This book is a testimony of Spelman College’s commitment to global citizenship, documenting cross-cultural and international experiences and reflections of domestic students who studied abroad, international students’ experiences, Alumnae who studied abroad or have lived abroad and faculty and staff who have lived abroad or led students abroad. This book distinctively reveals life stories of global engagements that no one else could tell but the contributors who bring life experiences through their international visits. Through a well-curated and engaging collection of narrative stories, this book captures the richness that comes from crossing boundaries, understanding cultural differences, and embracing the knowledge that comes from encounters with disparate perspectives.
Editors
‘Dimeji R. Togunde, Ph.D. Vice Provost for Global Education & Professor of International Studies, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Krishna Bista, Ed.D. Professor of Higher Education, Morgan State University, Maryland, USA
Praise for this book
Institutional Commitment to Global Engagement highlights a variety of voices and experiences from, now, experts within various disciplines, all with a shared commitment to global education at HBCUs. The book confirms how strategic planning and visionary action can lead to transformative insight and opportunities for students, faculty, and administrators within HBCUs, as well as other institutions.
Andre P. Stevenson, Professor of Social Work and Director of the Office of International Programs, Elizabeth City State University
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Togunde and Bista chart the life-alerting impact of intercultural exchange in the development of globally-minded citizens. The testimony of the transformative experiences recounted in this volume speak to Spelman College’s vision for global engagement and offer a template for others to follow.
Richard Johnson, Professor of English and Humanities, Harper College
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This book offers a convincing narrative of the transformative power of global engagement. More importantly however, it demonstrates how much more can be achieved when institutions elect to become strategically engaged in helping to facilitate such experiences. Accessible, engaging, and spoken from the lived experiences of the authors, this volume offers a vision that should inspire institutions, particularly HBCUs, to engage in what may arguably be the most urgent imperative for the 21st century.
Harvey Charles, Professor of International Education, University at Albany, SUNY
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This informative and inspiring collection of essays curated by Togunde and Bista not only showcases the Spelman Community’s deep commitment to global engagement, but it also provides practical examples on how institutions can creatively weave the disciplines of intercultural learning, race relations and personal agency together as way of enhancing global education and ultimately improving the human experience.
Jennifer Clinton, CEO, Cultural Vistas, Washington, DC
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This book illustrates a profoundly encouraging success story at Spelman College. Through first-person narratives, it offers an insight into the various ways in which international experience has enriched the consciousness of their colleagues. The reader reconnects with the core purposes of education abroad: an interaction between the politics of identity and journeys into unfamiliar spaces, those within and those beyond the individual.
Dr. Michael Woolf, Deputy President for Strategic Development, CAPA : The Global Education Network
