Gonzaga Announces New Donor-Funded Global Scholars Endowment

Gonzaga University is set to expand access to transformative international learning, research, teaching and partnership opportunities for its students, faculty and staff thanks to a new Global Scholars endowment. President Katia Passerini shared the news of funding support aimed at strengthening Gonzaga's global engagement at a reception in Tokyo, Japan, on November 11.

Passerini and Associate Provost for Global Engagement Christina Isabelli are currently in Asia for the Association of Washington Business (AWB) South Korea-Japan Trade Mission, the only higher education representatives in a delegation that also includes Washington state government leaders, a bipartisan group of elected officials, representatives of vital agricultural groups, and business leaders.

Several of the AWB trade mission delegates were on hand as Passerini announced Gonzaga's new Global Scholars funding initiative.

"This new endowment will allow Gonzaga's Center for Global Engagement and partners across campus to explore international opportunities in ways they have perhaps never considered before," Passerini says.

"I am so grateful to the Board of Trustees for approving the creation of this new endowment and to the current and future donors who made establishing the Global Scholars seed funding possible. This is just a step towards expanding our international recognition and presence in the years to come."

The internationalization of Gonzaga has been at the forefront of Passerini's work since becoming Gonzaga's 27th president in the summer of 2025. A native of Rome, Italy, Passerini's education brought her to the United States, and her scholarship, research and academic collaborations have taken her around the world in the years since. She currently serves as vice president for the International Federation of Catholic Universities, and her expertise in higher education as well as entrepreneurship is enabling her to carry forward a “global connections” agenda that enhances not only institutional visibility but advances public diplomacy.

Students gather at the annual Study Abroad Fair to explore their expanding options.

Passerini shared the support of the Gonzaga Board of Trustees for the endowment, and said the funds may be used for any number of purposes, including financial support for undergraduate and graduate students participating in international experiences, as well as support for faculty members whose work advances Gonzaga's international work. Any strategic opportunity that advances the University’s international priorities could find new funding resources thanks to the Global Scholars funding.

Following the trade mission, Passerini and Isabelli will be joined by a contingent of Gonzaga community members on Nov. 15 for visits in Taiwan and China, led by Gonzaga's Center for Global Engagement. The group includes Fr. Gilbert Sunghera, S.J.; School of Business Administration Dean Ken Anderson; Director of International Student and Scholar Services Ashley Davis; Jay Yang, director of the Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology; Ryan Turcott, associate professor and department chair of Kinesiology and Sport Management; and Trustee Irv Zakheim.

The Asia trip showcases Gonzaga at an important moment in time, expanding the global Zag Network into new areas while continuing to strengthen its existing relationships with industry and academic partners and peer institutions.

International study and research have been vital aspects of a Gonzaga education for decades. Gonzaga-in-Florence led the way for study abroad opportunities when it was established in 1963, and the University's study abroad opportunities have expanded to include more than 20 sponsored programs in more than 40 countries.

International Zags celebrating their time on Gonzaga's Spokane campus at the International Student Reception.

Students who engage in these programs benefit from enhanced cultural and language competencies, enriched academic experiential learning, improved career prospects, and increased personal growth and resilience. And Gonzaga students continue to take advantage of international opportunities; more than 10,000 Zags have studied in Florence alone, and as recently as 2023 Gonzaga was ranked No. 11 in the United States for undergraduate participation in study abroad programs.

Working with the International Education Council of the Center for Global Engagement, Isabelli will help guide how the new endowment's funds are distributed to align with Gonzaga’s strategic goals.

Isabelli is excited at the potential of the Global Scholars endowment to expand access to global learning opportunities for Zags.

"Internationalization efforts on campus like those that will be possible through the Global Scholars endowment will allow faculty, students and staff to address problems in a complex, uncertain, and unequal world,” Isabelli says. “This is at the heart of Gonzaga’s Mission Statement, and is carried out by transformative study abroad opportunities, among other initiatives.

"Gonzaga is doing really well internationally, and continued exposure to and engagement with diverse cultures and worldviews thanks to this endowment will foster in our students and faculty a renewed commitment to social justice, diversity, intercultural competence and global engagement.”