A flagship event of International Education Week
Open to all members of the App State community, the 15th Annual Global Symposium, hosted by the Office of International Programs is an opportunity to learn from and celebrate globally engaged faculty, staff, and students at App State.
App State’s 15th Annual Global Symposium will take place on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 9am-12pm.
Students who attend at least three sessions will be entered into a drawing to win one of three $500 education abroad scholarships. To be eligible, you must also be in attendance at the Global Leadership Awards Luncheon, 12pm-2pm, in PSU 420.
Please click here for the full Program Schedule.
Please click here for a side-by-side Overview of the concurrent tracks.
Student Presentation Competition #1 – PSU 137A
09:00-09:30 – (1) A Third Space: The Importance of Community and Bridging Culture with Identity; (2) Why Your Roots Matter
09:35-10:05 – (1) Break the Cycle, Be the Bridge: The Role Humanism Plays in the Struggle Against Racism and Sexism; (2) N/A
10:10-10:40 – (1) Learning to Be Wrong; (2) Imagining Possibility: Democratic Agency in Kenyan School Library Collections
10:45-11:15 – (1) Guacamayas and Grapes: Veterinary Medicine in Costa Rica and Bolivia; (2) Travel With Me
Student Presentation Competition #2 – PSU 137B
09:00-09:30 – (1) Global Humanity and the Importance of Being a Traveler; (2) Land of Fire & Ice: Environmental Change, Geologic Hazards, and Resources in Iceland
09:35-10:05 – [No presentations]
10:10-10:40 – (1) Beyond Borders, Beyond Barriers: Disability and Healthcare Access Among Latin American Immigrants; (2) How to Travel
10:45-11:15 – (1) So Far Romania; (2) The Politics of Eurovision
09:00-10:00 – PANEL: Art History's Global Research
10:10-10:40 – Transnational Leftist Networks and Life Writing by Chinese Women, 1921-1949
10:45-11:15 – The Things We Couldn't Plan For: Mentoring a Graduate Researcher Through Uncertainty
11:20-11:50 – Globalizing the Local: Medicinal Plants, Cultural Exchange, and the Teaching of American History
Student, Faculty, and Community Voices – PSU 100
09:00-10:00 – PANEL: App State Students Around the World: A Panel Discussion of Study Abroad Experiences
10:10-10:40 – The Effect of ICE on Latines in the High Country of North Carolina
10:45-11:45 – PANEL: Immigration Journeys: Stories of App State Faculty and Students from Around the World
Policy and Perspectives – PSU 122
09:00-10:00 – PANEL: Scotland as a Living Classroom: Experiential Learning Through Place, Landscape, and Perspective
10:10-10:40 – Sharing the Ukrainian Bandura's Story: The Advantages and Responsibilities of a Cultural Outsider
10:45-11:45 – PANEL: Global Climate Policy at COP 31: Student Observations from Türkiye
Pedagogy and Practice – PSU 169
09:00-09:30 – Beyond the Traveler: How a Faculty Flamenco Immersion in Spain Reached Students, Stage, and Community
09:35-10:05 – Culture-Based Education in the Philippines: Theory, Practice, and Research
10:10-10:40 – Embodying a Relationship-Centered Approach to Anthropological Research
10:45-11:15 – Why Does Religion Matter? Religious Literacy and Global Competence
11:20-11:50 – Beyond Study Abroad: Designing Global Experiences That Transform Student Perspectives
Partnerships and Programs – PSU 415
09:00-09:30 – Through the Lens: Building Institutional Bridges and Faculty-Led Programs in Costa Rica
09:35-10:05 – Assessment as Intervention: Adapting the GENIE Social Networking Tool for Rural Appalachian Families
10:10-10:40 – Building Globally-Engaged Leaders through Alternative Service Experience
10:45-11:15 – A Road Trip Through the UK: Graduate Programs and Funding Opportunities
11:20-11:50 – South Africa: What I've Learned in 7 Years
Sustainability in Cross-Cultural Context – PSU 417
10:45-11:15 – Addressing Energy Poverty with Solar Power in the Peruvian Andes
11:20-11:50 – WORKSHOP: Marketing and Sustainability - Who Wins the Race?
Global Symposium Planning Committee
- Jeff Cohen: Office of International Programs
- Stuart Minson: Office of International Programs
- Anna Keber: Office of International Programs
- Becki Battista: Office of Student Research
- Meredith Church Pipes: Walker College of Business
- Laurie Semmes: Hayes School of Music
- Tracy Jarrell: Office of International Programs
- James Holden: Office of International Programs
- Mollie Peuler: University Libraries
- Benjamin Thevenin: Reich College of Education