Institute for Global Engagement to Host Symposium

Grinnell is entering a new era in how it engages with the rest of the world. With a rich history of educating students from many parts of the world who have gone on to rich and impactful endeavors, Grinnell now seeks to deepen and strengthen several relationships that activities to date have initiated.

To that end, they have invited a small set of global partners to a symposium in February 2019. Participants include Ashoka University (India), Jawaharlal Nehru University (India), Leiden University College (Netherlands), Nanjing University (China), Queen Mary, University of London (UK), and Rennes University (France).

“Globalizing Knowledge: Collaborations through the Liberal Arts” will explore several topics in the larger theme of “collaborations.” On the one hand, collaborations between a liberal arts college in the U.S. such as Grinnell and universities in other parts of the world are different from collaborations between universities and warrant some reflection on their relative strengths. On the other hand, the nature of education at a liberal arts college is itself differently collaborative. The symposium will offer guests from abroad opportunities to learn more about Grinnell, will seek to strengthen Grinnell’s partnerships with different types of institutions, and will provide a space to develop campus conversations about partnerships in other parts of the world.

Sessions will include discussion of the “internationalization” of higher education from the perspectives of different national educational systems, as well as of different modes of collaboration. The latter might include reflections on student-faculty collaborations, team-teaching with global partners, and faculty-faculty collaborations in scholarship; or reflections on “translating” the U.S. tradition of the liberal arts to other global educational systems.

Featured Events

Wednesday, Feb. 20th, 4–5:30 p.m. in JRC 101
Keynote address: Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs, Lehigh University       
“Can International Partnerships Really Advance the Liberal Arts?”
With respondents from Ashoka University (India) and University of Rennes 2 (France)

Thursday, Feb. 21, Noon–1 p.m., Noyce Science Center, Room 1023 (reserved for faculty due to space limitations)
“Teaching with Another Educational System: Team-teaching and Teaching for a Partner Institution Abroad"
Panel discussion with Grinnell faculty and guests from institutions abroad

Thursday, Feb. 21st, 2–3 p.m. in JRC 101
“What Does It Take to Be an ‘International Student Friendly’ Institution?”
Panel discussion with Karen Edwards Associate Dean and Director of International Student Affairs and representatives from Leiden University College (Netherlands), Queen Mary University of London (UK), and University of Rennes 2 (France)

Thursday, Feb. 21st, 7:30–8 p.m. in JRC 101
“Undergraduate Research with Faculty”
Panel discussion with Grinnell faculty

Friday, Feb. 22, Noon–1 p.m. in JRC 101 (reserved for faculty)
"Scholar Meets Global Partner"
Panel discussion with Grinnell faculty and guests from institutions abroad

Friday, Feb. 22nd, 4–5:30 p.m. in JRC 101
“Translating the Liberal Arts: Relationships, Perspectives, Expectations”
Concluding roundtable discussion with Shuchi Kapila, Assistant Vice President for Global Education and Professor of English and representatives from Leiden University College, Nanjing University (China), and Queen Mary University of London (UK)