project competition which supports alumni initiatives that promote shared values and innovative solutions to global challenges. This year, out of 1,014 project submissions, 68 teams have been selected as finalists. The coolest part? Four of these teams are composed of Global UGRAD Alumni! Read on to learn more …