Illinois International News
Illinois International News is a collection of globally-focused blogs and stories from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Global Relations, Illinois International will host ‘Fulbright Week’ starting April 30

    by Analicia HaynesApr 20, 2026 4:30 pm

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Global Relations and Illinois International, with support from the Institute for International Education, will build on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's extensive history of Fulbright participation by hosting a Fulbright Week starting April 30.  

    Fulbright Week is designed to help students, faculty, and staff learn about U.S. Student and Scholar programs. It also fosters a culture of global engagement and encourages members of the university community to pursue transformative international experiences. 

  • Application cycle opens for Global South Fellowship program

    by Analicia HaynesApr 16, 2026 10:00 am

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Applications are now being accepted for the 2026-2027 Global South Fellowship Program. 

    This fellowship, which is a Birmingham-Illinois Partnership for Discovery, Engagement, and Education (BRIDGE) initiative, enables visiting fellows to come to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign or the University of Birmingham to conduct research and advance their scholarly work.  

  • Celebrating Nauryz: GET partners with Bolashak Scholars and Russian, Eastern Europe, and Eurasian Center to share Kazakh culture on campus

    by Analicia HaynesApr 10, 2026 10:15 am

    Music, movement, and the aroma of traditional Kazakh dishes filled the room inside the Levis Faculty Center on March 27 as guests gathered to celebrate Nauryz—a holiday centered on renewal, unity, and togetherness.   

    Global Education and Training (GET), the Russian, Eastern Europe, and Eurasian Center, and Bolashak Scholars from Kazakhstan organized the celebration, which felt less like a campus event and more like a family gathering.   

  • Q&A: Global South Fellow reflects on collaborations, experience gained through Illinois program

    by Analicia HaynesApr 8, 2026 9:00 am

    Abebaw Yirga Adamu, a professor in higher education and the director of quality assurance at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, said he has connected with and engaged with more people than he initially anticipated during his tenure as a Global South Fellow. 

  • Taiwan’s ‘Mother of Social Enterprise’ receives 2026 Sheth alumni award; will deliver on-campus lecture April 28

    by Analicia HaynesApr 3, 2026 12:45 pm

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Prof. Joyce Yen Feng, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumna and professor emerita in the Department of Social Work at National Taiwan University (NTU), is the recipient of the 2026 Madhuri and Jagdish N. Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement.  

    She will deliver this year’s Sheth Distinguished Alumni Lecture in celebration of her recognition from noon to 1 p.m. on April 28 in Room 103 at the Illini Union. 


  • 2026 International Achievement Award recipients announced

    by Global CommunicationsMar 31, 2026 10:00 am

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois International are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025-2026 International Achievement Awards, which recognize outstanding alumni, faculty, and students whose exceptional work, service, and/or scholarship has made a significant, global impact. 

  • Student Spotlight: Architecture senior Zaree Ascan builds on her grandfather’s legacy

    by Analicia HaynesMar 17, 2026 4:30 pm

    Zaree Ascan, a senior architecture major at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said she wouldn’t be where she is today had it not been for her grandfather, Leo.  

  • Illinois named a top producer of Gilman Scholars

    by Marta SchneiderMar 13, 2026 2:00 pm

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is among the top producers of recipients for the Gilman International Scholarship Program, which provides merit-based scholarships to outstanding American undergraduate students with high financial need to pursue credit-bearing academic studies and career-oriented internships abroad. The scholarship opportunities equip Gilman Scholars with international experience, global networks and foreign language skills essential to advancing U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.

  • University of Illinois System and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) issue joint call for research proposals

    by Marta SchneiderMar 9, 2026 5:30 pm

    The University of Illinois System and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) have issued a joint call for proposals for a seed funding research program for the 2026–2027 academic year. The program will fund projects in four thematic areas: Food, Health, Water, and Energy. The overarching goal is to contribute towards solving problems related to poverty, the environment, and sustainable well-being.

  • Illinois Receives 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization

    by Marta SchneiderFeb 16, 2026 10:00 am

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been named one of five U.S. institutions to receive the 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization, a national distinction recognizing excellence in embedding global engagement across teaching, research, and public engagement.

  • Illinois International's Kathryn Burden cohosts quilting workshop with her mom, Jennie

    by Analicia HaynesFeb 15, 2026 10:15 am

    Jennie Burden shared her own quilting stories during a Global and Intercultural Experiences winter break program organized by Jennie’s daughter Kathryn Burden, Illinois International’s associate director for international training and programs.  

  • Illinois recognized by NAFSA for Excellence in Campus Internationalization

    by Marta SchneiderFeb 10, 2026 12:30 pm

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been named one of five U.S. institutions to receive the 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization, a national distinction recognizing excellence in embedding global engagement across teaching, research, and public engagement. Named after the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the awards celebrate outstanding commitment and accomplishment in campus internationalization.

    Institutions selected for the Simon Awards will be featured in NAFSA's annual report Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, to be published this fall, and honored during NAFSA’s 2026 Annual Conference & Expo this spring. To learn more about NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Awards, visit nafsa.org/SimonAward.

  • BRIDGE Signature Initiative expands to advance education and research global partnerships

    by Analicia HaynesJan 27, 2026 5:00 pm

    US-UK university partnership explores fresh opportunities in Education Access and Equity – including recruiting second cohort of Global South Fellows.