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The 9th Wang Center Symposium, held in March of 2020, took up the issue of heightened political and societal polarization within the U.S. and globally as well as its primary consequence, the increasing inability to communicate and collaborate across differences to develop solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Recordings from each day’s lectures can be found at, https://www.plu.edu/wang-center-symposium/

Congratulations to the 2021 Photo and Video Contest Winners! Check out the winners from this year and previous years!

Recent Scholarship Recipients

Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants

Amber Richards (’19) was one of seventy-five students nationwide to receive Study Abroad Grants through the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society during  this past year. These grants are awarded to students with a GPA of 3.75 and above who wish to seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying away. For more information on these grants, click here. Congratulations, Amber!

Updated November 2018

General External Scholarships

Congratulations to the following students for earning scholarships for Fall 2018!
Paige Balut – IES Vienna ($1,000)
Marisa Etzell – James Cook University ($2,000)
Sharlaine Hesira – SIT-IHP Climate Change ($2,960)
Tran Hoang – CIEE London ($1,500)
Moses Mbugua – CIEE Paris ($750)
For more information about general external scholarships, click here.

Updated November 2018

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Ayana Freeman (’21) was awarded a $3,500 Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship for her semester in Trinidad and Tobago this spring. The Gilman scholarship provides funding for students who receive a Pell Grant to study away, especially to those studying a critical language such as Korean, Turkish, Hindi, or Russian while abroad. For more information, click here. Congratulations, Ayana!

Updated March 2019

More Global Education Topics

Check out this article about Volleyball’s Jessica Herklotz and her experience studying away in Oaxaca over J-Term 2023!

Check out this article from Trinidad and Tobago Newsday about the 17 PLU students that interned at THA health division!

Check out this article from the Athletic Department about three student athletes who studied away in Greece for J-Term 2022!

Check out this recent article by Isabella Daltoso ’23 about J-term study away resuming at PLU!

“After a hiatus last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 65 undergraduate and 22 graduate students from Pacific Lutheran University were able to participate in January term study away trips this year. The program took PLU students all over the world, with courses designed and taught by PLU professors offered in England, Germany, Greece, Mexico, and Peru. The experiences were fruitful for both students and professors, in spite of challenges presented by the pandemic.”

PLU’s 2022 J-term group in Greece was given the chance to write an article for the Rodiaki, the local newspaper for the island of Rhodes. They were offered the opportunity to write a short piece and explain why PLU students visit Rhodes in the middle of the winter. Program director and professor Antonios Finitsis seized the opportunity! Click below to see the original article in English, as well as the Greek translation!

In the most recent Open Doors study published by the Institute of International Education, PLU ranked #7 amongst US Master’s Institutions for undergraduate participation in short-term study abroad, and #18 in total number of study abroad students.

Since 1961, PLU has produced more than 250 Peace Corps volunteers. PLU has ranked as a top 10 Peace Corps Prep certificate-issuing institution from among more than 150 Peace Corps Prep partner institutions across the country.

Check out the article below to learn about PLU’s approach to experiential and community-engaged learning through local study away programs!

“How Education Abroad Offices Can Create Global Connections Locally”

Check out this article about short-term program development and assessment in London from two PLU faculty members from the psychology department!

Putting the “X” in Expertise: Development and Assessment of a Short-Term Study Abroad Course in London

Click here to see an article about a previous PLU women’s tennis student-athlete, Bayley Gochanour, and how her study-away experience in Oaxaca intersected with her time as a student-athlete!

PLU Study Away Alumni often continue their involvement in global education after their time away. Read about Sara Stuart, an alum of the Granada Program and a former Sojourner Advocate, teaching ESL classes in Everett through Goodwill and the YMCA.

During summer 2014, six Lutes traveled to Namibia to film a documentary about the nine Namibians who studied at PLU in the 1990s.

Fulbright ScholarsFive more PLU grads (all Study Away alums!) received Fulbrights in Spring 2014, bringing the university’s total to an even 100. 

A recent FBI video warns American students of how they could be made recruiting targets by foreign intelligence agencies. Read more in this New York Times article.

On December 19th, 2013, the Wang Center received the Carol Sheffels Quigg Award for Excellence and Innovation supporting “projects to enhance the quality, efficiencies and sustainable practices” of our Study Away programs and office.

Included among the delegation of Namibian dignitaries touring the Pacific Lutheran University campus in 2013 was a proud alumnus, Edwin Tjiramba, who delighted in sharing his fond memories of PLU. Read more.

The Chronicle of Higher Education named PLU a top producer of Fulbright for 2012-13. Currently four PLU graduates are abroad as Fulbright Scholars. Read about them here.

Global Washington is a non-profit, membership based organization committed to strengthening the global development sector of Washington State. In the past year, Global Washington began to explore the importance of global education, specifically for Washington students, and discovered the significance of global understanding in today’s world. The Global Education Initiative, a subcommittee of Global WA, recently released a report outlining the state of global education in Washington, providing a rationale for global education, highlighting best practices, and presenting recommendations for improvement. Read the Executive Summary

Check out this article about top-paying liberal arts majors. Another excellent reason to study a foreign language abroad!

How important is it for American students to spend time learning overseas? Read More of this New York Times article.

Check out these articles about how studying away can boost your resume and your job opportunities!

5 Ways Studying Abroad Can Help Your Career

The Right Sort of Travel Can Boost Your Career

An IES Abroad Study shows that study away enhances one’s opportunity to find jobs sooner after graduation – and at a higher salary!

Mural in Trinidad

PLU’s Chris Jordan painted a fantastic mural at a local boys’ school while studying away in Trinidad & Tobago during Spring semester 2014.

Parkland Mural

The Parkland Community Mural Project, founded by study away alum and Wang Grant recipient Saiyare Refaei, was completed August 2014!

Upcoming Events
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PLU International Education Week logo 2014 rose window and globe combined
International Education Week

Each November, PLU celebrates International Education Week by hosting lots of great internationally-themed events around campus.