Welcome to the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE)!
We are excited to engage with all of our partners across Columbia to become a centralized hub of global activity for our faculty and students. We are looking forward to conversations with you to identify areas of mutual interest as we work together to continue building experiences and opportunities for all Columbia undergraduates to gain global competencies and the knowledge and skills that will help them to contribute to society in a meaningful way.
Columbia faculty play a critical role in shaping the intellectual, professional, and personal journeys that our students encounter during their time here at Columbia. UGE is here to partner with you offering guidance and support if you have an idea for an innovative undergraduate global experience or if you wish to showcase your global activity.
Please join us for one of our events or feel free to be in touch if you have ideas or would like to be involved.
Shannon P. Márquez,PhD, MEng
Dean, Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement
Proposing a New Global Engagement Opportunity for Undergraduates
I enjoy the opportunity to teach in situ, and the opportunity to teach students 'living culture' and how to embrace, learn about and live in a foreign country and culture.
Columbia undergraduates gain global competencies through a variety of experiences whether in a domestic or overseas setting. Currently, Columbia students study in almost any country, including here in the U.S., through a variety of programs offered by Columbia and partner institutions. In particular, Columbia students relish the opportunity to learn from Columbia faculty through customized programs that build their knowledge base, further their understanding of global issues through comparative perspectives, and develop the necessary tools to effectively navigate an increasingly complex world.
I teach abroad to provide additional academic opportunities to students and to build links across departments and subjects. Moreover, I enjoy teaching and spending time abroad.
If you are interested in proposing a new global engagement opportunity for students designed to enrich their understanding of academic material that you regularly present in the classroom or to translate your research into global opportunities for undergraduates, we invite you to learn more about how UGE can help you through all of the stages of developing and implementing a successful global experience.
Teaching abroad allows for the possiblity of creating a more intense relationship with students and with the subject of the course.
This section is still under construction. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please reach out to Fay Ju for more information.
Opportunities for Teaching and Working Abroad
Below please find opportunities for Columbia faculty and graduate students to teach and/or work abroad on undergraduate programs that are Columbia-Led or affiliated with Columbia.
Application and terms will vary depending on the opportunity but generally the courses proposed will need to be relevant to the location and/or program focus.
For Faculty
UGE@Reid Hall
- Paris Summer: Columbia or Barnard faculty can apply to teach a course in English or French.
- Paris Fall, Spring or Academic Year: Columbia or Barnard faculty can apply to teach a course in French.
For more information, please contact Scott Carpenter.
It is a wonderful experience to teach a highly motivated class in France, an experience that is as close to sheer teaching as is possible. I return rekindled in the love of my profession and in the knowledge that I am making a difference in the students' lives. On top of that, the terms are very fair, and give the feeling that the work I do at Reid Hall is truly valued.
Core Abroad: Art Humanities and Music Humanities
- Paris Fall, Spring, or Academic Year: Columbia or Barnard faculty who have taught Art Humanities or Music Humanities can apply to teach abroad in Paris.
- Paris or Berlin Summer: Columbia or Barnard faculty who have taught Art Humanities or Music Humanities can apply to teach abroad in Paris.
For more information, please contact Scott Carpenter.
Berlin Consortium for German Studies (BCGS)
This is a rotating opportunity for consortium member faculty to teach in Berlin. Columbia is responsible for providing a faculty member during the 2026-2027 academic year. For more information, please contact Fay Ju.
CASA in Cuba
Faculty can apply to teach abroad in one of the CASA study abroad programs. For more information, please contact Scott Carpenter.
Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies Summer Program in Modern Japanese
This program seeks language faculty to teach abroad during the summer program in Kyoto. For more information, please contact Fay Ju.
Columbia Summer in Venice
Sponsored by the Department of Art History and the Department of Italian, this summer program seeks faculty with expertise outside of these two departments but relevant to Venice to teach one course during a six week summer program. For more information, please contact Fay Ju.
I think in-situ teaching is not only immensely beneficial to students, it’s pure pleasure for the professor as well. It also creates a group of future scholars who will deeply care about Venice, a place that continues to be exposed to pressures in terms of environmental and demographic problems and issues due to mass tourism.
For Postdoctorates
Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies
This program seeks postdoctoral fellows every two years to teach abroad in Kyoto. For more information, please contact Fay Ju.
For Graduate Students
Summer Program Directors often hire a graduate student to help with all aspects of program coordination and student support.
Community Resources for Undergraduate Global Engagement
Information for Directors of Undergraduate Studies
The Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement manages the process by which credits from study abroad are added to students’ records. It remains the purview of the academic department to determine if and how coursework taken abroad might fit into major or concentration requirements. Please read more here on the roles and responsibilities of the DUS in the study abroad advising process.
Every semester, the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement sends to Directors of Undergraduate Studies a list of students who will be studying abroad that semester and of those returning from studying abroad in the previous semester or academic year.
If you have any questions about your students and study abroad, please contact Scott Carpenter, Associate Dean in the Center for Undergraduate Student Engagement at 212.854.2559.
Resources
This section is still under construction. Please continue to check back for more resources.