CURRENT VIRTUAL EXCHANGE PROJECTS
Analyzing Multicultural Conversations as Sociolinguistic Phenomena – Kazakhstan
Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics Dr. Stephanie Lindemann, is partnering on a virtual exchange project with Dr. Yelena Kandalina, Associate Professor of Foreign Philology at Baitursynov Kostanay Regional University in Kazakhstan. Students in sociolinguistics classes in both countries meet multiple times for conversation. They record and transcribe their conversations, analyzing them in terms of sociolinguistic phenomena of their choosing. Students present their findings to all students participating in the project.
Case Studies: Opportunities & Risk Assessment across Africa
Clinical Professor of International Business Dr. Mourad Dakhli, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with the Mediterranean School of Business in Tunis, Tunisia. Using the PESTEL microenvironmental assessment framework, mixed student teams complete a consulting project that assesses market attractiveness in preassigned African economies. Student reports are then redrafted into mini case studies addressing doing business in selected African economies. Best cases are submitted for conference presentations and students are invited to share their research with the membership of the U.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce at their annual trade and investment conference.
Collaborative Learning in an Introductory Astronomy Class – Chile
Physical Sciences Lecturer Dr. David L. Yenerall Jr., is implementing a Virtual Exchange Project with students in Chile. This Virtual Exchange facilitates cultural and scientific collaboration between students at Perimeter College and students in Chile. Participants construct knowledge through collaborative learning in which they work with their counterparts to answer questions, discuss concepts, create a presentation, and engage in comparative astronomical observations. Further, participants virtually tour a world class astronomical observatory and learn about the people of the international consortium of countries that manage the facility. Participants engage in discourse with students from a different location and culture other than their own. The convergence of the cultures is where the construction of knowledge occurs in a way that is unique to the international collaboration of this Virtual Exchange. GSU students work collaboratively to answer open ended questions and create presentations to showcase their work.
Comparing Responses to Climate Change Issues Through a Cultural Lens – Viet Nam
Principal Senior Lecturer of Political Science Dr. Laura Hastings, is implementing a Virtual Exchange project that asked the question, “How are the residents of Ho Chi Minh City responding to issues of climate change, compared to those of Georgia?” Students choose a similar question within the larger topic of “climate change” and undertake a comparative analysis of policies, behaviors, or attitudes of people in Georgia and in Ho Chi Minh City. Small groups of US and Viet Nam students arrange a video conference that all students are encouraged to join. Once the project begins, students must work together in the groups to come up with, and agree on, a research question. Students may also consider alternative hypotheses to the question. Groups are encouraged to design and conduct a survey to test their theories. If groups choose the survey research method, they will come up with a list of questions aimed at extracting specific data from a particular group of people. Each student group produces either a video or a PowerPoint with narration, and all students who participate in the group will contribute to the final video or narration product.
Cross Cultural Collaboration & Teaching English in Guyana and the USA (Georgia)
Associate Professor Dr. Michelle Zoss, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Bonita Hunter, Professor at the University of Guyana. A several-weeks long dialogic exchange takes place between teacher candidates completing field experiences toward certification. The exchange culminates with a presentation among the group to showcase the conversations among pairs of students and their learning across the spring term.
Digital Information Event – Belgium
Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Applied Linguistics Hae Sung Yang, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Saar Clinckspoor of Howest University in Belgium. Howest students taking Business Communications host a digital information event in English. As speakers of English as a foreign language, Howest students are willing to work with GSU students in the TEFL course in the process of preparing for and delivering their presentation for their digital information event. GSU students will be the main audience of the event.
Educational Leadership- Virtual Exchange between Georgia State University and Africa Renewal University
Lecturer Will Rumbaugh, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Mark Walugembe, Professor at Africa Renewal University. The Virtual Exchange project advances this global perspective through a burgeoning relationship between the GSU and Africa Renewal University (AfRU) in Buloba, Uganda (a “suburb” of Kampala). CEHD’s Educational Policy Studies will offer in Spring 2023 the graduate course EPEL 7000- Educational Leadership & Organizational Culture. Concurrently, at AfRU, select students in the Education department are taking a newly developed “short course certificate” program, which introduces students to foundational concepts related to learning and teaching. Students at both universities participate in a six to eight-week collaborative process (with a culminating product) to share their diverse educational experiences from different geographical locations. The aim is for this exchange to contribute to a growing intercultural competence and global competitiveness in students at GSU and at AfRU.
Emerging Trends & Innovations: Causes & Consequences – Egypt
Clinical Professor of International Business Dr. Mourad Dakhli, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with the Department of Business Administration at Nile University in Egypt. Students work in cross-border virtual teams to complete a critical assessment writing essay. This VE project entails identifying transformative global events, trends, and/or innovations (ETIs) significantly affecting the global or regional landscape, and critically assessing how these trends impact different stakeholders. In this project, special consideration is given to Africa as the last frontier in the international business arena. Students explore how the ETIs identified impact various stakeholders on the continent, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The virtual teams’ research on emerging trends in international business and their implications are summarized and presented case summaries. The summaries are then shared with business partners through a collaborative initiative with the US-Africa Chamber of Commerce whose membership includes SMEs in various industries that are interested in cross-border exchange with Africa.
Emerging Trends in Global Business – South Africa
Clinical Professor of International Business Dr. Mourad Dakhli, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with the College of Business and Management at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Students work in cross-border virtual teams to complete a critical assessment essay. This VE project entails identifying transformative global events, trends, and/or innovations (ETIs) significantly affecting the global or regional landscape, and critically assessing how these trends impact different stakeholders with an emphasis on SMEs and other stakeholders in Africa.
Emerging Trends in Global Business – Egypt
International Business Instructor Don Williams, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with the Department of Business Administration at Alexandria University in Egypt. Students work in cross-border virtual teams to complete a critical assessment essay. This VE project entails identifying transformative global events, trends, and/or innovations (ETIs) significantly affecting the global or regional landscape, and critically assessing how these trends impact different stakeholders with an emphasis on SMEs and other stakeholders in Africa.
Global Virtual Exchange: Global Aging and Families – Costa Rica
Associate Professor Heying Jenny Zhan, is implementing a Virtual Exchange Project in an upper division undergraduate sociology course designed to introduce population aging at a global level with global perspectives. Students at GSU will study together with students at Catholic University of Costa Rica. The class also contains an optional week of study abroad in Costa Rica during the spring break where students will meet face-to-face with students in Costa Rica.
Global Events, Emerging Trends, and Disruptive Innovations: Causes & Consequences – Africa Perspective
Clinical Associate Professor of International Business Dr. Salomao De Farias, is partnering with a virtual exchange project with the ESCA Business School in Casa Blanca, Morocco to offer students the opportunity to work in cross-border virtual teams to complete a critical assessment essay. This VE project entails identifying transformative global events, trends, and/or innovations (ETIs) significantly affecting the global or regional landscape, and critically assessing how these trends impact our lives. In this project, special consideration is given to Africa as the last frontiers in the international business arena, and students explore how the ETIs identified impact various stakeholders on the continent, especially multinational enterprises (MNEs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The pandemic notwithstanding, about a third of the fastest growing economies are in Africa. While natural resources have for the most part been the focus of Africa’s global engagement, many economies throughout Africa are becoming more innovative, diversified, and complex.
International Case Comparison of Brain Injury Rehabilitation (ICC-BIR) – Belgium
Assistant Professor Dr. Veronica Rowe, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Siska Vandemaele , Professor at Howest University. Students from GSU and Howest work together on an occupational therapy case from a broad, international perspective. Students define questions for their case comparison. They investigate and compare the quality of OT services for clients with brain injuries from two perspectives: The professional perspective (methods and techniques, attitudes and organizational structures), and the sociocultural perspective (health care system aspects such as insurance issues, service institutions, organizational structures, policies, cultural attitudes). Based upon their research (sources, interviews) and discussions, they write a joint “Case comparison” report comparing the case from perspectives of both countries.
Learning About Different Education and Culture Through Virtual Exchange – China
Associate Professor of Social Studies and Multicultural Education Dr. Yali Zhao, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Xue Qiaoqiao and Liu Qiang, Professors at Sichuan Normal University. Students develop global and cross-cultural understanding of diverse cultures and education systems. Students have reciprocal learning opportunities to share views pertaining to various educational issues at the time of global Pandemic with international education students. Computer-mediated technology and web-based technologies, including Flipgrid and Padlet, are used for sharing video presentations and discussions.
Marketing, AI, and Ethics – Belgium
Lecturer Dr. Carrie L. Whitney, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Frank Vandenheede, Professor at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. Students are asked how marketers use AI to create content and what ethical questions are involved. Students gain background knowledge through a series of articles, videos and podcasts in Teams and then use an AI platform to create sample digital content based on an assigned topic. They also create sample digital content using human intelligence (HI). The groups share the content and others try to determine whether content was created using AI or HI – students vote, and results of the polls are shared. Finally, everyone participates in a discussion board relating what they learned during the experience.
Model United Nations: The EU and Its Institutions and Challenges – Belgium
Assistant Professor of History, Political Science Dr. Stacey Mitchell, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Geert Kestelyn, Professor at Thomas More University (TMU), in Mechelen, Belgium. GSU Perimeter students work in groups with students from TMU on a project about the different types of challenges and requirements Georgia companies need to address to do business in the EU. Additionally, students attend virtual lectures by Dr. Kestelyn about the EU, its institutions and challenges and lectures by Dr. Mitchell on US foreign policy.
Model United Nations: International Peacebuilding Simulation – Pakistan
Professor Dr. Rashid Naim, Principle Senior Lecturer, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Dr. Murad Ali at the University of Malakland to implement a project with a peacebuilding simulation exercise for students. They are assigned roles that correspond to those of domestic and international actors engaged in real-life peacebuilding operations, currently ongoing. They engage together in problem-solving in response to a scenario created by the instructors. This exchange involves research, written briefing papers, a series of reflection papers, and teamwork to negotiate a solution.
Synthetic Biology/iGEM Related Project – China
Senior Lecturer of Biology Dr. Jonathan Sylvester, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Dr. Xinhe Huang, Professor at Southwest Jiaotong Univeristy (SWJTU). Students utilize Zoom and VoiceThread to work on a course related project to facilitate intercultural collaboration and communication in the field of Biology.
The Global Environment and Market Opportunity – Portugal
Clinical Associate Professor of International Business Dr. Salomao De Farias, is partnering with a virtual exchange project with the IPAM located in O Porto, Portugal to offer students the opportunity to work in cross-border virtual teams to complete a ‘Consultancy’ project. This VE project entails researching, identifying, and analyzing business opportunities for a Portuguese company to invest abroad. The company is BROOLLS. The objective of this assignment is for students to master the art and science of analyzing business opportunities and identifying risks in international economies, conduct primary and secondary research, and make data-driven recommendations. In addition, students employ data visualization for exploration and sensemaking. Furthermore, students work in international virtual teams, one of the most effective ways to develop cross-cultural competencies and a global mindset.
The Impact of Virtual Exchange on Intercultural Engagement Across Contexts: VE GSU-MUC – Jamaica
Clinical Associate Professor in Middle and Secondary Education Dr. Chantee Earl, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Professor Deserene Burrell-Ingram at The Mico University College. Students engage in a comparative study of the United States and Caribbean contemporary social studies content. Through discussions, assignments, and microteaching activities, students will participate in this dynamic intercultural experience and exchange.
World Foods: Connecting Students in India and the U.S.
Associate Professor Dr. Nida Shaikh, is partnering on a Virtual Exchange Project with Dr. Jagmeet Madan, Professor at Sir Vithaldas Thackersey College of Home Science (Autonomous) SNDT Women’s University. The project provides students with a window into the world of food and culture. Students engage in asynchronous group activities in iCollege to compare and reflect on their favorite foods and their origins, the food in their refrigerators, and collaborate on a group presentation about a festive cultural meal of their choice (e.g. a Polish Christmas Eve dinner).
Interested in past virtual exchange projects? View past projects here.
