Overview
The Visiting Global Scholar Program is a collaborative effort between the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) and the Provost’s office, the respective School/College, and department(s), and of course the international Visiting Global Scholar (referred to as “Scholar”). Inviting scholars to campus is an important aspect to internationalizing our campus and through this process we can bring outside voices, perspectives, and ideas into our classrooms, enhancing Gonzaga’s international outreach and enriching our campus community. The Visiting Global Scholar Program is one of several ways Gonzaga supports faculty to explore their research and their teaching through an international lens.Administering the Visiting Global Scholar Program involves resources of time, space, and sometime funding. All the sources for these resources should be identified and agreed upon before an invitation is issued. The CGE supports the administrative coordination and on-going communication with invited Scholars and provides guidance to departments and School/College hosting Scholars from abroad. Specifically, the CGE coordinates administrative notifications and permissions within Gonzaga so that upon arrival the Scholar can obtain a Gonzaga ID, internet, and library access, and has received both written and in-person orientations to Gonzaga and Spokane. The CGE and the Office for International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is also authorized by the Department of State to issue documentation necessary for Scholars to apply for the appropriate U.S. visa and travel under the appropriate visa category and will oversee that entire process.
In addition, with years of experience hosting international visitors of all kinds, the CGE maintains resources and contacts that may be of help in supporting Scholars during their transition to academic life at Gonzaga and in Spokane. The CGE is available to consult and help Deans and faculty work through the often-idiosyncratic details of bringing a scholar to campus and is available to consult with interested individuals on the overall process.
Goals for the Visiting Global Scholars Program
The J Exchange Visitor category was developed to implement the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act (Fulbright-Hayes Act) of 1961. The overall purpose of that Act, and the objective of the Exchange Visitor category, is “to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges.”
The goals of our Visiting Global Scholar Program are particular to specific Scholars (research projects, lectures, teaching experience, etc.), but in addition to specific goals set by the Scholar and their Gonzaga faculty and School/College hosts, Scholars should contribute to the intellectual and cultural life of our institution on campus such as:
- Bringing scholarly voices with knowledge about contemporary trends and challenges in global higher education to Gonzaga through public lectures and discussions.
- Sharing insights into the educational systems between countries with administrators and Gonzaga constituencies.
- Collaborating on research, pedagogical innovations, and broad academic enrichment.
- Contributing to disciplinary knowledge and cultural understanding.
- Building international contacts, networks, and collaborative projects with Gonzaga.
More information can be found here and by contacting cge@gonzaga.edu for an appointment to explore ideas or to explore inviting a Visiting Global Scholar to Gonzaga.