Click the link below to learn about or participate in Center for Global Learning and Engagement events and scheduled activities:

UCA Center for Global Learning and Engagement Calendar

International Education Week is a great opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity, culture, and education that international students from around the globe bring to the University of Central Arkansas.  With over 700 international students from over 70 countries at UCA, International Education Week gives these students the opportunity to share dance, music, food, clothing, festivals, and information about their culture.  Please contact Tyler Copeland at Tylercopeland@uca.edu or 501-852-2435 if you have any questions or would like additional information.  We hope that you will join us at these events below!

In celebration of International Education Week, UCA Center for Global Learning and Engagement invites faculty, students, and staff to attend open lectures and programs in the Leaders of the World 2016: The Future of Civil Society Conference (LOTW2016). The conference will have 4 sessions with the following themes: Education, Politics, Place, and Peace.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2016

Click here to Sign Up

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

Korean Cultural Day

Location: Torreyson West 311 & Time: 6:30 pm

• Confucius Institute Culture Club

Location: McCastlain Hall 108 & Time: 1:40 pm – 2:40 pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2016

In celebration of International Education Week, UCA Center for Global Learning and Engagement invites faculty, students, and staff to attend open lectures and programs in the Leaders of the World 2016: The Future of Civil Society Conference (LOTW2016). The conference will have 4 sessions with the following themes: Education, Politics, Place, and Peace.

• Gregorio Luke: The vision of Octavio Paz: From the Past to the Future

Location: Reynolds Performance Hall & Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

• Center for Global Learning and Engagement Lunch & Learn (Faculty Only)

Location: Student Center 214 & Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

THURSDAY,  NOVEMBER 17, 2016

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM AT MCCASTLAIN BALLROOM

GLOBAL EXPO

 Global Expo is an opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and Conway community members to experience UCA’s rich international student culture. Almost thirty countries will be represented at the Global Expo with a table proudly displaying the students’ heritage and background. In addition, there will be cultural performances by international students during the Expo.

Below are some of the groups which will be participating in the Global Expo:

Caribbean Student Association                         Korean Club
African Student Association                                UCA IE Study Abroad Office
Saudi Student Club                                                 Student Government Association
International Rotaract Club                                 Kazakh Student Club
Nepalese Students at UCA                                    Indian Student Association
UCA Japanese Club                                                 Chinese Students & Scholars Association
Latino Student Association                                  Confucius Institute
Academic Advisors for UCA’s Six Colleges

• Muslim Student Association Presents: What is the Place of Arabic in Islam?

Location: Torreyson West Room 320: 5:30pm

UCA Center for Global Learning and Engagement joined the worldwide celebration of International Education during International Education Week, November 16th – 20th.  The week kicked off with World Fest in the Student Center Ballroom.  Students from countries all over the world displayed cultural items, food samples, traditional clothing, and more for all UCA students, faculty, and staff to experience and learn more about the different cultures represented at UCA.  Visitors to World Fest were encouraged to pick up a passport and travel the world collecting stickers at various tables in order to get a free t-shirt.  In addition to the cultural displays, Registered Student Organizations performed cultural dances for the visitors.

Registered Student Organizations hosted events the rest of the week.  On Thursday, the Ivorian Student Association hosted Ivoire Culture.  Ivoire Culture allowed visitors to experience Ivorian music, dance, food, language, and more.  On Friday, the African Student Association showcased dance performers, music performers, speakers, and more at Beauties of the Motherland.  Finally, the Indian Student Association had their annual Diwali/Dandia event that invite visitors to try a traditional group dance called Dandiya as well as try Indian food.

Thank you to all those that came out to the International Education Week events and experienced the rich culture that our students displayed.

We are excited to share with you the upcoming 2015 International Education week schedule.

During summer 2015, Center for Global Learning and Engagement partnered with the Faulkner County Library to put on a free culture and education program for children.  This 3 month program focused on a different country in Africa each month.  International students at UCA from the African Student Association and the UCA Ivoirian Association shared culture, language, music, dance, traditional games, and so much more with children in Conway.  In May, the program centered around the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Students from DRC shared information about nature, animals, and sang their national anthem for the children.  In June, the program focused on the Ivory Coast.  Students from Ivory Coast played traditional games that children play in Ivory Coast.  They made a common snack and drink of Ivory Coast to share with the children.  In July, students from Niger talked about daily life and taught the children a song in French.  The program was a huge success and we hope to partner with the Faulkner County Library again in the future.

Center for Global Learning and Engagement has welcomed 15 new international students to the University of Central Arkansas starting classes in Summer 2015.  The new students come from a diverse group of countries including Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Ivory Coast, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.  We are very excited to welcome them to UCA!

The University of Central Arkansas recently announced the students chosen to be Presidential Leadership Fellows for the 2015 – 2016 academic year.  This prestigious student opportunity affords students selected the opportunity to serve as student representatives of the President’s Office, while sharing their personal collegiate experience at various institutional events, on and off campus. Presidential Fellows are provided several avenue to become involved with the community and business leadership sectors around Conway.  International students Azeem Adebayo and Eveline Dembele were selected to serve as Presidential Leadership Fellows this academic year.  Azeem Adebayo of Ivory Coast majoring in Computer Science is excited to be a Presidential Leadership Fellow because it will give him the opportunity to be a voice of UCA outside the university.  Through this program he hopes to develop leadership skills and gain leadership experience.

On Thursday May 30th, Center for Global Learning and Engagement honored graduating international students from 21 different countries at the Graduating Student Farewell.  At the Graduating Student Farewell, held twice a year, students are presented with a flag sash representing their home country that students wear at the University of Central Arkansas Commencement Ceremony.  

On April 17th, seven representatives from Center for Global Learning and Engagement attended the State NAFSA (National Association of Foreign Student Advisors) Meeting held April 17th at The University of Arkansas Fort Smith.  Casey Jackson-Aceituno, Coordinator of Student Services, co-presented with Linda Thao of the University of Arkansas Fort Smith in a presentation titled International Education Week: Events that Put International Students Front and Center.  The presentation discussed the purpose of International Education Week, held each year in the month of November, and the plethora of strategies utilized by Center for Global Learning and Engagement to increase awareness of the diverse group of international students enrolled at UCA.  The focus of the presentation was on the annual IEW event, World Fest.  Held each year at the UCA amphitheater, World Fest invited all international students to have a table representing their countries.  There is also a ethnic clothing show and ethnic dance show during the event.  The presentation concluded with a time of discussion concerning successes that each school has had in their IEW events and ideas for the future of how to improve these events.

On April 15th, 2015, 22 international students from countries including China, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, and Ivory Coast volunteered at the Tacos 4 Life Mobilepack.  Tacos 4 Life is a local restaurant that donates a meal each time a meal is purchased at their restaurant.  At the Mobilepack, international students, alongside Conway community members, packed over 77,000 meals that will be donated to orphanages in Zambia.  The Mobilepack volunteer activity was a part of the Center for Global Learning and Engagement Bears Without Borders initiative promoting one volunteer activity each month that offers international students the opportunity to give back to the Conway community.