From Tempe to the world: ASU webinars spark global knowledge exchange
Professor Marisol Perez represents Arizona State University during an in-person Master Class at ASU partner university Universidad International de Ecuador in Quito. Photo courtesy of Global at ASU
Arizona State University is strengthening its global connections by opening new opportunities for students and faculty to learn from one another across borders.
Through a growing series of live webinars, ASU faculty and international experts are sharing knowledge with thousands of learners worldwide while fostering collaboration that extends far beyond the classroom.
Launched in partnership with Cintana Education, the series is offered in two formats to universities as part of the ASU-Cintana Alliance: Master Classes, which are interactive lectures designed for students to introduce them to new ideas and academic pathways, and Innovation Talks, which provide professional development opportunities for faculty and staff by sharing the latest research and strategies in higher education.
Each session is streamed live with simultaneous Spanish translation, making the content accessible to a wider international audience.
“Some might say you’re just talking, but even without cameras, there are powerful ways to connect with students through the content we deliver,” said Catalina Cayetano, assistant teaching professor in ASU’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and a leader in intercultural communication. “You can use your tone, your words and other tools to build trust, integrity and what I call an ‘emotional embrace.’ That’s why I approach each webinar as a conversation, not a transaction — and it’s a joy to speak with students in that way.”
Since the series began in fall 2023, the Master Class and Innovation Talks have featured a combined 37 ASU lecturers and attracted more than 15,000 participants from six continents, with the most engagements from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico.
Global engagement in action
Health, equity and wellness consistently draw the largest audiences, underscoring the growing global demand for education and thought leadership in these areas.
This summer, ASU psychology Professor Marisol Perez delivered in-person Master Classes on mental health in schools at Universidad Internacional del Ecuador (UIDE) in Quito. Her sessions included a talk titled “AI for Real Life: From Passing the Semester to Finding Love,” which explored how AI can be used to support academic success and even serve as a tool for dating. The event drew more than 700 students and participants.
Another Master Class participant, a surgeon who attended “Harnessing AI to Fight the Diabetes Epidemic,” presented by Hassan Ghasemzadeh, program director and associate professor in the College of Health Solutions, called the lecture “shocking and inspiring,” and said it motivated them to keep exploring how technology can improve global health.
Sparking research and collaboration
Beyond classroom learning, the series has sparked new research collaborations.
After presenting on immersive storytelling, Nicholas Pilarski, associate professor at ASU’s Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center, began working with colleagues at UIDE to explore how virtual reality and narrative tools could support survivors of domestic abuse.
“In a global world, we have the responsibility to work deeply with partners who know their regions better than we do,” Pilarski said. “By working with partners at host institutions in their own contexts, we realize that even though we come from different perspectives, we share the same problems. That richness adds depth to research, and the ASU-Cintana Alliance provides infrastructure to support this collaboration, which I find beneficial.”
Impact across borders
Centrally coordinated by the ASU Office of Global Academic Initiatives, the webinar series features a wide range of topics — from mental health and sustainable mobility to artificial intelligence and higher education leadership — allowing ASU to draw on the diverse expertise of its faculty while prioritizing topics that matter most to international learners, fostering meaningful cross-border collaboration.
Post-event surveys show the series is striking a chord, with 95% of 15,000 participants saying they valued the topics and would recommend the webinars to others.
The fall 2025 semester Master Classes continue with sessions on emerging technologies, sustainable mobility and higher education leadership, including:
"The Science of Stress," from the College of Health Solutions.
- "Decoding Inflation," from the W. P. Carey School of Business.
- "Using AI as a Research Assistant," from the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation.
- "Fuel Cell Systems for Sustainable Mobility," from The Polytechnic School.
- "Future-ready Learning," from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
- "Using Mathematical Models in Modern Medicine," from the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences.
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