Program participants will share experiences
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Global Relations in Illinois International is hosting a networking luncheon featuring the first two candidates who participated in the Vision 2030 Global Strategy Staff Global Exchange Program as guest speakers.
The luncheon is from noon to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 7 inside Suite 202 on the second floor of the Graduate College located at 507 E. Green St. in Champaign.
Katie Shumway, the senior director of community engagement for the School of Social Work, and Chaya Sandler, the experiential learning coordinator and academic advisor for the College of ACES, will speak about their own experiences with the global exchange program and how it helped them enhance their global competency.
Shumway recently visited the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, and during the luncheon she will share how her perspectives shifted on global issues, particularly around safety and the impact of race. She will also touch on the different opportunities she received that allowed her to engage in intercultural communication.
Sandler visited Kyushu University in Japan and will outline how she honed her skills to different workplace cultural norms. She will also talk about her newfound interest in developing various online learning opportunities between Illinois and its institutional partner Kyushu University.
The luncheon is part of the “Global Relations Connect” series, which is hosted by Global Relations on the first Friday of every month. The series provides a networking opportunity to faculty and staff across campus who are involved in the different international programs at Illinois.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided, and registration is encouraged. To RSVP visit go.illinois.edu/GRConnect.
The Staff Global Exchange program, first introduced in 2024, is funded by a grant from the Office of the Provost and administratively supported by Illinois International.
It provides eligible candidates with a chance to travel to one of the university’s partner institutions for an exchange of best practices and expertise. In turn participants will gain a deeper global perspective on various university services.
The exchange program is intended for academic and exempt civil service staff from any administrative or academic unit at Illinois who have limited international experiences and would benefit from exposure to a different national context in terms of culture, rules, and regulations.
During the exchange period, participants should be able to reflect on their own state of development regarding global knowledge, attitudes, and skills as well as identify paths to greater global engagement.
They will also be able to experience varying approaches to higher education through job shadowing as well as be able to enhance their own global competencies.
Additionally, the program supports the capacity building and staff development of partner institutions and integrates a global dimension into the missions of administrative and academic units by leveraging international expertise.
The current partner locations are in Japan; Mexico; South Africa; Taiwan; South Korea; and the United Kingdom. However, additional options may be explored through the U21 Partner Network.
For more information about the Staff Exchange Program, please visit the Illinois Vision 2030 website.
More information will also be available during the Feb. 7 luncheon.
Analicia Haynes is the storyteller and social media specialist in Illinois International. She can be reached at ahayn2@illinois.edu.