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This summer GLBL will welcome Assistant Teaching Professor, Dr. Trang Ta to our faculty! Next semester she will be teaching two exciting new special topics courses. Global Health and Wellbeing will be be offered Monday evenings, 4:30-7:05pm. The Education Abroad Office is excited to announce the J-1 Exchange Buddy Program at UMBC's Center for Global Engagement! This program offers a rewarding opportunity for students to assist our new international exchange students as they adjust to life in the U.S. By joining the Buddy Program, students will be paired with a new exchange student, helping them navigate their transition and enriching their experience at UMBC. We are launching the program again for the upcoming Fall 2025 and Academic Year, and we’re looking for enthusiastic participants.
Application Deadline: April 21
How to Apply: Please review the application via this link.
If you are interested in participating, please apply! Thank you for your support, and we look forward to welcoming new buddies into our program!
Upcoming Program/Scholarship Deadlines:
Dr. Souders is available to review all scholarship applications before submission. Contact him by emailing souders@umbc.edu
April 30th: DAAD’s Young Ambassadors Application Due!
Young Ambassadors are undergraduate students who recently studied abroad in Germany (including this coming summer) and promote study in Germany at their home colleges/universities with help from DAAD. Only one student may be nominated per university.
Fulbright Information Session
Attend an information session to learn more about this life-changing scholarship opportunity. This award supports U.S. citizens interested in conducting research, earning a master’s degree, or teaching English in up to 140 countries throughout the world. UMBC’s Fulbright Program Advisor, Dr. Brian Souders has been holding information sessions to help UMBC students learn more about this exchange opportunity. Register through the link below.
Monday, April 21, 12:00 pm - Virtual Registration required at this link.
Start Your Fulbright Application Now!
Applications for the 2026-27 competition cycle for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program are open.To start your application, go to the Fulbright Program website <us.fulbrightonline.org>, and go to the tab marked Applicants. At the bottom of that tab, go to Online Fulbright Application.
Fulbright Base Camp #1 Getting Started!
You have come to an information session and plan to apply for this year’s competition. Now what? Come to the first of our Fulbright Base Camp series, where we learn how to navigate the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s website and choose the program and country that best suits your skills and interests.
Tuesday, April 22, 7:00 pm, UC 204. Registration is required at this link.
Monday, April 28, 6:00 pm, UC 204. Registration is required at this link.
Are you interested in immersing yourself in the heart of Rome, where ancient history meets contemporary governance? Would you like to unravel the complexities that shape Italy's political landscape? Then you should apply for our Winter Faculty-Led course Comparative Politics and the Italian Political System in Rome, Italy! This unique program combines rigorous academic exploration with the unparalleled charm of the Eternal City and will elevate your understanding of global politics by studying the nuances of Italy's political dynamics in one of the world's most iconic settings! Applications for this program and all other Winter/Spring Break Faculty-led Programs are now open and due on September 22, 2025!
Our Abroad Ambassador Hana is currently studying abroad in Izmir, Turkey! After traveling to Greece last week, she has returned back and has realized how difficult it has been to live in a place where English isn’t widely understood. While it does leave her tired, she has enjoyed being able to immerse herself in the language and is seeing the progress that she is making in her vocabulary. She recommended some tips to other students who may have the same experiences, and you can find them in her Abroad Blog. You can also check in with many of our students who are studying abroad this semester!
Are you interested in studying abroad in Spring 2026 or Winter 2026? Advising with our Education Abroad Coordinator, Alicyn Curtis, is happening now! Be sure to attend a Study Abroad 101 session before scheduling an appointment by emailing educationabroad@umbc.edu.
Stop by and learn about their research!
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Introducing the J-1 Exchange Buddy Program again at UMBC's Center for Global Engagement!
This program offers a rewarding opportunity for students to assist our new international exchange students as they adjust to life in the U.S.
By joining the Buddy Program, students will be paired with a new exchange student, helping them navigate their transition and enriching their experience at UMBC. We are launching the program again for the upcoming Fall 2025 and Academic Year 2025-2026 and we’re looking for enthusiastic participants.
Important Details:
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to welcoming new buddies into our program!
UMBC and the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) have honored Tafat Boudif ‘27 as part of the fourth annual ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll. The 2025 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll recognizes college students at participating campuses who have gone above and beyond to advance nonpartisan student voter registration, education, and turnout efforts in their communities. Boudif is one of 232 students who mobilized their fellow students to make their voices heard in a historic election cycle. (Watch an instagram video of Tafat and other recipients.)
“Whether they hosted nonpartisan voter registration drives or early voting celebrations, the students honored today made sure their peers did not sleep in on Election Day,” said Jen Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “With 100,000 local elections happening across the country in 2025, ALL IN students continue to ensure that everyone on their campuses has the information they need to cast their ballot. The 232 Student Voting Honor Roll honorees lead by example, making nonpartisan voter participation a lifelong habit for themselves and their peers.”
As a political engagement intern with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, Boudif helps facilitate civic and political processes for students on campus to allow them to demonstrate their full potential and achieve meaningful change within their communities and beyond. A political science and global studies double major, she also hopes to promote safe spaces in which students of all identities feel comfortable to be vulnerable in their experiences.
Boudif shared, “Voting as a college student is not easy, and it is something I fear will become even harder in the coming times. However, the attack we see on voting rights today is indicative of how powerful our voices can truly be once we have the opportunity to express them. That is why I do this work; I believe each individual has a story that is key to how we shape our nation and I dedicate myself to ensuring that everyone can actually tell that story, in this case through voting. I feel honored to be recognized, but mostly grateful for my colleagues at the Center for Democracy and Civic Life and other students across the nation who continue to support this work despite its difficulties.”
A recent survey from CIRCLE found that 48% of under-35 youth who did not vote in 2024 heard little or nothing at all about how to vote, compared to the 15% of under-35 youth who cast their ballots. By integrating nonpartisan voter registration and education into campus life, colleges and universities can have a measurable impact in encouraging students to become active and engaged citizens.
"Voting is one of the many ways we can take part in shaping the direction of our communities, nation, and world," said Trentqual Rhone, coordinator for political engagement at the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. "Over the past decade, we’ve seen increased efforts to restrict voter participation, especially among marginalized communities—making programs that support voter registration, turnout, and civic engagement more important than ever. We must continue working to ensure our students have the tools and motivation they need to show up to the polls, make informed decisions, and participate in building a future that reflects the world they want to see."
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student civic engagement. With the support of the ALL IN staff, campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning, voter participation and ongoing engagement in our democracy on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge engages more than 1,000 institutions enrolling over 10 million students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Civic Nation is a nonprofit ecosystem for high-impact organizing and education initiatives working to build a more inclusive and equitable America. Civic Nation shifts culture, systems, and policy by bringing together individuals, grassroots organizers, industry leaders, and influencers to tackle some of our nation’s most pressing social challenges. Civic Nation is home to seven national initiatives and campaigns: ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, Change Collective, It’s On Us, We The Action, and When We All Vote.
Upcoming Program/Scholarship Deadlines:
Dr. Souders is available to review all scholarship applications before submission. Contact him by emailing souders@umbc.edu
April 30th: DAAD’s Young Ambassadors Application Due!
Young Ambassadors are undergraduate students who recently studied abroad in Germany (including this coming summer) and promote study in Germany at their home colleges/universities with help from DAAD. Only one student may be nominated per university.
Fulbright Base Camps - Coming Soon!
You have come to an information session and plan to apply for this year’s competition. Now what? Come to the first of our Fulbright Base Camp series, where we learn how to navigate the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s website and choose the program and country that best suits your skills and interests. Dr. Souders will hold several of these workshops in late April before things get too busy with end-of-semester activities.
Winter/Spring Break Faculty-Led Programs: Applications Open!
Applications for the Winter/Spring Break faculty-led programs are open! Check them out on the Education Abroad website. The deadline to apply is September 22, 2025.
Other Upcoming Events/Opportunities:
Applications for the 2026-27 competition cycle for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program opened on Monday, March 31, 2025. This award supports U.S. citizens interested in conducting research, earning a master’s degree, or teaching English in up to 140 countries throughout the world. UMBC’s Fulbright Program Advisor, Dr. Brian Souders is holding multiple information sessions to help UMBC students learn more about this exchange opportunity. Register at the links below.
Wednesday, April 16, 6:00 pm - Virtual Registration required at this link.
Thursday, April 17, 5:00 pm - Virtual Registration required at this link.
Monday, April 21, 12:00 pm - Virtual Registration required at this link.
Students Abroad!
While many UMBC students have been making the trek down to D.C. to see the Cherry Blossom Festival, our Abroad Ambassador Madison went to the festival in Japan! You can read all about it in her Abroad Blog, where you can check in with many of our students studying abroad this semester!
Wild Card
Advising for Spring 2026 and Winter 2026 programs is happening now! Be sure to attend a Study Abroad 101 session before scheduling an appointment at educationabroad@umbc.edu.
Dr. Souders is available to review all scholarship applications before submission. Contact him by emailing souders@umbc.edu
April 30th: DAAD’s Young Ambassadors Application Due!
Young Ambassadors are undergraduate students who recently studied abroad in Germany (including this coming summer) and promote study in Germany at their home colleges/universities with help from DAAD. Only one student may be nominated per college/university.
Dr. Filomeno in the Global Studies Department is looking for students interested in developing intercultural communication skills and learning about climate policy in a 4-week collaborative online international program with Brazilian students from the Federal University of Santa Catarina. The program consists of 4 online meetings conducted in English through Webex on Wednesday April 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th between 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm. All majors are welcome! Interested students should email Dr. Filomeno at filomeno@umbc.edu or fill out the interest form.
Applications for the 2026-27 competition cycle for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program opened on Monday, March 31, 2025. This award supports U.S. citizens interested in conducting research, earning a master’s degree, or teaching English in up to 140 countries throughout the world. UMBC’s Fulbright Program Advisor, Dr. Brian Souders is holding multiple information sessions, register at the links below.
Tuesday, April 8, 7:00 pm - online. Registration required at this link.
Thursday, April 10, 4:00 pm - UC 201B. Registration required at this link.
Wednesday, April 16, 5:30 pm - UC 201B Registration required at this link.
Make sure you check out the Abroad Blogs from our students studying abroad this semester!
Register for a Fulbright U.S. Student Program information session.
Tuesday, April 8, 7:00 pm - online. Registration required at this link.
Thursday, April 10, 4:00 pm - UC 201B. Registration required at this link.
Wednesday, April 16, 5:30 pm - UC 201B Registration required at this link.
Advising for Spring 2026 and Winter 2026 programs will be available starting the week of April 7! Be sure to attend a Study Abroad 101 session before scheduling an appointment at educationabroad@umbc.edu. You can sign up for a Study Abroad 101 session through our website.
Dr. Souders is available to review all scholarship applications before submission. Contact him by emailing souders@umbc.edu
April 1st: Freeman Awards for Study in Asia Application Due!
Are you planning to study in South Korea, Japan, China, or elsewhere in East or Southeast Asia? If so, apply for theFreeman Awards for Study in Asia!! Freeman-ASIA provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The program’s goal is to increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with first-hand exposure to and understanding of Asia and its peoples and cultures.
April 30th: DAAD’s Young Ambassadors Application Due!
Young Ambassadors are undergraduate students who recently studied abroad in Germany (including this coming summer) and promote study in Germany at their home colleges/universities with help from DAAD. Only one student may be nominated per college/university.
Applications for the 2026-27 competition cycle for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program open on Monday, March 31, 2025. This award supports U.S. citizens interested in conducting research, earning a master’s degree, or teaching English in up to 140 countries throughout the world. UMBC’s Fulbright Program Advisor, Dr. Brian Souders is holding multiple information sessions after Spring Break; they will be posted to the Education Abroad’s MyUMBC page.
Dr. Filomeno in the Global Studies Department is looking for students interested in developing intercultural communication skills and learning about climate policy in a 4-week collaborative online international program with Brazilian students from the Federal University of Santa Catarina. The program consists of 4 online meetings conducted in English through Webex on Wednesday April 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th between 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm. All majors are welcome! Interested students should email Dr. Filomeno at filomeno@umbc.edu or fill out the interest form.
Make sure you check out the Abroad Blogs from our students studying abroad this semester!
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