Dean Karin Wilkins named the Global Engagement Task Force (GET) in 2020 with the goal of creating an inventory of all globally focused activities undertaken by faculty and students at the School of Communication. Aligned with the University of Miami’s Roadmap for Our New Century, the inventory surfaced the diverse ways in which the School engages with the global community. One thing that became clear through this exercise that global engagement does not necessarily entail international activity. In a dynamic and transnational city like Miami, local engagements often have valuable global linkages that highlight how our lives and livelihoods are now inextricably linked to the events and realities of people around the world.
Wanhsiu Sunny Tsai, associate professor in the department of strategic communication and GET member said: “Global engagement is an awareness and identity as a global citizen, a humble and appreciative mindset of cultural differences, and active involvement in issues and communities beyond national borders.”
The various ways in which the School of Communication engages globally includes:
- Faculty research, creative activities and professional practice
- Community-based research and engaged pedagogy
- Teaching and learning
- Our organizational culture
- Our global presence and external networks
The pedagogical purpose of global engagement according to Lindsay Grace, associate professor in the department of interactive media and GET member, is to “encouraging students to understand and interpret problems and solutions through the topographical lens of a global perspective.”
In 2021, GET presented a detailed 3-year plan to systematically support and grow global engagement at the School.
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About the author: Sanjeev Chatterjee is professor in the departments of Cinematic Arts and Journalism. He chairs the GET.
