MSU Center for Global Learning and Innovation

We're so proud to share these recent accomplishments from our team members. Lynn Aguado was selected as co-chair of the Education Abroad Knowledge Community for the Michigan Association of International Educators (MAIE) and Doreen Sheridan was selected as a Fellow for the 2025–2026 ACRAO International Education Standards Council (IESC) Fellows Program.

These achievements demonstrate the high quality and standing of Doreen and Lynn's work in the field of international education. Congrats to Doreen and Lynn!

The first COIL Symposium & Celebration, held in September, was a great success. Held as a hybrid event in the spirit of COIL, colleagues from around the world came together to share their victories, discuss challenges, and look forward to the future of COIL as global learning.

You may assume Center for Global Learning and Innovation staff are already deeply familiar with rare isotope beams, but if you assumed that, you'd be wrong!

We had the pleasure of touring the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams last week and learning about the fascinating work they do there. Thank you to the FRIB team for having us!

Don't miss 's Innovation Collaboratory next week for International Youth Day!

This year’s theme is “Youth and the Future of Global Learning” and the Collaboratory will feature 17 presenters from 10 countries!

Register here: https://globalyouth.isp.msu.edu/events/iyd-innovation-collaboratory/



MSU International Studies and Programs Global Youth Advancement Network

On Friday, July 11th, attend the COIL Cohort 3 Program Launch: Info Session Webinar. Register through this link: https://msu.zoom.us/j/94785833176

Pioneered by the SUNY COIL Center, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is an educational methodology focused on fostering online intercultural teaching and learning experiences within universities in different countries.

Michigan State University’s Center for Global Learning and Innovation, Alliance for African Partnership, and African Studies Center are happy to announce the launch of the third cohort for the COIL Faculty Fellows Program-Africa. This program allows higher-education teaching faculty (i.e., faculty or academic staff with teaching appointments) from any discipline to explore the theory and practice of COIL through global partnerships connecting Michigan State University and African institutions.

Luna Lu, Senior Innovation Officer, and Leticia Cherchiglia, Global Teaching and Learning Specialist, held a networking workshop for the Mandela Washington Fellows last week! We're very proud to be able to collaborate with these brilliant young African leaders right here on campus.



MSU International Studies and Programs

The Center for Global Learning and Innovation is proud to announce that our Faculty-directed Education Abroad Program Innovation Fund was declared the nation winner at the 2025 GoAbroad Innovation Awards in the category Diversity!

The fund supported the development of unique and innovative, new faculty-directed education abroad programs or the significant revision/redevelopment of existing faculty-directed programs, especially with a focus on the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.

Two other programs were also named Finalists for the 2025 GoAbroad awards: Exploring Human-Forest Codependence in the Yucatan in the category Sustainability and JCMU Teaching English in Japan in the category Teach Abroad.

Global learning is nothing new at MSU. Here's a selection from the 1965 MSU Yearbook on the then-new International Center!



MSU International Studies and Programs

At this time of exciting endings and new beginnings, we wish our colleague and friend Maria Beam well as she retires after 22 years with the Office for Education Abroad.

Maria is looking forward to spending more time with her family, especially her grandchildren, and taking care of a full farm of animals!

Congratulations Maria and best wishes!

The Advisory Council on Education Abroad met in-person for the last meeting of the 2024-2025 academic year. Not only did the council hear updates and brainstorm innovative ideas to improve our education abroad programs, but we also honored graduating peer advisers and were joined by Vice Provost and Dean of International Studies and Programs Titus Awokuse.