Office of Global Engagement

December 2024 - Amine Mechaal, Director of Global Engagement, traveled to China for a week to visit partner universities in Beijing and Shanghai. During his trip, he hosted an information session on admissions to Teachers College at the Columbia Global Center in Beijing. The event welcomed over 1,100 attendees both in person and online. Dr. Portia Williams, Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Global Affairs, gave the welcome remarks, and Dr. Henan Cheng, TC's Executive Director for the Center on Chinese Education, spoke about the TC-China legacy and highlighted notable Chinese alumni associated with the College.

October 2024 - The Office of Global Engagement supported Dr. Sarah Creider and the Heidelberg School of Education to host an event to introduce a new online critical media literacy module aimed at helping educators integrate and teach about critical media literacy skills in today's classrooms. The event provided community members with the opportunity to get a first hand look at some of the new modules created by both Teachers College and the Heidelberg School of Education as well as speak with other educators and students about addressing critical media literacy skills ahead of the 2024 election. Moreover, participants learned about TC's exciting transnational collaboration with the Heidelberg School of Education and were invited to contribute to the collaborative efforts on this pertinent topic.

September 2024 - The Office of Global Engagement held an information session to introduce TC's first formal short-term study abroad program to the student body. Over 70 students joined both online and in person to learn more about the exciting new offering. The pilot program, conducted in partnership with the University for Peace and led by Dr. Garnett Russell, will take 15 students to San Jose, Costa Rica in January 2025 to study education, conflict, and peacebuilding on a global scale. 

May 2024 - The Office of Global Engagement brought together TC faculty and representatives from the European University for Well-Being to discuss upcoming funding opportunities, as well as exciting upcoming events—stay tuned for more information.

Faculty interested in research and collaboration opportunities within the EUniWell consortium should contact the Office of Global Engagement or the Office of the Vice Dean of Research.

April 2024 - The Office of Global Engagement and the Office of the Vice President for Community & Diversity Affairs celebrated Arab Heritage Month at Teachers College by hosting an Arabic Calligraphy Workshop, which included a live Arab music performance and delicious Moroccan tea and cookies.

This hands-on workshop explored the beauty and spiritual significance of Arabic calligraphy, an art form that has been cherished across centuries in the Arab world.

April 2024 - The Office of Global Engagement (OGE) and the University for Peace (UPEACE) hosted the Global Peace & Education Symposium at Teachers College. The symposium brought together UPEACE faculty as well as TC faculty, students, and alumni to delve into two panels titled "Peace & Education: How are they intertwined? What is our Global Responsibility?" and "What is Peace Work, Anyway? Practitioner Perspectives".

These two panels aimed to explore the crucial role that peace building plays, particularly its intersection with international education, and discussed ways in which universities can support international human rights and peacebuilding both through research practices and working as practitioners.