Students

Global Perspectives Academy

The fact that we live in an interconnected global society is inescapable. The daily evidence is all around us. We send emails to our friends in Mexico in the morning while grinding coffee beans that have been picked in Brazil. We shop at our local mall and buy sneakers made in Vietnam that are marketed as American brands. We have dinner with classmates from Ghana, China, and Poland. We stay up at night listening to hip-hop produced in Japan. And a quick glance online brings news stories of multi-national trade deals, global warming, terrorist activity, and international relief efforts.

Mission

We all talk about “globalization.” But what does it mean for us—for the ways in which we encounter foreign cultures, consume goods, use natural resources, and impact the lives of others in far-away places?

The Global Perspectives Academy is a diverse community of students and faculty committed to exploring international affairs and enhancing campus awareness of the ways in which our global society is truly interdependent.

If you participate in the Global Perspectives Academy, you will learn how to:

  • Develop an awareness of yourself as a citizen of a rapidly globalizing world
  • Gain an understanding for the processes that connect you with others around the world
  • Discover the shared interests of nations and cultures around the globe, while respecting that each has distinct characteristics and histories
  • Understand the importance of international cooperation and conflict
  • Develop skills that allow you to gain international experiences of your own and prepare yourself for on increasingly global labor market
  • Use the opportunities available at UB to immerse yourself in the world outside the United States

Annual Theme

Each year the Global Perspectives Academy will highlight a theme of global importance. This theme will be discussed in our seminars and reflected in the events and activities scheduled outside the classroom. The theme for the 2008 – 2009 academic year is: “America in the World: The World and America” and will include a special focus on U.S. presidential elections.

Possible future themes include:

  • A Global Environment: Natural Resources and Climate
  • International and Global History
  • Goods and Consumption: Global Trade and Economy
  • People on the Move: Global Migration and Demographics

Seminar Courses

The Global Perspectives Academy offers two seminars, worth two credits each.

Beginning Seminar: Offered during the first semester of your freshman year, in this seminar you will have the opportunity to:

  • Discover what it means to think and act globally
  • Deal with a number of today’s global challenges
  • Discuss international affairs and developments
  • Learn about the history and culture of societies around the world
  • Meet and learn with UB’s many international students
  • Become familiar with resources and programs that UB offers to help you understand our global society

Advanced Seminar: Offered during the first semester of your sophomore year, this seminar will help you to:

  • Study the history, language, and culture of one specific world region or foreign country
  • Link the Global Perspectives Academy with your major field of study
  • Prepare to apply for a study-abroad program
  • Do independent research on an international or global issue that is of particular interest to you.

Global Perspectives Academy Faculty and Staff