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Robinson College of Business
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A grant from the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative will enable Robinson to give young people global collaboration and learning opportunities – without them having to leave their home communities.
Atlanta, November 19, 2024 –– Today, the Stevens Initiative announced Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of nine schools, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations to receive funding to run virtual exchange programs that connect young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa. Robinson’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Social Impact will help reach 8,000 young people along with the new J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative Grantees, supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
“I’m proud to celebrate the addition of nine new grantees to our 2024 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative portfolio today. Over the last year, we have taken great strides to bridge cultural divides and prepare rising generations of global leaders,” said Christine Shiau, Executive Director of the Stevens Initiative. “Everything we do is centered around making transformative global experiences accessible to young people, and that would be impossible without the partnership of these incredible organizations and educational institutions.”
Through virtual exchange, participants build a better understanding of the world around them and develop critical thinking and cultural fluency skills needed to be successful in an ever-changing world. It is a powerful tool to reimagine what global learning looks like, how it can be conducted, and how many people participate.
Robinson’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Social Impact will be a collaborative virtual exchange with long-standing partners ESCA in Morocco, SMU in Tunisia, and Nile University in Egypt. The focus will be on fostering social entrepreneurship and innovation, creating global and socially responsible innovators and entrepreneurs. Students will work with peers across cultures in tackling global challenges through a shared digital platform to strengthen their business competencies.
“This program offers our students transformative learning experiences by engaging them in cross-cultural collaboration and exposing them to diverse perspectives on global challenges. The project themes of innovation and social impact align well with Robinson’s strategic priorities,” said Mourad Dakhli, Associate Dean for International Student Engagement & Partnerships and the project's Principal Investigator. “Students will cultivate a global mindset, recognize shared human values and the role of universities like Georgia State in developing responsible global citizens.”
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Social Impact is implemented by Robinson College of Business and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.
More Information
The Stevens Initiative, a program of the Aspen Institute, is an international leader in virtual exchange, which brings young people from diverse places together for dialogue and discovery through everyday technology. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative is building a better tomorrow by championing global citizenship, empowering future leaders, and advancing the field of virtual exchange. Learn more: https://www.stevensinitiative.org.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States, support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us. Visit eca.state.gov.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.