Symposium Schedule

Opening Session

By Dr. Jeremy Walter and Joseph Clark

Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Mary Ludden, Senior Vice President for Global Network & Strategic Initiatives
at Northeastern University 

In this opening session, we will explore intercultural empathy and its impact on our work as educators, share the motivation behind the symposium, and facilitate an engaging conversation with NU global learners. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Mary Ludden, Senior Vice President for Global Network & Strategic Initiatives at Northeastern University, as our keynote speaker.

Audience: Educators, Staff

Communicating Across Cultures

By Deniz Toker

A clear understanding of high- and low-context cultures is key to overcoming barriers to communication across cultures. This presentation will illustrate different communication styles by looking at common misunderstandings that may arise from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Utilizing “Mindful Guidelines” (Ting-Toomey & Dorjee, 2018) strategies, participants will practice exercises to foster empathy in intercultural interactions.

Audience: Educators, Staff

Communicating Expectations with Global Learners in Mind

By Alexandra P.

Expectations for assignments and classroom procedures may differ from country to country, institution to institution, and even classroom to classroom. Empathetic educators can help global learners succeed as they navigate new educational systems and learning environments. Join GLS as we consider some best practices for communicating course expectations and discuss ways to create classroom materials with global learners in mind.

Audience: Educators (Faculty, Instructors)

Writing Across Cultures

By Jacob Ayala

In this workshop, we will explore how to cultivate empathy by developing an awareness of academic writing styles. We will look at how language acquisition can actually influence academic English writing. Furthermore, educators and staff will be introduced to strategies for providing constructive feedback to global learners.

Audience: Educators, Staff

Supporting Our Global Learners: Community Roundtable

By Meera Mawani and Dr. Jeremy Walter

In this closing session, educators, staff, and community members from Northeastern University’s global campus network all join forces to reflect on key takeaways, discuss implications for practice, and share experiences working with global learners. We will explore the importance of engaging across difference in educational settings while applying intercultural empathy to our work.

Audience: Educators, Staff

Acknowledgements