Miami, Sept. 3, 2021 –Four Miami Dade College (MDC) professors have been selected as faculty facilitators in the Global Solutions Conversations Virtual Exchange Program, which will take place Oct.3 – Nov. 10. The program will bring together 300 community college students from the U.S., Jordan, and Iraq, for a six-week series to virtually discuss innovative solutions to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals impacting their local communities.
MDC Professors Michael Lenaghan, Myra Medina, Matthew Nesvet, and Emily Sendin will participate in the program, which is supported by the Stevens Initiative and sponsored and administered by the U.S. Department of State and IREX, respectively. The program aims to build students’ international communications and collaboration skills by engaging in the process of design thinking and discussing global issues within their communities. MDC faculty selected to facilitate the binational conversations will attend a series of virtual engagement workshops prior to their facilitating the global dialogue among participating students.
“MDC continues to serve as an important leader in global education and engagement,” said Dr. Malou C. Harrison, MDC’s Executive Vice President and Provost. “We’re proud that our distinguished faculty were tapped to share their global perspective and knowledge of world affairs in facilitating these important binational conversations.”
Over the years, MDC has been widely recognized for its innovative and unique international programs created for students. In 2018, the College was selected as a finalist for the 2018 PIEoneer Award for Championing Diversity. During 2018-19, MDC was identified as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs among colleges and universities. MDC’s distinguished faculty have served as Fulbright Scholars around the world, including Germany, India, Japan, Nicaragua and Mexico. In 2021, MDC received the Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for Campus Internationalization, an award that recognizes innovation and accomplishments in international programs. The Office of International Education under District Academic Affairs at MDC continues to expand high-impact virtual international learning opportunities for faculty and students.
For more information about the Global Solutions Conversations Virtual Exchange Program, visit https://www.irex.org/project/global-solutions.