Fall 2025 NCHC Portz Grant Recipient

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

"'Honors Without Borders' - Global Virtual Honors Collaboratives"

Project Description

The proposed project aims to develop an interdisciplinary, high-impact virtual study abroad program for students in the Honors College at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T). Designed to broaden global perspectives, the program will introduce honors students to the cultures and daily lives of peers across all seven continents, with a focus on countries not previously visited by our students.

With a population of ~900 high-achieving scholars, the Honors College represents the top tier of undergraduate talent at NC A&T. Admission is highly competitive, with only 200 spots available for over 2,500 applicants annually. While study abroad is a signature strength of the College, financial constraints often limit participation. This virtual global exchange offers an accessible, meaningful alternative for students to engage globally without the burden of travel costs.

The overarching goal is to establish a Global Virtual Learning Institute that fosters dialogue and collaboration between NC A&T Honors students and their counterparts at universities around the world, including in Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Oceania. Each virtual exchange will be hosted via Zoom, spotlighting countries selected for their rich cultures, unique social dynamics, cuisine, and geopolitical significance. Each session will feature a keynote lecture from a distinguished speaker based in the partner country, student self-introductions and cultural exchange, and interactive Q&A sessions. Topics will span a wide range of thought-provoking, interdisciplinary issues relevant to honors students and rooted in the expertise and lived experiences of the host countries.

The program beginning January 2026 will span multiple continents, featuring expert speakers from leading institutions around the world:

• January - Asia: Dr. Romulo de Castro (University of San Agustin, Philippines) “AI, Equity, and Empowerment: Lessons from the Philippines for Global Health”
• February - Africa: Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim (University of Pretoria, South Africa) “Global Responses to HIV/AIDS: Successes and Challenges to Ending AIDS”
• March - Antarctica (via New Zealand): Dr. Daniela Liggett (University of Canterbury, NZ) “Antarctica and Us: Why the World’s Coldest Continent Matters in a Warming World”
• April - Latin America: Dr. Luciana Gandini (UNAM, Mexico) “On the Move: Youth Migration, Inequality, and the Search for Justice in the Americas”

The series resumes in Fall 2026:

• September - North America: Dr. Candis Callison (University of British Columbia, Canada) “Voices for a Changing Planet: Indigenous Storytelling and Climate Action”
• October - Europe: Kojo Apeagyei (Energy Systems Catapult, United Kingdom) “Decoding Power: AI, Africa, and the Future of Ethical Innovation”
• November - Australasia: Dr. Karly Burch (University of Auckland, New Zealand) “Reimagining Futures: AI, Sustainability, and the Ethics of Innovation”

Innovation

To our knowledge, this initiative is the first of its kind to offer honors students an affordable yet impactful opportunity to engage with all seven continents through virtual programming. Featuring lectures by internationally recognized experts, the series provides students with a broad, interdisciplinary understanding of critical global issues unique to each region.

Rationale

Virtual global learning presents a valuable complement to traditional study abroad by expanding access to international experiences without the financial and logistical barriers of travel. While not intended to replace in-person programs, this initiative enhances existing opportunities by offering culturally rich, skill-enhancing engagements in a flexible and cost-effective format. Confirmed participation from all featured speakers and institutions ensures meaningful global collaboration rooted in equity, scalability, and interdisciplinary exchange.

Need

NC A&T, the largest HBCU in the U.S. with approximately 15,000 students, serves a student body in which nearly 50% are from low-income backgrounds (e.g., Pell-eligible). While the Honors College offers annual study abroad opportunities primarily to popular European destinations such as the UK, Spain, and Ireland many students are responsible for covering the full cost, creating a significant financial burden. This project, therefore, provides an accessible, cost-free alternative that broadens cultural exposure beyond traditional locations, enabling more students to engage with diverse global perspectives.

Alignment with NCHC Shared Principles

This initiative directly supports the NCHC’s Shared Principles and Practices of Honors Education, particularly in promoting global orientation. It advances the Honors College’s internationalization efforts by fostering cross-continental collaborations, increasing access to global experiences, and integrating international themes into the curriculum. The selected topics ranging from AI and health equity in the Philippines to indigenous climate narratives, migration justice, and ethical innovation reflect interdisciplinary learning, ethical inquiry, and global awareness. These engagements cultivate critical thinking, cultural understanding, and civic responsibility, empowering students to explore issues of justice, equity, and sustainability in a global context.

Project Beneficiaries

To foster meaningful dialogue, the program will engage a select cohort of 10-20 students from the NC A&T Honors College and an equal number from each partner institution, totaling approximately 40 participants per session. Direct beneficiaries include participating students, faculty, and staff involved in organizing and facilitating the exchanges. Additionally, this initiative is expected to serve as a foundation for formalizing partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between NC A&T and participating universities. These MOUs encompass student and faculty exchanges, joint research initiatives, academic material sharing, and future study abroad collaborations.

Institutional Support and Future Sustainability

As a virtual initiative, the program incurs minimal costs aside from speaker honoraria, which will be supported through fundraising in collaboration with the University Advancement Office. A dedicated fund - the Honors College Research Affinity Group Fund has been established to support research-related activities, including this project. The initiative will be incorporated into the Honors College Research Affinity Group curriculum and tracked using the Suitable platform to monitor student engagement. The Honors College Alumni Office will assist in identifying future speakers, while the university’s globally diverse faculty will be leveraged to establish connections with institutions in their home countries. As a scalable and low-cost model, this program is designed to become a sustainable, signature offering of the Honors College.

Reporting Outcome and Value to NCHC Awards & Grants Committee and the Honors Community

The impact of the project will be evaluated through pre- and post-surveys and interviews with participating students, faculty, and staff. An IRB application will be submitted to ensure ethical data collection and analysis. We anticipate that participants will demonstrate increased cultural awareness and a deeper understanding of global issues across continents. Assessment tools will measure student satisfaction and learning outcomes related to each seminar topic. Findings will be shared through a submission to the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council^TM (JNCHC) and presented at the NCHC Annual Conference. This initiative aims to serve as a replicable model for other institutions, offering a scalable and cost-effective framework for global engagement in honors education.