October 24th-28th marks Global Week for the University of Virginia. Paired with International Education Week, this initiative encourages students to step out of their comfort zones by participating in worldly programs.
In honor of Global Week, various organizations are holding events across grounds. Some of these groups include the International Center, the Global Internship Office, the Global Studies program here at UVa, and the Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation.
“All of the organizations support and build each other,” said manager of Global Grounds Cliff Maxwell.
Each of these groups works closely with the Career Center in promoting the importance of international education and work experience. Global Week seeks to inform students of the many resources available at UVa for expanding their horizons.
“We want to make students aware of travel, culture, research, diversity and differences,” said Maxwell. “Global Studies is a sister program of Study Abroad…[and] primarily focuses on research, curriculum, and internships.”
The University and the State Department have created the Diplomacy Lab as part of the Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation so that students and faculty can work on research together.
One featured program during the week is the Passport Drive, which began four years ago. Students can apply for a passport and have their picture taken at Global Grounds on October 26th from 10 am to 3 pm. Global Grounds is located in Hotel A across from the UVa Chapel.
This year, the Vice Provost for Global Affairs awarded nineteen grants to students who demonstrated financial need and were applying for a passport for the first time. The grant covered the cost of their passport applications and photographs.
For those looking to work abroad, multinational companies will be at the Fall Job and Internship Fair on October 26th and 27th from 10 am to 3 pm on the third floor of Newcomb.
Another event is the “Visual Literacy in the Age of Global Education,” which will be held at Global Grounds on October 27th at 5:30 pm. Global Studies Professor Richard Handler and former National Geographic photographer Leah Bendavid-Val will share their experiences and the significance of taking pictures while abroad.
For more information on Global Studies check out:
http://globalstudies.virginia.edu/
http://internationalcenter.virginia.edu/
For the full list of events for the rest of this week:
https://globalweekatuva.wordpress.com/
