Bringing together students from the UW and Taiwan through Collaborative Online International Learning

This spring, Professor Yen-Chu Weng, UW College of the Environment, brought together students from the University of Washington and National Kaohsiung Normal University in Taiwan to evaluate the accessibility of interpretive signs in nature parks.

Professor Weng’s course, “Environmental Issues in East Asia”, was a five-week collaboration with Professor Chen-Chen Cheng’s course in Special Education from National Kaohsiung Normal University. The partnership was the result of a 2023-2024 UW Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Fellowship. COIL Fellowship projects link university classes in different countries, provide students with critical digital literacy and virtual collaboration skills through shared assignments and projects and allow faculty members from each country to co-teach and manage coursework.

Students attended joint lectures on the basic design principles for accessible interpretive signs and inclusive communication for people with disabilities. They also conducted field work to observe and analyze interpretive signs in their respective cities – The UW Arboretum and the UW Farm in Seattle and several parks in Kaohsiung and Tainan, two major cities in Southern Taiwan. In a survey following the project, students ranked the following as having the strongest impact on their growth: Learning and understanding other ways of seeing the world, growth in self-awareness, greater understanding of different cultures, and understanding how to interact with people from different cultures.

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Navigating Crisis: A Journey from Sudan to Safety

When Yasir Zaidan embarked on his research journey to Sudan, he never anticipated that the peaceful pursuit of knowledge would be disrupted by the chaos of war. As conflict erupted in April 2023, his experience transformed into a harrowing tale of survival and resilience, illustrating the unpredictable nature of global events and their far-reaching impacts.

“Yasir’s journey to the University of Washington began in 2020 amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a PhD student in International Studies with the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, he embarked on a unique research endeavor focused on port cities and their interactions with global investment projects. With a prestigious fellowship from the Social Science Research Council, Yasir’s path led him back to his homeland of Sudan, where he intended to conduct critical field research on port development dynamics. However, his plans took an unforeseen turn as the eruption of war in Sudan in April 2023 disrupted his academic pursuits and necessitated his evacuation.”

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Innovative study abroad program to Rome focuses on the global refugee crisis

Dr. Jonathan Carey Jackson, professor in the Department of Medicine and an adjunct professor in the Department of Global Health at the UW, shares his reflections about The Global Refugee Crisis Program: From Devastation to Diaspora.

Nineteen undergraduate honors students and two Professors from the University of Washington joined two Italian Professors in Rome during the Winter 2024 quarter to study migration, immigration law, resettlement and the lived experience of migrants.

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May 16 Falling Walls Lab

Join us this Thursday for Falling Walls Lab in Seattle at CoMotion! Our finalists will pitch their cutting-edge ideas that have a positive impact on science & society and have a chance to win a trip to the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin this November.

📆 Thursday, May 16 | 4-8 pm (PST)
📍 CoMotion at the University of Washington
👉Register here

The event is organized by the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) San Francisco, CoMotion at University of Washington, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) -German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany San Francisco

UW leads international group in semiconductor research and workforce development

Distinguished professionals, scholars, industry leaders, and policymakers from the U.S. and Japan

The University of Washington is at the forefront of an international effort to innovate the semiconductor industry while building a skilled U.S.-based workforce to design and manufacture chip technology. Part of a landmark education partnership that was announced in May 2023 at the G7 meeting in Japan, the effort brings together researchers and faculty from the U.S. and Japan to support the University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors (UPWARDS) for the Future project.

This historic partnership is supported by Micron Technology and Tokyo Electron Limited, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) and involves 11 universities from the U.S. and Japan dedicated to shaping the future of semiconductor research and workforce development.

“With our University’s proven track record of using public research investment to spur economic and technological growth, the UW is excited to be taking the lead in expanding our capacity to educate professionals and drive discovery in the critical field of semiconductors,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce.

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UW joins $110 million cross-Pacific effort to advance artificial intelligence

Japanese and US dignitaries pose for a photo with UW Provost Tricia Serio at a signing ceremony Tuesday in Washington, DC — Japanese and US dignitaries with UW Provost Tricia Serio at a signing ceremony in Washington, DC.

The University of Washington and the University of Tsukuba have entered an innovation partnership with NVIDIA and Amazon aimed at furthering research, entrepreneurship, workforce development and social implementation in the field of artificial intelligence. This U.S.-Japan academic partnership is part of a broad, $110 million effort to build upon the strong ties between the U.S. and Japan and to continue to lead innovation and technological breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for the UW to lead the global conversation on AI and to convene academic researchers, industry experts and governmental leaders to not only advance the workforce, but to change lives and communities by leveraging this powerful technology,” -UW Provost Tricia Serio

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War in the Middle East Lecture Series

January 16 – February 27 // 5:00-6:20 PM*

A series of talks and discussions on the aftermath of Oct. 7, the war in Gaza and responses worldwide.

Moderator: Reşat Kasaba, Jackson School Professor of International Studies and Middle East expert

When: Weekly from Jan. 16 to Feb. 27, 2024 from 5:00-6:20 p.m.*
Location: Lecture locations vary by session. Click here for session descriptions

RSVP

*Note: The Jan. 22 lecture will be held from 7:00-8:30 p.m.

This lecture series is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and the Social Sciences Division, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington in partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.

Questions? Email jsiscom@uw.edu

Dr. Samuel Wasser, OGA Advisory Council member, receives 2022 Lowell Thomas Award

The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) is pleased to share that Dr. Samuel Wasser, a member of the OGA Advisory Council for more than five years, has received the 2022 Lowell Thomas Award. Provided by The Explorers Club, the annual award is given thematically to a group of outstanding explorers to recognize excellence in domains or fields of exploration. The awardees of the 2022 Lowell Thomas Award were selected for their excellence in Conservation Genetics.

According to the 2022 Lowell Thomas Award announcement, “Dr. Samuel Wasser holds the endowed chair in Conservation Biology at the University of Washington, where he is a Professor in the Department of Biology and Co-Executive Director of Center Environmental Forensic Science. He is acknowledged worldwide for developing noninvasive tools for monitoring human impacts on wildlife. Dr. Wasser applies these tools to forensic analyses of transnational wildlife crime. He used elephant dung to assemble a DNA reference map of elephants across Africa, which is now widely used to determine the geographic origins of poached ivory. By comparing genotyped ivory to this reference map, he has been able to identify Africa’s largest elephant poaching hotspots, track the number and connectivity of major ivory traffickers operating in Africa, and uncover strategies that transnational organized crime syndicates use to acquire and move their contraband around the world.”

Population Health: UW & Aga Khan University partnership leads to research, learning, and health collaborations

The University of Washington and the Aga Khan University have partnered substantially over the past years to advance global population health and link their institutions. Through these collaborations, students, faculty, and researchers have benefited from the shared expertise and exchange in a range of areas and disciplines.

Read more about the history and impact of this partnership and the Office of Global Affairs and Global Innovation Fund’s involvement below:

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“There were a lot of synergies between our two institutions not just in terms of our social justice missions, but around the values of what this partnership holds,” Farzana Karim-Haji, director of the Aga Khan University Partnerships Office, said. “The Population Health Initiative at UW draws parallels to AKDN’s Quality of Life Initiative, where both are focused on a holistic view of improving the overall human condition from a variety of aspects in health, education, poverty alleviation, climate change, etc.”

From Japan, an award honoring scholarship and community-building

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is honoring the University of Washington Department of Asian Language and Literature for its outstanding contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and the U.S. The UW is deeply and intrinsically connected to the Pacific Rim and the world. Our Department of Asian Languages and Literature embodies this spirit of global connection and collaboration.

Starting in 1910 with a course on classical Japanese literature, the UW Department of Asian Language and Literature has been instrumental in the development and expansion of Japanese studies in the Pacific Northwest and across the U.S. The department also has long-standing collaborations with world-class Japanese universities, creating opportunities for faculty, students and staff to engage across barriers of culture and language.

Now offering courses exploring ancient to modern Japanese language and literature, the department is also deeply connected to our local community. These connections promote friendship across the Pacific, and share beautiful traditions such as the celebration of the blossoming of the iconic UW cherry trees.