When a vaccine is available, there will be massive immunization campaigns around the world to make sure that everyone is protected. Planning must begin now to ensure that proper logistical systems are in place to support this monumental effort.
For low-income countries, a significant concern is the capacity and quality of the vaccine “cold chain”. Cold storage must be available to keep vaccines safe until administered. National assessments of the vaccine cold chain are needed as well as information systems that allow real-time reporting of vaccine stocks during the campaign.
Richard Anderson and Waylon Brunette from the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering have built an app for that – and much more. Their work strengthens IT systems run by governments and the World Health Organization to support vaccine campaign logistics. Already up and running in Uganda, the tools will soon launch in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Erika Arias ‘19 could be a poster child for UW Study Abroad. During her time as a Husky, this Chelan, Washington native participated in six – count them! – overseas experiences across Asia, Europe and Africa.
Along the way, Erika’s confidence grew and she developed a deep interest in comparative politics, international relations and conflict resolution. And she is taking those passions to the next level by pursuing a PhD in political science.
Start with support
Faculty-led study abroad programs helped Erika grow as a student and find her place at the UW. Her first trip was a pre-freshman seminar in Spain with lots of extra support Erika and her fellow travelers. “We were always in groups,” she remembers, “and we had name tags.”
The next summer, she was off for Tokyo, where she partnered with UW and Waseda University students on a mini-research project on Japanese hip hop. By her senior year, she had created so many connections through study abroad that bumped into a fellow study abroad student pretty much daily on her way to class.
Sparking passion
Study abroad also sparked Erika’s interest in international development and guided her towards a double major in Law, Societies & Justice and International Studies. “It started with my program in north Africa and Southern Spain, where our classes were all in Spanish and we were focused on migration and international policy,” she shares.
Immersive exploration of places and themes with the support of world class faculty allowed Erika to see her academic interests from many perspectives. “Each study abroad program was completely different,” Erika says, and each one offered new insight into her course of study.
Striking out on her own
“I developed a track record through study abroad… it shows I can be successful working and living outside the U.S.” Through study abroad, Erika’s confidence grew along with her knowledge and skills. On her university exchange program in France, “I didn’t know anyone, and I had to speak French to connect with people,” she remembers.
Erika is now embarking on another exciting adventure – pursuing a PhD in political science at Syracuse University. “I will have to do dissertation research outside the country,” she says. “My experience as a Husky shows that I’m knowledgeable and ready.” Study abroad prepared her for what’s next.
For Professor Timothy Salzman, “music is a universal language”. As director of the UW Wind Ensemble, he delights in helping students perfect their playing. But even more so, in using music as a pathway for connecting students with new people and experiences. Over spring break, he brought the entire 56-member UW Wind Ensemble on an unforgettable trip to China. Their packed itinerary included opportunities for hands-on learning at every turn.
The Wind Ensemble’s journey began in the city of Chengdu. Hosted graciously by partners at Sichuan University, the students played two concerts, one with an audience of 3000. Most audience members had little prior exposure to their craft. “Wind ensemble music is pretty new to most people in China,” shares Professor Salzman. “People were just taking it in.”
UW students teach kids at a “master class”
Moving on to the cities of Xi’an and Beijing, UW students conducted several intensive music classes for local music students, “from little kids through college age”, and played several more concerts for audiences verging on 2000 people. Performing at Tsinghua University’s spectacular concert hall was a particular highlight.
This trip to China marked a first trip outside the country for many of the musicians, including UW junior and trumpeter Jason Kissinger. The Spokane native also has Diabetes, and he was understandably concerned about successfully managing his health needs during the trip. The UW Global Travel Security Manager helped Jason plan ahead for his health needs and understand local resources before departure. And Jason stayed healthy during the trip with the support of Professor Salzman and his fellow students.
Jason at the Great Wall
“Traveling internationally for the first time with all of the logistics associated with Diabetes was a success because of your support throughout it all,” Jason wrote to his classmates. “This was a trip of a lifetime. It has given me the confidence to have more life changing experiences in the future, and I’m excited for the world that’s out there.”
UW American Mandarin speakers and international students like doctoral student and pianist Kay Yeh helped the trip run smoothly by acting as cultural ambassadors and translators. At the Beijing airport, Kay saved the day by letting the security guard know about the insulin pump attached to Jason’s leg, which was vital for managing his Diabetes and could have been damaged during a security pat-down.
At each concert, a Mandarin-speaking student joined Professor Salzman at the podium to introduce the musical selections. To a packed audience in at Tsinghua University in Beijing, they shared his belief about music. “Music is the universal language of peace that we can all understand,” Professor Salzman announced through the student translator. “I hope our countries will be friends forever.” The crowd responded with enthusiastic applause.
Professor Salzman and students after a performance
This study and performance trip to China was a transformative experience for each member of the UW Wind Ensemble, as musicians and as students. Study abroad gave Jason new confidence to explore, whether his next trip is across the state or around the world. “After travelling [to China], I can truly say that the world is waiting for you. We can always look at pictures, but being physically present throws you onto a whole new level of understanding. Don’t be afraid to take those chances and experience the world!”
Professor Ping Wang of the University of Washington Department of Asian Languages & Literature will give a special lecture as part of the “Culture Talk” series from the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington. She will provide further insight into the Zhuangzi. Foundational to the Taoism and considered a masterpiece of Chinese literature, the stories and anecdotes in this ancient text explore themes of spontaneity and freedom from human conventions.
Thursday, May 23, 2019 from 4 – 5 PM UW East Asian Library – Gowen Hall 2M Free and open to the public
The Qi wu lun齊物論 chapter is arguably the most important and at the same time an extremely difficult chapter from the Zhuangzi莊子. Its enigmatic and elusive ending — the famous butterfly dream narrative— signifies something unattainable in human’s pursuit of life’s meaning and the cosmic truth.
In the centuries following the collapse of the Han Empire (202 b.c.e – 220 c.e.), Zhuangzi rose to be an essential text whose interpretations led to unprecedented explorations of cultural ideals that would ascribe meaning to the identity of the exiled Han population and, to a great extent, establish the genetics of Chinese culture. In other words, in order to understand modern China and contemporary Chinese society, we have to delve into the minds of Early Medieval Chinese thinkers. The way the educated elites lived their lives and pursued their dreams by negotiating the philosophical and spiritual dimensions of the Zhuangzi has much to teach us about our own “cultural selves.”
The 2018 Open Doors Report on International and Educational Exchange names the University of Washington a leader in global student engagement. Released today by the Institute for International Education (IIE), Open Doors highlights the impact of international engagement on U.S. higher education.
Ranked 22nd in the nation among institutions awarding credit for study abroad, the UW offers leading-edge international learning opportunities that match the goals and interests of its outstanding student community. Many students study abroad on faculty-led programs, where the expertise of UW professors and a supportive community of fellow students further enhances the experience. Looking forward, UW Study Abroad is working to further increase access to global learning for all students through strategic additions to its high-quality programming and by providing specialized advising and financial support to students from communities underrepresented in study abroad.
The UW is also proud of the global diversity on its campuses, and is ranked 13th in the nation among institutions hosting international students. Global and cultural diversity among UW students, faculty and staff enhances the campus community. Hosting international students from around the world on our campuses offers students from overseas an outstanding education at one of the world’s top five most innovative universities (Reuters, 2018), and enhances the educational experience for all.
As a public institution with a passion for promoting the common good, our work in these domains is well underway through initiatives like Population Health, Race & Equity, and the Innovation Imperative. We are committed to expanding the societal and economic impact of our work together with partners from academia, industry, nonprofits, governments, and communities. A global hub for innovation in biotech, global health, and information technology — and home to many leading corporations and nonprofits — the Seattle region is an ideal home-base for these collaborations.
Participating universities “are committed to educating students who can successfully live and work in our globally connected world and change it for the better,” and “discovering, producing, and sharing new solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.”
“Collaboration across our state and around the world is essential to our work,” explains UW Vice Provost for Global Affairs Jeffrey Riedinger. “We are proud to help accelerate progress toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals through this commitment.”
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.
After the Global Washington conference last month, the two of us have been going back and forth about something that came up during the opening keynote discussion.
The discussion, moderated by Akhtar, included UW President Ana Mari Cauce; John Kelly, Starbucks Senior Vice President of Global Public Affairs and Social Impact; and Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision U.S.
Several of the speakers argued that we need to immediately address several pressing problems in Seattle, including homelessness. Some in the audience and media took that to imply an “America First” attitude. What they seem to have missed, as we later learned in conversations with other attendees, was the point several speakers made that we must tackle these issues BOTH globally AND locally. This is not an “either or” scenario.
Homelessness, poverty, disease, and hunger know no geographic boundaries, as the participants pointed out; they are global problems. They exist and must be addressed in Seattle and Spokane, as much as in Sao Paulo and Soweto. As Ana Mari said, there exists a false dichotomy in framing Washington state’s issues versus global issues: “If you want to do the right thing for Washington, you’ve got to think globally.”
Indeed, we are all engaged globally precisely because we seek to address the most pressing problems, whether they arise in Washington State, across our nation, or around the world. To this point, Ana Mari shared a quote she often refers to from Eric Liu, co-author of the book, Gardens of Democracy: “We are all better off when we are ALL better off.”
Our worlds are increasingly intertwined at the university and we work hard to provide both local and global context to our teaching. Akhtar teaches a class on Global Business where students discuss the impact of globalization on businesses and how communities in the U.S. and Seattle are affected. By exploring underlying patterns of interconnectedness, we discover more effective solutions because in today’s world we cannot afford to be singularly local or mindlessly global. We HAVE to be appropriately local and effectively global.
Jeffrey Riedinger is the vice provost for global affairs at the University of Washington. Dr. Riedinger has leadership and administrative responsibility for the University’s diverse global programming including support for international research, study abroad, student and faculty exchanges, and overseas centers.
Akhtar Badshah is the president & chair of the board for Global Washington. Dr. Badshah currently teaches at the University of Washington at the School of Business, Bothell campus, and at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. He is the founder and curator of Accelerating Social Transformation, a mid-career professional development certificate course on social impact.
The 2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange ranks the UW in the top 20 institutions for both study abroad and hosting international students. The report was released today by the Institute for International Education. Preparing UW students for successful leadership in today’s global society and interconnected world is essential to the UW’s public service mission. All UW students engage in high impact global learning opportunities, whether they are on our campuses or around the world.
Ranked 16th in the nation among institutions awarding credit for study abroad, the UW offers leading-edge international learning opportunities that match the goals and interests of our diverse student community. Many students study abroad on faculty-led programs, where the expertise of UW professors and a supportive community of fellow students further enhances the experience. The UW seeks to further enhance access to global learning for all students through continuous improvement of its high-quality program offerings, and by providing specialized advising and scholarships to students from communities underrepresented in study abroad.
The UW is also proud of the global diversity on its campuses, and is ranked 14th in the nation among institutions hosting international students. The UW campus community is enriched by the global and cultural diversity of its students, faculty, and staff. Hosting international students from around the world on our campuses offers students from overseas an outstanding education and enhances the educational experience for all.
Through combined strategies of offering robust global experiences on campus and reducing barriers to participating in international learning, the UW prepares graduates for leadership in today’s globally connected world.
Before an audience of 700, the UW León Center was honored for its years of close collaboration with local and provincial partners. The award was presented by Juan Martínez Majo, president of the local Provincial Council, and leonoticias.com, a digital news outlet. UW Professor Emeritus of Communication Randal Beam accepted the award and expressed appreciation for the UW’s collaborations with León and provincial partners.
Housed in León’s Palacio del Conde Luna, a 16th century Renaissance tower, the UW León Center fosters interdisciplinary, faculty-led study abroad programs for UW students. The space is also used for academic research, conferences, exhibits and cultural events. The center aims to cultivate students who are tolerant and respectful of cultural diversity, and who see themselves as responsible members of a global community.
With funding support from the Office of Global Affairs and the Population Health Initiative, two UW researchers are supporting partners around the world in addressing the COVID-19 crisis.
information systems that allow real-time reporting of vaccine stocks during the campaign.
