Fall 2011 Newsletter

2011 has been another outstanding year for the curriculum in Global Studies. Our continued commitment to placing the major at the forefront of teaching, research and outreach has rewarded global studies with a rich year of thrilling events, and student and faculty successes. We hope you enjoy reading about some of the highlights of the Spring 2011 semester.

Students. The global studies curriculum has almost 800 majors. In May, we were proud to graduate 200 seniors, our largest cohort yet. Our students continue to build on their achievements assuming leadership roles across campus, and seeking out experiential learning opportunities through internships and study abroad locally, nationally, and across the globe in such diverse countries as Cambodia, Costa Rica, France, Italy, Morocco, Nepal, Peru and Rwanda.

Faculty. Our faculty provides an exceptional depth and expertise to the university. Many of them have won prestigious international awards for their scholarship. We are thankful to have their knowledge and dedication to teaching available to our students. We are also in the process of hiring a joint associate professor, and public policy professor focused on the global economy to help direct and teach our proposed masters in global studies program.

Events. Global Studies has vigorously pursued outreach to our university and local community by hosting public lectures with experts on key global issues. In Spring 2011, we initiated conversations on topics of vital world importance, which were attended by students, faculty and the Triangle community. New Yorker foreign correspondent Jon Lee Anderson and New York Times White House correspondent Helene Cooper visited UNC-Chapel Hill for Global Studies to discuss their experiences in reporting on conflict as part of our War Stories Speaker Series. This fall, our War Stories Speaker Series continued, with lectures on the Arab Spring and the civil wars of El Salvador, and culminated with a conversation on the state of central Africa with bestselling author Alexandra Fuller, of Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight fame. In conjunction with the Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases we also launched Heels in the Field, our Global Health Discussion series—a monthly event that tackled tuberculosis, water and dentistry. This semester, the conversation on critical issues in global health continues with experts on maternal care, HIV/AIDS and global injury prevention.

Global Studies has grown hugely in size and scope over the last decade, but financial constraints still make it difficult to provide the experience that we would wish for all of our engaged students. If you have the capacity, consider supporting Global Studies at UNC-CH with a gift. If you are unable at this point in time to donate, we would value your expertise and would welcome your involvement in the curriculum by acting as a career contact for our undergraduates, or emailing us when you have internships available. We would appreciate the gesture.

Very best wishes,

Andy Reynolds