GEO presents Global and Intercultural Learning Panel

On March 24th Global Experience Office hosted a virtual session on Global and Intercultural
Learning. This event highlights students engaged in global learning experiences, critical
dialogue, and reflection under the central theme of cultural humility informed by our global
learning goals. We had a great turn out; our audience was impressed with all the incredible work
our student panelists had to share:

Mei Rizzo discussed her N.U.in experience in Berlin and global virtual co-op that she did in
South Africa. Her topic revolved around the concept of cultural humility, exploring power
imbalances and bias. Mei talked about her co-op position at “The Underdog Project” that
provides animal-assisted interventions to break the cycle of violence and abuse. In her position
she assisted with fundraising campaigns, marketing materials and grant proposals. As a result of
her co-op, Mei was able to build the foundations of cultural humility, acknowledge and
dismantle power imbalances and confront her own bias.

Cristina Rodero Sales participated in a dialogue in Italy and studied abroad in Spain. Cristina
shared with us her collection of art pieces that were made in different places and time points,
representing her global experiences and communities that she was a part of. Her self-reflection
artwork is a collection of her memories and moments put together in one coexisting space to
bridge the gap between cultures.

Claire Harkins, Avery Lilienthal, Annabella Biggs were a part of N.U.in Italy in 2021. The
students presented on Women’s Rights in Italy with a focus on diverse experiences of inequality.
They discussed the historical aspect of this issue, pointing out the fact that historically woman in
Italy were viewed as an inferior gender that were meant to produce children. To this day, Italian
women are largely affected by the outdated hierarchical models. The students provided possible
solutions addressing power inequality through the formation of woman’s rights organizations,
educational reform, and the implementation of an Intercultural Praxis Model.

Grace Wilson is studying abroad in London through the Global Quest program. Her topic of
discussion was centered around cultural humility through the lens of photography. Grace
presented her photo collection called “Past, Present, Future”, the goal of which was to
demonstrate cultural humility as a reflection on the past, understanding the present with a
nuanced viewpoint and considering various perspectives on the future.

Mary Ajibade reflected on her global co-op that she did in Greece at the Greek Ombudsman.
Her main responsibilities were to assist Senior Investigator on human rights affairs. Beyond
Mary’s immense professional growth, she discussed her personal development that goes hand in
hand with her experience. This co-op opportunity allowed Mary to form lifelong friendships and
gain a new perspective and appreciation for difference.

The event also featured students in Northeastern’s first Global and Intercultural Communication
Badge: Professor Xin Chen of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and Jonathan
Kopel, a student with Global Quest Greece 2022. Chen and Kopel commented on their
experiences in the Global and Intercultural Communication Badge and shared how the course
impacted their understanding of cultural humility.

We are excited to keep the discussions going with the same energy moving forward. GEO offers
a badge each semester and works to develop additional opportunities for students, faculty, and
staff to integrate their global experiences within the Northeastern learning framework. Those
interested can find more information on our website.