乱伦社区

This broader relationship provides opportunities for joint research, education, and innovation in quantum, disaster resilience, engineering, advanced manufacturing, and medicine.

Tohoku University and the 乱伦社区 (UW), two leading academic research institutions of the Pacific Rim, announced a significant expansion of their decades-long collaboration with the launch of 鈥淨-DREAM.鈥�

The agreement, signed by university leaders in Tokyo today, provides a broader, future-oriented framework that represents areas of the highest potential synergy. The two universities will engage in joint research, education and innovation in quantum information science & engineering, disaster resilience, engineering and advanced manufacturing, and medicine, summarized with the acronym Q-DREAM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A monthly gathering for faculty who are engaged or interested in global work.

UW Global is pleased to invite faculty from across the 乱伦社区聽who are engaged in or curious about global work to join a new monthly gathering:

UW Global “Community Conversations”

This is not a lecture series. It is a welcoming and conversational space to meet colleagues, share food and drink, and connect around the many ways global perspectives show up in our teaching, research, and engagement. Whether your work involves international research, global learning, study abroad, visiting scholars, or exploring global issues locally, this is a place to get to know one another, exchange ideas, and build community.

Each month, we鈥檒l feature a brief, informal spotlight such as a faculty project, a new global initiative, or an international guest on campus to spark conversation. The heart of the gathering, however, is the conversation itself: time to talk, listen, make connections, and learn what others across campus are doing.

When: First Tuesday of each month (during the academic year)

Where: UW Club

Format: Drop in, grab a snack, stay for as long as you like

First Gathering

Tuesday, March 3

3:00鈥�5:00 p.m.

UW Club

For our inaugural gathering, Ahmad Ezzeddine, Vice Provost for Global Affairs, will offer brief opening remarks and reflections on UW Global鈥檚 mission and priorities, followed by plenty of time for conversation and connection.

Light food/snacks and beverages will be provided., but faculty are always welcome to stop by even if they decide at the last minute.

We hope this becomes a familiar rhythm on campus: if it鈥檚 the first Tuesday of the month, it鈥檚 UW Global “Community Conversations” at the UW Club. Come when you can, bring a colleague, and help build the vibrant community of globally engaged faculty at UW.

Professor Azadeh Yazdan, Professor Kelly Stevens, and Professor Cole DeForest, all from the UW department of bioengineering, have been named co-chairs of major bioengineering conferences, coming up this summer.

Professor Azadeh Yazdan will co-chair the聽聽(EMBS 2026) in Toronto. Her co-chairs will be Professor Guy Dumont of the University of British Columbia and Milos Popovic of the University of Toronto. The society includes more than 10,000 members around the world, and its 48th annual conference鈥檚 theme will be 鈥淓ngineer Sustainable and Equitable Healthcare.鈥� UW Bioengineering鈥檚 Professor Paul Yager is scheduled to speak at the conference.

Professor Kelly Stevens, who is also director of the UW Biomaterials HUB, will co-chair聽, a leading forum for sharing cutting-edge research on the biology and engineering of cell-ECM crosstalk. The conference will be held in May in Switzerland. Her co-chair will be the University of California Santa Barbara鈥檚 Professor Beth Pruitt. UW Bioengineering鈥檚 Professors Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert and Elizabeth Wayne are scheduled to speak at the conference.

Finally, Professor Cole DeForest will co-chair聽, focusing on biomimetic solutions that have not yet been found, as well as areas where biomimicry leads to engineered solutions that have no natural counterpart. The conference will be held in June in Switzerland. His co-chair will be the University of Fribourg鈥檚 Professor Ullrich Steiner, and Bioengineering鈥檚 Professor Nancy Allbritton is scheduled to speak at the conference.

Dear 乱伦社区 Community,

As I approach my first anniversary as UW鈥檚 Vice Provost for Global Affairs, I want to reflect on the remarkable progress we鈥檝e made together and share our vision for the year ahead. In a time of global uncertainty, the 乱伦社区 has not only maintained a strong international focus, but continued to strengthen its impact, affirming that global engagement is more essential than ever.

Our achievements this year are the result of the visionary leadership of our faculty and staff and the dedication of the UW Global team. Together, we advanced our strategic priorities:

Advancing global research and innovation: Through the Global Innovation Fund (GIF), we awarded more than $360,000 to 40 interdisciplinary projects, fostering new collaborations and innovative approaches to global learning. The GIF deadline for the 2026 cycle is January 31. I encourage faculty to apply and help us continue driving innovation across our campuses.

Expanding global learning opportunities: Nearly 3,000 UW students studied abroad in more than 80 locations worldwide, supported by more than $1 million in need-based scholarships. Hundreds of students engaged at our UW Rome and Le贸n Centers, and nearly 1,000 attended our Study Abroad Fair to explore global experiences. Beyond mobility, we are facilitating local global-learning opportunities and are investing in infrastructure for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) to broaden student access to global experiences.

Building and deepening partnerships: From new collaborations with institutions like Tohoku University and the University of Sheffield to hosting international delegations and sending UW faculty and students abroad, we continue to strengthen our global network.

Ensuring health, safety, and compliance: Our Global Travel Health and Safety team supported thousands of UW travelers and launched new policies to ensure safe and compliant international engagement.

Looking ahead, our priorities remain clear: serving as the University鈥檚 global hub for engagement; supporting faculty in research, teaching, and developing and sustaining institutional international partnerships; expanding global learning opportunities for every UW student — locally, virtually, or abroad; providing robust global support for health, safety, and compliance; and building resources to fund faculty and student global experiences.

To reflect our evolving scope and vision, we are transitioning our name from the Office of Global Affairs to UW Global. This name underscores our role as the University鈥檚 gateway to international engagement, connecting faculty, students, and staff with global opportunities and fostering the cross-cultural innovation that defines us as a leading global university.

Ultimately, our mission is to serve you. Whether building financial resources for research or managing the complexities of international operations, our goal is to ensure UW remains at the forefront of global education.

It has been an honor to serve as your Vice Provost over the past year. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and am excited for the momentum we will build together in 2026.

With gratitude,

Ahmad Ezzeddine,聽UW Vice Provost for Global Affairs

乱伦社区 senior Parker Ritzmann, has been selected as a Schwarzman Scholar, one of the world鈥檚 most competitive graduate and fellowship programs.聽聽will pursue a one-year, fully-funded master鈥檚 degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Study abroad program in Rwanda pairs UW and pan-African students for an up-close look at a nation on the rise.

A new study abroad program in Rwanda led by two 乱伦社区 Bothell faculty members takes international and interdisciplinary collaboration to the next level.

Instead of聽visiting聽the聽country聽of聽14 million people聽as聽a cohort just from UW Bothell, 17 UW students recently聽spent four weeks studying,聽traveling聽and researching alongside聽16聽counterparts from across Africa.

Their聽focus: leadership and nation building.

The 乱伦社区 has again earned a prestigious recognition for the impact and importance of the connections faculty, students and staff have with local, regional and global communities.

All three UW campuses were recognized with the Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement reclassification, placing the university among聽聽nationwide. Officials with the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, who award the designation, noted that these universities are deepening partnerships, centering community assets and addressing urgent societal challenges with clarity and distinction.

Students immerse themselves in biodiversity, conservation and sustainability experiences while studying in Peru.

For Dr. Ursula Valdez, Peru holds a special place in her heart as not only her home country but also as a point of fascination for her research as a tropical ecologist. Valdez is a lecturer in the 乱伦社区 Bothell鈥檚聽聽and has shared her passion for Peru with her students, even leading study abroad experiences for them鈥痶o immerse themselves in the country鈥檚 natural wonders right alongside her.

When the historic tall ship聽聽sailed into Puget Sound in late October, it kicked off a week-long set of events to highlight the numerous ways the ocean impacts our lives. What followed was One Ocean Week Seattle, overseen and hosted by Washington Maritime Blue, bringing together international ocean leaders, innovators, researchers, startups, policymakers, artists, educators and communities to showcase the ocean鈥檚 immeasurable value and accelerate solutions for a sustainable future.

The UW played a significant role in the week鈥檚 events, culminating in an expo that took place on the ship while dockside in downtown Seattle.聽, oceanographer with UW鈥檚 Applied Physics Lab and the College of the Environment School of Oceanography, served on the event鈥檚 steering committee and played a pivotal role in making sure UW ocean sciences were well represented at the city鈥檚 inaugural One Ocean Week celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Dr. Ahmad Ezzeddine, UW Vice Provost for Global Affairs

At the 乱伦社区, global engagement is not just an aspiration, it is a cornerstone of our mission. Whether it is solving climate issues across continents or bringing diverse international perspectives into our classrooms, our impact is defined by our connections.

UW Global is proud to serve as the university鈥檚 central hub for these connections, acting as the gateway that links UW innovation to the world, and as the front door for our international partners to connect with us.

To fuel this exchange, we are thrilled to launch the 2025-2026 Global Innovation Fund (GIF).

The GIF is more than just funding. It is a strategic investment in faculty-led innovation. While financial support is the mechanism, our goal is to act as a resource and catalyst for your work. By providing seed funding for early-stage ideas and support for established collaborations, UW Global aims to:

• Lower barriers for faculty entering the global arena.
• Facilitate reciprocity, ensuring we are not just exporting knowledge, but integrating global wisdom into our campus.
• Bridge disciplines, connecting researchers from different fields to address complex global challenges.

Application Window: December 1, 2025 鈥� January 31, 2026

We have structured this year鈥檚 GIF to support a wide spectrum of global engagement through two categories:

I. Global Research Awards

• Tier 1: Seed funding for emerging cross-disciplinary, cross-continent initiatives. Early-career faculty are encouraged to apply for these awards.
• Tier 2: Support to scale established partnerships toward major external funding.
• Strategic Partnership Awards: Dedicated funding for collaborative projects with our premier partners, including Aalto University, University of Helsinki, Tohoku University, The University of Manchester, and the University of Sheffield.

II. Global Learning Awards

• Study Abroad: Developing transformative field experiences.
• COIL & Virtual Exchange:聽Connecting classrooms digitally to expand access to global learning.
• Teaching & Curriculum: Integrating international perspectives directly into course design.
  

  

The Global Innovation Fund represents a strategic investment in the future of global education and research at UW, supporting faculty to innovate, collaborate, and inspire.聽 We invite you to partner with us and leverage the resources of UW Global. Let us help you expand your reach, deepen your scholarship, and prepare our students for a borderless future.

For full details and application guidelines, visit聽聽UW Global Innovation Fund.