ASU welcomes international students for inaugural summer sustainability program

July 29, 2022

This July, Arizona State University welcomed 28 international university students to the Tempe campus to take classes, attend lectures, live on campus and experience student life in America as part of the inaugural two-week ASU-Cintana Sustainability and Summer Immersion program.

By the end of the program, students were inspired to return home with the confidence to fuel their academic and future careers and were equipped to tackle sustainable solutions in their own communities. A group of International Students from the ASU-Cintana Sustainability and Innovation Summer Immersion Program pose in front of Old Main. International students from the ASU-Cintana Sustainability and Innovation Summer Immersion Program pose by Old Main on the ASU Tempe campus in July. Download Full Image

The students came from schools around the world, including: CEIPA Business School in Colombia, Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, Universidad International del Ecuador, The Northcap University in India, Universitas Esa Unggul in Indonesia, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico, Mapua University in the Philippines and the University of Economics and Finance in Vietnam. Participants were selected from various Cintana Alliance universities, a network of international universities partnered with ASU and Cintana Education to provide educational innovations for students worldwide.

Some of the students' favorite highlights from the visit included: a Dreamscape Learn demonstration, a tour of the Thunderbird School of Global Management at the Downtown Phoenix campus, a lecture with ASU sustainability Professor Ryan Johnson and a visit to the Grand Canyon.

The program culminated with students developing sustainable, real-world community solutions inspired by one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and presenting their findings to a group of representatives from ASU and Cintana Education.

“What made their ideas intriguing was how they contextualized them for a specific location and target population, recognizing that small changes can lead to significant impact,” said Christina Ngo, director of social embeddedness at the ASU Office of University Affairs. “(The students) added spice and flair, leveraging interesting and captivating presentation styles and approaches. My favorite presentations came from interdisciplinary teams of students who had subject-matter expertise in different fields.”

Three students from the ASU-Cintana Summer Immersion Program explore virtual reality goggles at Dreamscape on Tempe campus.

Students from ASU-Cintana Summer Sustainability and Innovation Program participate in a Dreamscape Learn demonstration. Participants of the program were selected from various Cintana Alliance universities, a network of international universities partnered with ASU and Cintana Education to provide educational innovations for students around the world.

Student from ASU-Cintana Summer Immersion Program poses at the Grand Canyon wrapped in an ASU Sparky flag.

An ASU-Cintana Summer Immersion Program student poses while visiting the Grand Canyon.

Student from ASU-Cintana Summer Immersion Program speaks in class during presentation.

ASU-Cintana students attend a lecture about sustainability.

Photo courtesy of Sabira Madady

ASU-Cintana Summer Immersion Program students attend a lecture from ASU Sustainability professor Ryan Johnson

ASU-Cintana students attend a lecture from ASU sustainability faculty member Ryan Johnson.

Photo courtesy of Sabira Madady

ASU-Cintana Summer Immersion Program students pose at graduation.

ASU-Cintana students celebrate at the closing ceremony.

Photo courtesy of Victoria Lopez

Students from the University of Economics and Finance receive their certificates at the ASU-Cintana Summer Program closing ceremony.

During the closing ceremony, many expressed the affection they had for their new friends, remembered the memories they created and touched on how life-changing it was to learn alongside people from diverse cultures. They promised to remain in touch with one another and hoped to meet again soon through other programs.

“I have met so many people from different parts of the world, and that is what made this experience the best,” said Daniela Hernandez from Universidad Internacional del Ecuador. “At the end of the day, what makes a place unforgettable is who surrounds you.”

“In two weeks we became so united and such a close-knit group that I don’t know how I will return to Mexico now that the program is over," said Salvador Rodriguez from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. "This full experience made us a huge family, and now I know I don’t only have a home in Mexico, but I also have a home in Vietnam, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Philippines — everywhere.”

Students said they were thankful to ASU for organizing such an enriching program, and to their universities and Cintana Education for giving them the opportunity to be part of such an incredible educational experience.

“Thank you, ASU, for giving me a lot of motivation to keep moving forward on my career path,” said Thu Dang from the University of Economics and Finance in Vietnam.

“What a great inaugural program,” said Lois Malone, assistant director of special projects in the Office of Global Academic Initiatives. “The participants were so enthusiastic about the program, and they were a highlight of the summer. The quality, motivation, enthusiasm and diligence of the students was amazing and commented on by many ASU stakeholders that got to meet them.

"We're excited for future opportunities to inspire students and strengthen our partnerships with international universities through this program.”

The program was hosted by ASU Global Launch, with support from the ASU School of Sustainability, the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Thunderbird School of Global Management, the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and Food for the Hungry. For more information about the ASU-Cintana Alliance, please visit the ASU Global website.

Samantha Talavera

Asst. Director, Global Marketing and Communications, Global Academic Initiatives

samantha.talavera@asu.edu

ASU announces dual-degree opportunities for students at Galala University in Egypt

A small group of students walk together in front of the Faculty of Medical Sciences building on the Galala University campus in Suez, Egypt.

Through a collaboration with Arizona State University and the Cintana Alliance, a global network of ambitious universities working together to develop and scale high-quality academic programs, Galala University in Egypt will begin offering dual bachelor degrees to its students, allowing them the opportunity to earn an accredited degree from a top-ranked American university and from Galala Universi...

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ASU announces dual-degree opportunities for students at Galala University in Egypt

February 3, 2022

The unique partnership is poised to rapidly expand access to high-quality and in-demand degrees for students throughout the Middle East and North Africa region, furthering ASU’s focus on driving social impact by increasing access to postsecondary education for students around the world. A small group of students walk together in front of the Faculty of Medical Sciences building on Galala University campus in Suez, Egypt. Download Full Image

With the addition of Galala University (GU), ASU and Cintana Alliance currently connect eight institutions from around the world in an effort to expand access to the high-quality education needed to fulfill the needs of an increasingly global environment. Over the next 10 years, the Alliance will grow to include an estimated 50 universities.

Starting spring 2022, qualified Galala University students will be able to pursue dual degrees in business administration, marketing, computer information systems, software engineering and electrical engineering, all recognized by the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Students studying natural sciences, social sciences, art and humanities will also soon be able to earn an ASU undergraduate degree by completing their final year of study at an ASU campus or online.

Galala University was established to be the first-ever smart university in Egypt, modeled after the fourth generation university concept that puts scientific research, local and international job requirements, and hands-on experience at the core of its learning strategy. Galala University’s programming and offerings will be strengthened by access to Arizona State University’s digital resources, innovative research initiatives, faculty experts and hundreds of degree program curricula to provide a competitive, world-class education for every learner.

“Over the last several years, developing new, high-quality national universities — including Galala University — has been core to the country’s strategic goal in improving higher education. GU is emerging as a state-of-the-art higher education institution that aims to provide our students with the highest level of learning, skills and competencies that enable them to compete nationally, regionally and globally," said Ashraf Haider Ghaleb, acting president of Galala University. "Together, (we) will develop a unique collaboration to achieve our strategic goal of globalization by providing GU students the opportunity to pursue dual degrees from our institution and Arizona State University. We look forward to working with our partners in the U.S.”

Last week, ASU Executive Vice President and University Provost Nancy Gonzales and ASU Vice President of Global Academic Initiatives Julia Rosen traveled to Cairo to finalize the partnership with leaders from Galala University, the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Cintana Education.

The signing ceremony in Cairo was attended by (from left to right) Dr. Amyan Ashour, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Dr. Mohamed El-Shinawi, Vice President for International Cooperation of Galala University; H.E. Sherif Ismail

From left to right: Amyan Ashour, deputy minister of higher education and scientific research; Mohamed El-Shinawi, vice president for international cooperation at Galala University; H.E. Sherif Ismail, chairman of Galala University Board of Trustees; Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and provost of Arizona State University; Adel Al-Adawi, deputy chairman of Galala University Board of Trustees; Doug Becker, founder and chairman of Cintana Education.

“Arizona State University is delighted to be part of this initiative. We believe educational access on a global scale can best be achieved through comprehensive, networked partnerships,” Gonzales said. “We also believe new, inclusive educational models are needed to meet the expectations of students around the world. With Galala, we are introducing a new model of inclusion that provides students the opportunity to obtain an Arizona State University degree in Egypt, creating new educational opportunities in the years to come.”

Additionally, ASU will support Galala University to launch new research projects, engage in social impact work, educate the future Egyptian workforce and nurture first-generation college graduates through its commitment to the social, cultural and economic well-being of the surrounding community.

“Universities are engines of social transformation, through the work that they do and the community of scholars that they develop,” Gonzales said. “Much like Arizona State University, we anticipate many Galala students will be the first in their family to attend college. And as we have seen at Arizona State University, the power of a college degree lifts families and communities when these first-generation college graduates achieve more than they could have possibly imagined.”

Also joining the trip was Douglas L. Becker, founder and chairman of Cintana Education.

“Galala University represents a new, innovative model to advance the critical movement underway in postsecondary education in Egypt and around the world,” Becker said. “We are delighted to be able to bring together a leading American institution — Arizona State University — with a leading and equally ambitious international partner — Galala University — to provide students in the region with access to dual degrees from two top institutions. We are grateful for the continued partnership with ASU and look forward to future collaboration.”

For more information about the partnership between Arizona State University and Galala University, please visit galala.asu.edu. To learn about engagement opportunities with ASU-Cintana Alliance partners around the world, contact the Office of Global Academic Initiatives at asuglobal@asu.edu.