All seven continents and more than 103 countries: through faculty research, student programs and partnerships, the 性爱五色天, Reno continues to grow its global impact. This increased-focus on internationalization reached another milestone earlier this week with the grand opening of the E.L. Cord Center for Global Engagement.
The new center will serve as a hub for academic symposia and a space to host international delegations. It will house the main office for study abroad programs, international student recruitment through Shorelight’s Nevada Global program and serve as a space for student clubs to gather.
“Our new center will be the ‘center of gravity’ for global engagement,” remarked Chief International Officer Mehmet Tosun. "It’s a place where every student, faculty and staff member can come to expand their horizons, connect with diverse communities and prepare for global careers.” After 17 years in various roles, including director of international business programs and the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship, Tosun was appointed as the University’s first-ever CIO earlier this year.
Realizing a global goal
Expanding education and research globally has been a key priority for the University for many years, and recently even more focused with the goal to “expand the Wolf Pack impact,” a key pillar of the Wolf Pack Rising strategic plan.
“We have needed a gathering place like this on our campus, where we can invite the world to work, study and innovate with us,” President Brian Sandoval said at the grand opening.
“With this new center, we are taking that next big step in engaging with the world.” -President Brian Sandoval
Celebrating art, music, culture
Held during International Education Week, the grand opening of the new space on the ground floor of the Pennington Student Achievement Center was marked by speeches and artistic performances. Nearly 80 students, faculty and staff gathered around paintings created by Leire Urbetz, a Ph.D. student in Basque Studies. Urbetz, a native of Spain's Basque Country, said her work aims to capture the spirit of cultural diversity and unity.
The event also featured an original musical performance composed by Xabier Irujo, Ph.D., director of the Center for Basque Studies. Performed by Ph.D. student Adea Badivuku from Kosovo on piano and Beñat Duque from Spain played violin, the music, paired with the large, colorful paintings, filled the center with a sense of global community and shared purpose.
University Provost Jeffrey Thompson expressed the impact of the new center, saying "The E.L. Cord Center for Global Engagement symbolizes our commitment to providing our students, faculty and staff with a world of opportunities and the chance to bring leaders from around the world to our campus."
"It will be a place where global perspectives are not just learned, but lived." – Provost Jeffrey Thompson
Irem Thomas, Ph.D. ’23, served as the president of the Turkish Cultural Association while studying for her Ph.D. in Economics. Various workshops, meetings and events throughout her four years on campus were celebrated and housed in different locations on campus. Surrounded by friends and former colleagues at the event, Thomas noted, “This space is crucial for continuing to build the University’s international community, here on campus and strengthening ties across the world. This space is buzzing with energy and ideas. I’m excited for what’s to come.”
The SGH Warsaw School of Economics is one of the more than 100 schools the University has partnered with. The Consul General of Poland in Los Angelges, Paulina Kapu艣ci艅ska, echoed support for the center in a letter to Tosun, stating, "It is truly impressive how the 性爱五色天, Reno is developing and expanding its expertise. The leadership of President Sandoval navigates the University towards more and more ambitious goals."
The University invites students, faculty and staff to explore the new E.L. Cord Center for Global Engagement, which promises to become a cornerstone of international education on campus.