About the Center for Global Citizenship
Mission
The Center for Global Citizenship educates students to function effectively in different cultural contexts, and to see their own culture from the perspective of others. The Center also works to ensure that global perspectives and issues are an integral part of the intellectual and cultural experience of all members of the Drake community.
Context
We live in an era of globalization, marked by complex and growing connections across societies. Communications and transportation technology bring the diverse peoples of the world into greater contact. Environmental threats transcend the borders of nation-states. Multinational corporations are fast penetrating to far-reaching corners of the world. The phenomenon of transnational migration is leading to increasing ethnic and cultural diversity in many countries.
Globalization creates both challenges and opportunities. In some respects, globalization has chipped away at the rigidity of international borders and brought increased international cooperation to address problems that cross state boundaries. Yet it has also generated opposition among those who feel threatened by or left out of the globalization process.
The Center for Global Citizenship serves as a forum for exploring the cultural, political and economic changes that accompany globalization. The Center thus helps to fulfill Drake University's commitment, as embodied in its mission statement, to prepare students for "responsible global citizenship." The activities and programs sponsored by the Center invite members of the Drake community to reflect and act upon their roles as citizens of particular countries and as citizens of the world.
Activities
Campus Events
The Center has sponsored or co-sponsored close to 150 events over the past five years, including campus talks by Norman Borlaug, Harriet Fulbright, George Soros, Benjamin Barber and Ambassador George Moose. The Center has also helped organize, in collaboration with community groups, three full day campus-community conferences as well as many films, panel discussions, open forums and cultural events.
The Global Ambassador Program
The Global Ambassador Program allows students to complement their major field of study with a combination of curricular and extra-curricular learning experiences focused on international affairs. Over fifty students are currently enrolled in the Global Ambassador Program. Each Global Ambassador donates at least fifty hours of volunteer work to an internationally-oriented community group. Five Global Ambassadors have received funding from the Center to support summer volunteer work overseas. Of ten recent Global Ambassador graduates, three have been awarded prestigious Fulbright Scholarships.
Model United Nations and European Union
The Center funds the participation by Drake students in regional and international Model United Nations and Model European Union simulations. The Drake Model European Union team won a best delegation award at a recent EU simulation.
Faculty and Curriculum Development
The Center has provided partial funding for over thirty faculty trips abroad for training, teaching, research and partnership development. Currently, twenty four faculty are collaborating on a two year Department of Education funded curriculum development project called "Ethics in a Globalizing World." This project provides participants with training for the development of twenty four new and revised courses related to the theme across a variety of disciplines.
Community Outreach
The Center reaches out to the community through many co-sponsored events and the placement of Global Ambassadors in volunteer positions. In addition, Drake faculty have shared their international expertise with community organizations. The Center serves as yearly host for the Iowa Geographic Been competition. In these ways, the Center serves as the intellectual hub for community organizing around international issues.
More Information
Director and Advisory Board
Faculty Directory
Internationalization at Drake (pdf file)
Contact Information