Global Commons Lunch & Learn Series 

In response to feedback from our inaugural Global Symposium in April 2025, the Global Engagement Office (GEO) is launching a new Global Commons Lunch & Learn series with sessions taking place monthly from noon-1pm! 

About this Lunch & Learn Series

The Global Commons Lunch & Learn Series is a free event (offered virtually and in-person) that offers a variety of globally themed sessions to enhance the professional and personal development of our campus and local community.  The series will feature speakers from across campus and our community sharing insight on global topics.  All are welcome to attend!   
 
Bring your lunch and let’s build community together!

September 3, 2025: Interested in Inviting International Scholars to Campus?

Registration Link	Past Event
Target Audience	Faculty and Staff
Speakers	Norma Velazquez; Senior International Student Advisor Dee Stafford; Director of International Students and Scholar Services

September 17, 2025: Data Collection with Relinquishing Birth Families in Ethiopia

Registration Link	Past Event
Target Audience	Faculty
Speaker	Dr. Hewan Girma; Associate Professor & Director of Undergraduate Studies, African American and African Diaspora Studies

October 1, 2025: Colonial Echoes: The Effects of the Japanese Occupation of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-1945 on the Korean Identity and Language

October 15, 2025: Fulbright TEA Scholar Showcase

Registration Link	Past Event
Target Audience	Campus-wide
Speakers	Various Fulbright Teaching Scholars

October 29, 2025: Navigating the International Student Journey: Voices, Challenges, and Pathways to Success

November 12, 2025: Diasporas and Conflict

Registration Link	Past Event
Target Audience	Campus and Community
Speaker	Dr. Jeremy Rinker; Associate Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies

January 28, 2026: Developing a Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program

Registration Link	Register today!
Target Audience	Faculty and Staff
Speaker	Liz Torres Melendez; Study Abroad Coordinator, Faculty-led Programs

February 4, 2026: Model United Nations at UNCG (and Beyond)

Registration Link	Register today!
Target Audience	Students
Speaker	Dr. Michael Broache; Assistant Professor, Political Science

February 18, 2026: Curriculum Integration & Advising for Study Abroad

Registration Link	Register today!
Target Audience	Faculty and Non-Faculty Advisors
Speakers	Logan Stanfield; Assistant Director of Study Abroad Liz Torres Melendez; Study Abroad Coordinator, Faculty-led Programs

March 4, 2026: Teaming Up Across Borders: How to Make International Academic Collaboration Work

Registration Link	Register today!
Target Audience	Faculty
Speaker	Dr. Alejandro Hortal; Senior Lecturer; Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

March 18, 2026: Supporting International Students in Uncertain Sociopolitical Times: Mental Health and Career Guidance Strategies for Higher Education

Registration Link	Register today!
Target Audience	Campus-wide
Speaker	Dr. S. Anandavalli (Alumni); Clinician | Counselor Educator | Mentor | Academic Writer

April 1, 2026: English as a Lingua Franca: Using English to Promote Prosocial Intentions Among Bilingual Consumers

Registration Link	Register today!
Target Audience	Campus and Community
Speaker	Dr. Jessie Rui Du; Assistant Professor of Marketing; Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, and Tourism

April 15, 2026: Analysis of Deaf Students’ Experiences in Sign Language Interpreter-Mediated Classroom in Public Universities in Ghana

Registration Link	Register today!
Target Audience	Campus-wide
Speaker	Dr. Felix Kwame Kumedzro; Principal, Akatsi College of Education, Ghana