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GTI Annual Report 2024-25
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GTI Annual Report 2024-25

Our programs span all topics and time zones

The Global Training Initiative at NC State is part of the Office of Global Engagement, which is the division that provides leadership in global initiatives, programs, and services for the University community, which is focused on expanding and supporting the university’s global activities, involvement, and impact.

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3,100+ participants joined our in-person, online and hybrid programs throughout the 2024-25 academic year

The GTI develops custom short-term education and training opportunities for students and professionals from across the globe by leveraging the resources available at the university.

Our unit’s mission, goals and strategic plan support our division as well as the greater campus community and align with NC State’s current strategic plan, Wolfpack 2030: Powering the Extraordinary.

GTI Goal 1:

Empower students by delivering high-impact programs that develop cross-cultural awareness and skills.

(Aligns with University Goal 1)

Friendsgiving at the Global Village
  • The Developing Cultural Competence Student Certificate program is GTI’s flagship program for NC State students to engage with peers from our overseas partner institutions.
    • 249 participants, including 156 NC State students, completed the virtual Developing Cultural Competence certification program, held from July 2024 through May 2025.
    • Participants represented 21 countries and key campus partners such as SKEMA, KAUST, and Nagoya University
  • The GTI provided “First Impressions in VR” workshops to 77 first-year engineering students

GTI Goal 2

Develop and promote successful global research and collaboration opportunities in support of interested NC State faculty.

(Aligns with University Goal 2)

The GEARS seminar continues to draw strong interest across winter and summer iterations. The seminar aims to provide students who are considering graduate school at NC State university with a rewarding research and rich cultural experience.

The number of faculty partners has grown by more than 76% since 2022, in addition to offering faculty more flexibility than ever with concurrent campus and online iterations during both seasonal sessions.

The online GEARS program hosted close to 250 participants this past year. The on-campus program had 85 participants.

GTI Goal 3

Deliver programs for campus partners, the off-campus community in North Carolina and our overseas partners.

(Aligns with University Goal 3)

Our partnership with SKEMA Business School continues to thrive, with strong enrollment at the Raleigh campus (326 students in Fall 2024, 453 in Spring 2025). SKEMA students engaged with NC State students through classroom visits, fostering high-impact cultural exchange. Beyond the classroom, SKEMA students actively participated in a variety of enriching activities, including:

We also partnered with the Intensive English Program to prepare high school graduates selected for the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Gifted Students Program to transition to university life in the United States. Many students gained admissions tor top-tier institutions like MIT, Caltech, Columbia University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Wisconsin, and UIUC, among others.

The Fulbright Germany Institute brought 30 German students to NC State for a four-week “Culture of Sustainability” program, engaging them with our academic departments, faculty, and students through in-class instruction, site visits, and cultural exchange.

We also partnered with organizations and institutions across Latin America and Asia to deliver custom programs to more than 750 students and professionals across the regions. Topics ranged from entrepreneurship and innovation to project management and artificial intelligence.

The GTI also pioneered a 4-week long virtual program where 66 high school students from Asia and the U.S. participated in a comprehensive research project led by NC State faculty. The online Research Academy will continue to hold summer and winter iterations.

The English Language Teaching certificate program was canceled shortly after launching the fifth-year cohort. The impact the program has made in Azerbaijan has not only enriched teaching practices abroad but has also fostered meaningful research and cross-cultural collaboration within the university’s Department of World Languages and Cultures.

GTI Goal 4

Develop global skills training (GST) programs that promote intercultural competence.

(Aligns with University Goal 4)

sign for workshop content

GTI provided global skills and intercultural competence training and other workshops for 110+ NC State employees on campus and more than 400 professionals in corporations and law enforcement agencies across North Carolina.

Many of the in-person workshops for both student and professional groups included the “First Impressions” Global Leadership in VR module.

GTI Goal 5

Expand strategic partnerships on campus, in North Carolina and overseas that address critical challenges and highlight NC State.

(Aligns with University Goals 5, 6 and 7)

students in front of Mr. and Ms. Wuf statues

NC State and Nagoya University celebrated the 40th anniversary of its partnership that includes short-term training and semester exchange programs for students as well as unique academic-industry collaborations.

The GTI hosted 75+ students in various Nagoya University sponsored student programs this past academic year. GTI Director Michael Bustle also joined the NC State delegation that traveled to Nagoya University in February to celebrate the historic milestone.

Read more about the 40-year partnership between our universities in this online booklet.