Message from the Co-Directors
Welcome to the Atlanta Global Studies Center's (AGSC) e-newsletter! We're excited to launch this periodic publication to highlight upcoming events hosted by our Center, recap the successes of previous events, and highlight the work and achievements of students, faculty, and partners affiliated with the AGSC.
The AGSC, established in 2018, is a partnership between Georgia Tech and Georgia State University that aims to enhance access to advanced language learning and deepen knowledge of global and intercultural issues for the benefit of Atlanta region students, faculty, and the public. We host and co-sponsor a wide range of events that engage with various partners and stakeholders as well as support research, curriculum enhancement, and student and faculty professional development in global studies and language learning. Learn more about the exciting ways we are empowering the Atlanta region's global agenda on AGSC website!
We look forward to "seeing" you at our events and partnering with you through our various initiatives!
AGSC Co-Directors
Anna Westerstahl Stenport & Anthony F. Lemieux
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Anna Westerstahl Stenport
Professor of Global Studies,
Chair of the School of Modern Languages, and Founding Co-Director of the Atlanta Global Studies Center, Georgia Tech
 Anthony F. Lemieux
Professor of Communication and Founding Co-Director of the Atlanta Global Studies Center, Georgia State University |
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Race Beyond Borders
"Understanding Race as a Global Concept: Power, Access, and Policy"
Fri., February 5
12:30-1:30 PM EST
Join us as we launch the new Race Beyond Borders initiative, a coalition of Greater Atlanta area higher education institutions, Global Atlanta, and the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of International Affairs, coordinated by the AGSC. The initiative aims to create a public-facing scholar-activist network and a collaborative, diverse, multi-institutional, and multi-stakeholder space for a global conversation on race.
Learn more here.
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Student Video Competition
"How to Grow Into a Global Pro: Making Your Way to A Global Career in Georgia"
February 1 - March 12
We're looking for creative videos that show off students' digital skills while highlighting the value of global and intercultural experiences! For more information concerning video stipulations and ideas, please visit our website. Learn more and submit your video here.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Annual Atlanta Global Studies Symposium
"A Vision of Global Resilience Guided by the UN SDGs"
April 20-23, 2021
Join our Symposium Mail List to receive updates, and check our website regularly! |
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AGSC Collaboratorium Series
Join us in our Collaboratorium series as we explore a variety of global studies topics and highlight faculty research, teaching, and public engagement projects.
From Post-Nazi Propaganda to Trump's Fake News: International Perspectives on Media and Democracy
Tue. Feb 2
11am-12pm EST
More Info & Registration
Urban Walking in a Global Context: A Brief History of Flânerie and Why It is Still Relevant Today
Tue. Feb 9
12pm-1pm EST
More Info & Registration
Global Studies Meet & Greet for Assistant Professors in Ivan Allen College (IAC)
Wed. Feb 24
3:30pm – 4:45pm EST
Meeting URL: https://bluejeans.com/176658978
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Fri. March 12
9:00am – 10:15am EST
Meeting URL: https://bluejeans.com/688497163
Meet with colleagues working on global issues, cross-cultural communication, advanced language learning, and UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and learn about funding resources and opportunities available from the AGSC!
Atlanta Peace Education Initiative: Future of Peace Education & Research webinar series 
AGSC, in partnership with the Atlanta Peace Initiative (API), coordinates the Atlanta Peace Education project. For more information, including our partners, media coverage, and events, visit our website. Please also join us for the Spring kick-off event on March 2nd!
The New Field of Peace Engineering: Educational Opportunities & Research Themes
Tue. March 2
9:30-11am EST
More Info & Registration
2021 Great Decisions Series
Thursdays. Feb 4 – Mar 25
7:30-8:45pm
Increase your awareness of global issues during this eight-week discussion series
 AGSC partners with the Georgia Council for International Visitors (GCIV) for the Foreign Policy Association’s (FPA) 2021 Great Decisions program. The 8-week series will take place virtually every Thursday at 7:30 PM Feb 4 – Mar 25. The series is free and open to the public but registration is required to receive the event links.
More info & Registration
AGSC Co-Sponsors the 2021 Global Media Fest: Sustainable Cities & Communities
Global Media Fest is Georgia Tech School of Modern Languages’ annual film and discussion series focusing on sustainability across languages and cultures. Attendees are welcome to join the conversation with international film directors, educators, and partners on what it means to design and engage in innovation initiatives that address social needs. Learn More.
RCE HELC Research Seminars
RCE Greater Atlanta, is a Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development acknowledged by the United Nations University. Higher Education Learning Community (HELC), an RCE Greater Atlanta action group co-led by AGSC, aims to facilitate faculty and research-active student engagement with the SDGs in a collective learning environment, and offer research seminars among other activities. Learn more.
RCE HELC presents: Going Global - A Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Curriculum Design Workshop
Tue. Feb 23
11am-12:30pm EST
The SDG Curriculum Project of the RCE Greater Atlanta Higher Education Learning Community, co-led by AGSC, invites faculty to a virtual workshop designed to help instructors incorporate the SDGs into their teaching. More Info & Registration
FLAS Fellowships
Deadline: Feb 15, 2021
Competition for Georgia Tech Undergraduate and Graduate students for Summer 2021 & AY 2021-22 FLAS fellowships are now open. For more information visit our FLAS webpage
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Diana Al-Hadid
Art Papers Live
Thurs. Jan 28
5-6pm EST
In conjunction with the exhibition, Nothing is Stable, and in partnership with the Welch School of Art & Design and the Center for Collaborative and International Arts, Georgia State University, Art Papers presents an artist talk by Diana Al-Hadid. For more information please visit our webpage. This event is free and open to the public, but you must register on Zoom. Click the button below to register.
Register Here
Nothing is Stable
January 11 - March 5, 2021
Curated by Georgia State University Art & Design faculty Dr. Susan Richmond and gallery director Cynthia Farnell, the show marks the first time Al-Hadid's work will be on public view in Atlanta. Admission is free with a timed e-ticket. Masks and a minimum of 6 feet of social distancing are required. A maximum of 10 visitors per 30-minute time slot is permitted in the galleries. Register for Nothing is Stable here.
Faculty Teaching and Learning Community Spring Kick-Off
Thurs. Jan 28
3-5pm EST
Join the GSU Office of International Initiatives and the AGSC in the Spring Kick-Off to learn from and support faculty who integrate global exchanges into their courses. All faculty are welcome. Register here.
Global Career Series
Feb 12-Mar 12
The AGSC and Center for Urban Language and Teaching Research have partnered together to bring insider tips on landing a rewarding global career through this Global Career Series
Fri. Feb 12
12-1pm EST
Carter Center and Peace Corps
Thurs. Feb 18
2-3pm EST
U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (A.I.D.)
Fri. Feb 26
12-1pm EST
U.S. Department of Commerce
Thurs. Mar 4
2-3pm EST
CARE International
Fri. Mar 12
12-1pm EST
Seso, Inc
Register for the Global Career Series Here
Become a Global Scholar at
Georgia State University
Earn the Global Scholar Distinction and develop your global competence. Visit our website for more information on how you can gain the skills, knowledge, and awareness needed for success in today's global environment.
Perimeter College Program Updates
The Atlanta Global Studies Center is funding the establishment of an Asian Studies initiative at Perimeter College. The program will work closely with the Perimeter College Office of Global Initiatives and Georgia State University's Asian Studies Center and will be led by key faculty specialists. Eric Kendrick, who has organized numerous Asia related projects over the past twenty years at the institutional, community, state, and national levels, will coordinate this effort. Jessie Hayden, a specialist in instructional technology and global learning, will serve as a virtual exchange designer. The initiative's first priority, in conjunction with the Asian Studies Center, is a proposal for an Asian Studies Pathway at Perimeter College to feed into GSU’s Asian Studies major.
As part of a four-week virtual exchange project this spring, Jessie Hayden and Dr. Emma Zhang of Hong Kong Baptist University will host and moderate a live cross-cultural discussion with their students on February 19th. The project aims to bring students from Atlanta and Hong Kong closer together through technology and synchronous and asynchronous collaborative learning.
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Five Metro Atlanta Colleges and Universities Joined Forces to Launch New Global Research and Education Collaborative
AGSC houses a new global research and education initiative launched in Fall 2020. The Atlanta Global Education and Research Collaborative (AGREC) aims to connect the region's international assets through an emphasis on supporting "global at home" projects that serve students, faculty, and community partners and define the metropolitan area as a hub for global education and research. AGREC currently funds six projects led by cross-institutional faculty teams that partner with various community organizations.
Read more at the Atlanta Global Research and Education Collaborative (AGREC) webpage. Also, see the press release.
Youth for Change: Atlanta Celebrated International Youth Day | UN75 | Youth 2030 with the “Voices of Youth - Future We Want” Video Campaign
 AGSC, in partnership with City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of International Affairs, RCE Greater Atlanta, and the United Nations Association of Atlanta, celebrated the Youth 2030 Voices of Youth Initiative, UN75, and all initiatives that provide an outlet for young leaders to mobilize and inspire action to improve their communities and realize their goals. The Future We Want Video Campaign convened students virtually from across Atlanta and Georgia to share their hopes and aspirations for a better future. As we marked the 75th anniversary of the United Nations amidst unprecedented times, it is important that we continue to recognize young people’s agency, resiliency, and their positive contributions as agents of change.
Full Version Video | Short Version Video
 AGSC co-hosted a virtual info session on "How to become a Certified Legal Interpreter for the State of Georgia"
There is a shortage of licensed court interpreters in Georgia. Court interpreting is essential to ensuring that every Georgian has equal access to justice. To address this need, AGSC, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Education, hosted a virtual information session in Fall 2020 that featured John Botero, Program Manager at the office of Court Professionals, Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts of Georgia. Find out more information here.
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AGSC helps Georgia Tech Expand Global Commitment by Launching Hebrew and Swahili Programs
In Fall 2020, students at Georgia Tech studied introductory Hebrew and Swahili for the first time.
Open to undergraduates and graduates alike, the courses are also available for students attending other colleges and universities affiliated with the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE) through the council’s cross-registration program.
“Offering students a rich array of languages to study is an important part of our goal to develop leaders with a global mindset who are prepared to improve the human condition,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “It is also yet another way we are supporting Atlanta as an international hub and contributing to the state’s economic development efforts.”
“Enhancing global competence and cross-cultural understanding are core priorities of the School of Modern Languages and the AGSC. By adding Hebrew and Swahili, we are strengthening our efforts in Middle Eastern and North African Studies and applied language learning to serve all Georgia Tech students, regardless of major,” said Anna Westerstahl Stenport, professor of Global Studies and chair in Georgia Tech’s School of Modern Languages and AGSC's founding co-director.
Read more here. Also, see Consider Yourself Invited to Join the Georgia Tech Swahili Family
AGSC Leads in Effort to Build Regional Peace Education Ecosystem 
AGSC is helping lead an initiative to create a metropolitan peace education initiative. The goal: create a peace studies ecosystem in Atlanta that spans schools and disciplines. The effort is part of a project of the Atlanta Peace Initiative (API), a non-profit group of civic and business leaders seeking to bring the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates to Atlanta every three years and launch the Americas office of the Secretariat of the World Summit in Atlanta. AGSC, in partnership with the API is coordinating the Atlanta Peace Education project and offered various webinars in Fall 2020. Learn more here. Also, see the Georgia Tech news story and the Saporta Report coverage.
AGSC Co-led a Major SDG Initiative at Georgia Tech
 To advance Georgia Tech’s new mission and strategic plan, the Institute launched a campus-wide sustainability effort to promote, implement, and advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The long-term initiative included two virtual events and a collaborative online activity during the Fall 2020 semester. Read more. Learn more about the SDGs at Georgia Tech initiative
Climate Leaders Talk Solutions at the Global Climate Action Symposium
In October, Georgia Tech hosted the first-ever virtual Global Climate Action Symposium, which attracted an audience spanning 21 countries, focused on key issues in climate action.“We’re in this together,” President Angel Cabrera underscored during the event’s opening. “The biggest challenges that we face as a species affect us all… the biggest issues are going to be global in nature". An annual collaboration between the Georgia Tech Global Change Program, the Atlanta Global Studies Center, the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain, and 6 European consuls based in Atlanta, the Global Climate Action Symposium showcased this collaborative, international effort.
State Department Diplomacy Lab Bids Awarded to Modern Languages’ David Marcus and Kyoko Masuda
 Two faculty members of the School of Modern Languages, David Marcus, Lecturer of Arabic, and Kyoko Masuda, Director of Japanese Program and Associate Professor of Japanese & Linguistics, have had their Diplomacy Lab projects accepted by the State Department. The projects were in response to the State Department’s call on "Language Curriculum Development for Diplomats: Specialized vocabulary, spaced repetition, and automated lexical leveling in over 60 languages". The AGSC will be providing financial support. Read more.
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Growing International Virtual Exchange: The Case for Virtual Exchange
Last October, 125 leaders and innovators in higher education attended "Growing International Virtual Exchange: The Case for Virtual Exchange" where they heard renowned expert Jon Rubin speak about the power of virtual exchange to provide inclusive and accessible global experiences to a larger and more diverse population of students and to prepare students for careers where international collaboration and the ability to work effectively online will be necessary.
Virtual exchange requires top-down investment and support from leadership. The afternoon session of the event demonstrated various models of incorporating virtual exchange on different campuses and offered practical advice for faculty. The event was organized by the University System of Georgia, the Atlanta Global Studies Center, and Clemson University. For more information on virtual exchange, click here.
International Education Week
Georgia State partnered with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, to celebrate cultural diversity #TheStateWay during International Education Week this past November. 1318 Georgia State University Students attended International Education Week events.
Global Careers Expo
Over 170 students attended the Global Careers Expo, hosted by The Atlanta Global Studies Center, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, and The Center for Urban Language Teaching and Research. Students met with global organizations and discovered how to build skills for an international career. Notable organizations included the U.S. Department of State, Peace Corps, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Global Atlanta and the City of Atlant Mayor's Office of International Affairs, U.S. Department of Commerce, World Language Education Program and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, U.S. AID, and the International Rescue Committee.
GoGlobal 360°
As a part of International Education Week, faculty from GSU's Creative Media Industries Institute, GSU's School of Public Health, GSU's Art and Design, and Clemson University's Office of Global Engagement demonstrated how virtual reality video adds new dimensions to research and teaching and immerses students in exciting different spatial realities.
FLAS Panel at World Languages Week
The Atlanta Global Studies Center was invited by CULTR (Center for Urban Language Teaching and Research) to moderate a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Student Panel during World Languages Week 2020, an annual event that attracts over 1000 high school and college students from around the state to showcase speakers, activities, and topics that highlight the value of language skills and cultural experiences in the global economy.
View the FLAS panel discussion here.
Language Learning and Social Mobility: Evidence From Al-Hariri's Maqamat
On September 22nd, 145 students and faculty of Arabic and Middle East studies attended a virtual talk given by distinguished Arabist Dr. Michael Cooperson on "Language Learning and Social Mobility: Evidence from Al-Hariri's Maqamat," based on his translation of the Maqamat. This event was sponsored by Georgia State University's Middle East Studies, the Atlanta Global Studies Center, Emory University's Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, Alif Institute, and Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies. View the event video here.
Luso-Brazilian Studies Working Group
This collaborative working group, made up of faculty from Georgia colleges, universities, and K12 programs, meets twice per semester to build and promote Luso-Brazilian studies. This year, the group is working on the co-creation of cross-institutional online modules that will introduce learners to various aspects of Luso-Brazilian and Lusophone cultures and help students discover related career paths, language training, and study abroad opportunities available to them.
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Georgia Tech
FLAS Fellow Spotlight:
Alex Syriopoulos
"I have a lot of experience doing data analytics and software development, and we see a huge trend in business to be data-driven, so there is a big demand for people who have technical knowledge and expertise, but then can communicate this information to non-technical people. A master's degree in communications and foreign language could make me more attractive to businesses because I have humanities experience. That's why the FLAS fellowship is so important. This is what makes me a well-rounded engineer."
Alex is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Global Media and Cultures, with a concentration in Spanish at Georgia Tech.
Foreign Languages & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships assist undergraduate and graduate students in achieving competency in selected foreign languages in combination with international and area studies coursework. Learn more about FLAS Fellowships available for AY 2021-22 and Summer 2021. Georgia Tech Deadline is Feb 15, 2021.
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Georgia State University
FLAS Fellow Spotlight:
Diana Oshorun
Diana spoke with us on her experience as a FLAS fellow, "The FLAS fellowship has encouraged me to take a deeper look at the career possibilities where I can utilize my French language skills. The AGSC has exposed me to career professionals through the global events they've hosted and broadened my scope of what is possible. People usually associate learning a foreign language with teaching, but FLAS allows you to see everything you can do with language and the practical applications of language and language-learning skills."
Diana Oshorun is currently pursuing a Mater's degree in French at Georgia State University. She earned her bachelor's degree from GSU in English and then moved to France to teach English in Cannes. Her interests lie in the intersection between Africana studies and French studies, in the post-colonial Francophone African diaspora. She hopes to use her academic and French expertise in career fields related to international business or public service.
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Georgia Tech
Faculty Spotlight:
Dr. Natalie Khazaal
Meet AGSC affiliated faculty Dr. Natalie Khazaal, Assistant Professor of Arabic and Director of Middle Eastern and North African Studies Program (MENAS) at Georgia Tech’s School of Modern Languages.
We talked to Dr. Khazaal about her current research and plans for the MENAS program. “My current project is exploring the recent wave of open Arab apostates/atheists and how they use traditional and social media to fight stigma and threats of violence. This wave surprised the Arab world, but, actually, it reflects a broad, post-2011 ‘defiance turn’ in Arab communities when many minorities openly began to reject nationalist narratives centered on Islamic identity,” said Dr. Khazaal.
She also shared interesting details about the MENAS program she oversees: “The MENAS program at Tech is a fascinating, new minor. Its interdisciplinary focus on the cultures, history, politics, languages, and societies of the region makes it an effective training program that prepares Tech students to help SOLVE critical technological, social, and policy challenges facing the world and MENA today like GLOBAL WARMING, REFUGEE CRISES, HUMAN DIGNITY, POVERTY, WAR. Our priority is to inform the thousands of Tech students who haven’t heard of it about the exciting benefits it offers like hands-on, professional development opportunities, internships, intercultural competence and many more. We just streamlined it to be a fast, easy, and engaging path to a number of lucrative employment opportunities around the globe.”
We were also delighted to hear Dr. Khazaal's thoughts about AGSC’s support for her work: “AGCS is what we have been missing for a long time. It promotes awareness about how cultures and languages are always already connected to the most important local and global development issues. The center has given me a platform to educate the academic and local communities about the pitfalls of democracy and the impact of international players like the Arab world on US politics. The center has also brought to my attention incredibly talented Arab artists and experts on important issues such as race and sustainable development—all topics of interest to MENAS students and enthusiasts,” said Dr. Khazaal.
We thank her for taking the time to speak with us and look forward to working with her for many more years to come!
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Georgia State University
Faculty Spotlight:
Dr. Yali Zhao
Atlanta Global Studies Center selected Dr. Yali Zhao to facilitate Georgia State University’s Faculty Teaching and Learning Community on Virtual Exchange. The Spring Kick-off Event will be on January 28th, 3-5pm. Details follow.
Yali Zhao has been trained in virtual exchange and has implemented several successful virtual exchange projects over the years in her work preparing future Social Studies teachers. Now she shares her experiences and advice with other faculty in the community. As the facilitator of the community, Yali has collected and organized useful resources and made them available on the community learning page.
According to Yali, "This community aims to inspire faculty to give virtual exchange a try. It's a wonderful way to get students engaged with peers from other cultures and to learn new skills. We hope being a part of a community will re-energize faculty and give them the support they need to build virtual exchange projects now and in the future."
Atlanta Global Studies Center wishes to express its thanks to Dr. Yali Zhao for her valuable contributions and her support of virtual exchange at Georgia State University.
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AGSC
Partner Spotlight:
Dr. Dimeji Togunde
AGSC External Advisory Board Member
Vice Provost for Global Education and Professor of International Studies at Spelman College
In celebration of International Education Week, Dr. Togunde was profiled by The Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA). The profile will enable you to learn about his upbringing and how he developed a passion for global education. Read more.
Also, the following articles showcase how Spelman College continues its ascension in international education under Dr. Togunde’s leadership despite the challenges COVID-19 has posed to global education and research: Read the piece on HBCUs, internationalization, and re-envisioning the post-pandemic institutional landscape, (published by NAFSA: Association of International Educators in its official magazine, International Educator, December 2020); and an article that Dr. Togunde contributed regarding how international educators can leverage data to advocate for their programs.
At the AGSC, we are so very lucky to work with a leader like Dr. Togunde and proud to call him a colleague and a friend. Dr. Togunde, thank you for all your efforts in advancing international education even under adverse conditions!
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