News and features

The first in our series of UW Global Learning workshops, “Strategies for bringing global perspectives into classrooms,” took place on Oct 20th. Professor Anis Rahman from the UW Department of Communication and Professor Rania Hussein from the UW Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering kindly shared their practices of integrating readings, case studies, and project-based learning into syllabus and assignments, to make their classrooms more global.

Rahman encourages instructors to think about what changes when a course becomes more global, which is not simply a question of adding more places to the syllabus, but rather a question of what students learn to notice. “Global perspectives are not simply about helping students learn more about the world, they are about helping students ask better questions about the world they already think they understand,” he noted. Rahman believes small choices can change the intellectual task. It is important to think of depth over coverage, as one well-investigated case can do more than a long list of countries. Students need to be empowered with methods to evaluate sources, locate evidence, compare perspectives and apply concepts; they should be given space for revision and changes.

Hussein shared engineering projects from Remote Hub Lab. She advocates that reading and cases can shape the project. For example, for readings, students can compare a technical source with a local stakeholder account. For case comparison, students can explain how two specific settings change design requirements. For project decisions, students can revise one design choice and cite the evidence behind it. Students can reflect and identify an initial assumption and explain what changed. Instructors can also reflect on their teaching with the evidence of assessment data.

UW faculty are encouraged to utilize resources that UW Global learning has to offer, including free pedagogy consultations, workshops, and social gathering events.

• Free pedagogy consultation on course development with global components
• UW Global monthly Community Conversation events (next one: Nov 3rd 3-5pm, UW Club)
• Next workshop (“Integrating global learning into any class”, Feb 9th 2027, 2:30-3:30)
• Global Innovation Fund (GIF): with research and learning categories
• Collaborative Online International Learning (2026 COIL Fellow program will kick off soon)

The next workshop “Integrating global learning into any class“ will take place on Feb 9th 2027, 2:30-3:30, where UW Global learning specialist Dr. Wei Zuo will share key strategies and resources instructors can use to support the development of global learning in their classes.

According to the American Association of Colleges and Universities, “Virtual exchange (VE), including one of its most comprehensive forms, collaborative online international learning (COIL), provides students with affordable opportunities to gain global competencies within their coursework wherever they are.” (AAC&U). Virtual exchange can connect students around the world despite distance and time difference. It provides students opportunities to learn from other cultures without adding financial cost.

International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC), hosted by Modern University for Business & Science in Lebanon, will take place Oct 26-29, 2026 online. Seven UW faculty and staff will present at this upcoming conference, which is the highest number of UW presenters we’ve ever had at this conference. UW presenters will cover diverse topics in Virtual Exchange, COIL, and Community-Engaged Learning.

“I am so excited to be a part of this conference for the first time,” said Dr. Wei Zuo, UW Global Learning Specialist and Center for Teaching and Learning Instructional Consultant. “This increased participation shows our UW faculty’s willingness to learn from and share with the world. It also demonstrates the increasing interest and need for global learning. Moving forward, we can learn from educators from different universities and disciplines, exchange our ideas and experiences, and bring new strategies and knowledge back. No one needs to build things from scratch or do everything alone in darkness.”

Schmidt Sciences Humanities and AI Virtual Institute (HAVI) announced 19 new projects funded, 2 of which are based at UW, including one in Classical Japanese orthography co-led by Paul S. Atkins at the University of Washington and Tomo Miyazaki at Tohoku University (TU).

Site visits are being funded by UW Global and TU via the Global Innovation Fund.

Using AI to reconstruct a marble map of Rome that shattered in 226 AD. Analyzing sperm whale calls for evidence of vowels and regional accents. Drawing on ancient records to understand why some societies endured climate stress while others faced famine. These are among the 19 projects that will receive $10 million from Schmidt Sciences to bring artificial intelligence to bear on some of the humanities’ most stubborn puzzles and help researchers develop and test new AI capabilities while making their work open source. Teams will openly share the tools and resources they develop, including code, model weights and benchmark datasets.

Read more about Schmidt Sciences funding

As international tensions continue to shape relations between the United States, Iran, and the broader world, questions surrounding diplomacy and conflict resolution have become increasingly urgent. What do negotiations to end the war in Iran look like behind closed doors? What role might the United Nations and Gulf States play in ending violence in Gaza or Lebanon? And is there still hope for diplomacy with Russia?

The University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies will welcome H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al-Hassan, former Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations and UW alumnus, for a timely conversation exploring these questions and the diplomatic challenges shaping today’s world.

Register for the conversation

The University of Washington today announced a multimillion-dollar gift to establish the Winbond Endowed Fund for Excellence in the College of Engineering, supporting research, education and innovation for students, faculty and staff.

The $12 million gift from Winbond Electronics Corporation America, a U.S. subsidiary of Taiwan-based Winbond Electronics Corporation, a global semiconductor company and leading provider of memory and integrated circuit solutions, provides the College with the flexibility to make strategic investments in exceptional people, promising ideas and emerging opportunities.

About the Winbond Endowed Fund

In 1976, the Taiwanese government sent a small group of promising young engineers to the United States to learn how to make computer microchips, seeding Taiwan’s rise to global superpower status in the modern semiconductor industry.

In 2026, the University of Washington sent a small group of promising young engineering students to Taiwan to learn how they did it — and continue to do it.

The inaugural Chips2Future summer engineering immersion, piloted and led by UW electrical and computer engineering (ECE) faculty, offered undergraduate students an intensive primer in semiconductor design and production, hands-on practice in world-class facilities and visits to many of the companies that now produce 90 percent of the world’s advanced microchips.

Read More about Chips2Future

Applications are now open for the 2026 UW Global Innovation Fund (GIF) Research Awards. Proposals are due Monday, November 9, 2026, at 11:59pm.

Managed by UW Global, the Global Innovation Fund supports faculty-led global engagement, collaboration, research, and learning across the University of Washington. GIF is open to faculty in all schools, colleges, and units, supporting projects around the world as well as initiatives that engage global communities here in the United States.

This year, GIF is accepting applications for the Global Research Awards, which support research that launches new projects, strengthens international partnerships, and builds the foundation for future large-scale initiatives.

Funding opportunities include:

• Seed Grants: Up to $5,000
• Development Grants: Up to $15,000
• UW Global Partner Awards: Up to $20,000

The UW Global Innovation Fund also offers a Global Learning award category (including study abroad and teaching & curriculum), which will open in January.

While financial support is the mechanism, our goal is to act as a resource and catalyst for the work of our faculty. By providing seed funding for early-stage ideas and support for established collaborations, UW Global aims to:

• Lower barriers for faculty entering the global arena.
• Facilitate reciprocity, ensuring we are not just exporting knowledge, but integrating global wisdom into our campus.
• Bridge disciplines, connecting researchers from different fields to address complex global challenges.

Learn more about eligibility, award categories, and the application process on the Global Innovation Fund website.

To help faculty prepare competitive proposals, UW Global will host two virtual workshops covering the program, application process, and proposal development best practices:

• October 8th: 3:00-4:00pm; Register here
• October 9th: 10:00am-11:00am; Register here

In addition, we have drop-in office hours to address specific questions as you develop your proposal.

• October 16th: 10:00-11:00am; Register here
• October 23rd: 11:00am-12:00pm; Register here
• October 30th: 1:00-2:00pm; Register here
• November 6th: 2:00-3:00pm; Register here

We encourage faculty from across all disciplines and units to explore how GIF can support their global research ambitions.

UW Libraries Global Engagement and South Asian Studies in collaboration with the Washington State India Trade Relations Action Committee (WASITRAC) co-hosted a distinguished lecture by Guru Ji Dr. Chandra Bhanu Satpathy on August 14, 2026. The lecture was titled “The Relevance of Ancient Indian Wisdom and the Guru Tradition in the Modern World.”

Dr. Satpathy is an internationally renowned scholar, humanitarian, author, and spiritual leader. His lifelong commitment to service, education, and human values has inspired many communities around the world. A prolific author, he has published more than 60 books on philosophy, spirituality, and cosmology, many of which have been translated into various languages. Shri Guru Bhagavat and Shirdi Sai Baba: An Inspiring Life are among these influential books.

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Read more about Guru Ji Dr. Chandra Bhanu Satpathy’s lecture