The conferences and UC International’s other virtual initiatives this year were organized in response to needs expressed by our partner universities around the world. The goal is to share best practices and current scholarship, to promote collaboration with our international strategic partners and to provide opportunities for global networking and professional development while travel remains restricted.
Also among these initiatives is a series of free, virtual short courses taught by faculty from UC and our partner institutions. The second short course, “Global Perspectives on Public Health,” is running now, though March 6. It is geared toward third- and fourth-year students, though current professionals in the field are among the participants. Seven sessions offer multidisciplinary, multicultural approaches to public health topics, and the course concludes with a panel discussion on careers in global health. The fall course, “Global Back to Business,” was geared to alumni and community members facing economic displacement due to the pandemic, providing micro-credentialling on a spectrum of topics in international business.
UC International is also sponsoring a Virtual Global Student Lounge, a student-led online discussion group on global health. Interested students may contact the Global Health Advocates of UC to join through May 1.
This year’s international incentive grants from UC International have a virtual focus this year as well. Piloted in 2019, the grants were created to support faculty and staff travel to our strategic partner institutions for work on joint research, academic programs or other key collaborations. In the absence of travel, this year’s awards support innovative virtual collaborations or virtual international experiences for UC students.