The NC State Graduate School Professional Development team took part in the Global Teaching and Learning International Summer Program, an innovative training opportunity that helped doctoral students build teaching practices that are globally engaged, inclusive and collaborative.
Organized jointly by North Carolina State University and Université Côte d’Azur in France, the program brought together 10 doctoral students from each institution. Participants began with a virtual session in January, followed by a five-day in-person training at NC State from June 1-5, 2026.
“The International Summer Program (ISP) provided a valuable opportunity for doctoral students from NC State University and the Université Côte d’Azur (UniCA) to collaborate across cultures and disciplines while deepening their understanding of teaching and learning in a global context. Through the week-long program featuring sessions led by experts from NC State’s Office for Faculty Excellence, The Graduate School, and UniCA, participants gained insight into higher education systems in different countries and explored effective pedagogical approaches,” said Dr. Rhonda Sutton, Assistant Dean for Professional Development. “Working in interdisciplinary and international teams, students designed undergraduate learning experiences that integrated perspectives from multiple fields. Participants consistently cited the program’s collaborative nature, exposure to diverse academic disciplines, and enhanced appreciation for global higher education as some of its most meaningful and impactful outcomes.”
The program focused on practical strategies for incorporating intercultural and global dimensions into teaching. Participants explored concepts and models of global teaching and learning, universal design for learning in international education, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Collaborative Online International Learning and the co-design of global collaboration projects.
“This program gave Ph.D. students from both universities a wonderful opportunity to strengthen their teaching skills in evidence-based strategies and to equip them with tools for incorporating intercultural and international perspectives,” said Dr. Phil Tietjen, Director of Teaching Programs. “One of the key highlights of the program was students working collaboratively and across disciplinary backgrounds to create “bite-sized”, interdisciplinary projects that incorporated global learning competencies. As someone who is a passionate advocate of impactful teaching, I found it to be a tremendously rewarding experience! “
Through this international partnership, the Graduate School Professional Development team helped advance NC State’s commitment to preparing graduate students for leadership in classrooms, communities and careers that cross borders. The program reflected the Wolfpack’s commitment to create meaningful learning experiences that connect people, ideas and solutions around the world.
Learn more about the Graduate School’s Professional Development Programs
