Barbara Stephenson, vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer,  and Heather Ward, associate provost for global affairs, joined state officials and industry leaders in Tokyo for the 47th annual Southeast U.S./Japan Conference, Oct. 27–31. The North Carolina delegation was led by Gov. Josh Stein and organized by Lee Lilley ’06, North Carolina secretary of commerce. Delegations hailed from seven American states to strengthen political, economic and educational ties with Japanese counterparts.

North Carolina hosted last year’s conference in Charlotte and this year’s conference in Tokyo. Last year, Stephenson and Ward both spoke at the conference, the first to include higher education leaders.

The SEUS/Japan Conference underscored the broader economic and cultural relationship between North Carolina and Japan. Japan is the state’s top source of foreign direct investment, with 233 Japanese firms employing 36,000 people statewide and investing nearly $19.6 billion in capital over the past decade, according to the Economic Development Partnership for North Carolina, which maintains an office in Tokyo.

Governor Josh Stein at the 2025 SEUS/Japan conference discusses Japan’s impact on the state of North Carolina. (Yuuki Ide/Tokyo)

“Japan and North Carolina have a truly special partnership,” Stein said. “More than 36,000 North Carolinians wake up every morning and go to work for a Japanese company — and many more benefit from our years of cultural and academic collaboration.”

Don Hobart, retired associate vice chancellor for research at UNC-Chapel Hill, was a panelist alongside other university leaders from both countries. The discussion focused on how higher education institutions and industry can drive technological advancement to address shared challenges, an idea that is central to UNC Global Affairs’ strategy in Japan.

“For North Carolina, higher education has been central to the state’s economic development strategy, both from the workforce development angle and in research and innovation,” Ward said.

Connecting Tar Heels in Tokyo

During the visit, UNC Global Affairs and the Office of University Development hosted a reception at the Tokyo American Club for more than 130 Tar Heels and friends, including alumni, former exchange students, donors and Japanese partners. Stein and Lilley attended, too, with the governor speaking about the important relationship between North Carolina and Japan.

Stephenson acknowledged the University’s first international student in 1893, Shinzaburo Mogi, and the first Japanese student to graduate from Carolina in 1918, Kameichi Kato. Members of the Kato family attended the reception.

“The ties between Japan and America, and, more specifically, between Japan and North Carolina, are extensive,” Stephenson said. “More than a century of ties, decades of aligning interests and a couple years of focused relationship-building have made this visit possible, and I want to thank each of you for the role you have played in getting us here.”

Members of the Kato family chat with Ward and Stephenson, following their visit to Carolina. (Yuuki Ide/Tokyo)

She also introduced a special guest, Taketo “Mike” Furuhata ’52, the first international student to obtain an MBA from Carolina, who attended the reception. When Furuhata first came to Carolina, it took him 50 days to travel from Yokohama, Japan, to Chapel Hill.

“Between the time Kameichi Kato studied in Chapel Hill to the time Mike Furuhata earned his MBA, relations between Japan and America were difficult,” Stephenson said. “But Mike’s story is yet another example of how our countries’ stories are beautifully woven together.” She presented Furuhata a copy of “UNC Kenan-Flagler: A Century of Tradition and Innovation,” which includes a story about his experience at Carolina.

Since leading the University’s first delegation to Japan in 2023, UNC Global Affairs has expanded Carolina’s academic and research partnerships with Japanese universities and government funding agencies.

To learn more about Carolina’s engagement with Japan, contact Ward at heather.ward@unc.edu.

The sophomore exchange student’s data science skills were already strong, and he wanted to work on his English.

“In daily life, it is still difficult to find people to talk with,” said Kimura, a Tokyo native. “I have friends, but I can’t talk with them all the time. But here, I can focus on talking to somebody.”

Kimura was one of 20-plus attendees from throughout the University community — undergraduate and graduate students, visiting scholars, postdocs and spouses — striking up conversations with fellow Tar Heels on a mid-November Friday afternoon in the atrium of the FedEx Global Education Center.

These informal weekly meetups — there’s no attendance policy or commitment requirements — are casual in nature but serve multiple purposes.

International and American Tar Heels get to meet new people, exchange culture, practice and receive feedback on their English speaking and learn about University and community resources.

As UNC-Chapel Hill continues to set records in international-student enrollment, the program’s mission is the same as it was when it began in 2010. “We want to give people a sense of community,” said Gigi Taylor, the senior English language and coach specialist at the Writing and Learning Center.

That sense of community leads to results. Students gain confidence in their ability to speak in class and participate in other parts of campus life. Spouses learn about community resources. Participants form bonds with others, even matrimonial ones at least once.

Undergraduate exchange student Ryusei Kimura talks with Marcos Eduardo Gomes do Carmo, a visiting scholar in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences’s chemistry department, at the Speaking Group’s weekly meetup on Nov. 14. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Participating in the Speaking Group “really does boost their confidence going back into their academic worlds,” Taylor said. “This is just a good thing for their social life in the community and their academic success.”

Taylor and colleague Warren Christian give the group different topics each week to guide conversations. One week was about forming deeper connections. Another focused on the U.S. government shutdown. The group also makes occasional field trips to local landmarks like the Carolina Basketball Museum, Ackland Art Museum and YoPo.

Taylor said some of the best conversations she can recall were about different marriage customs across cultures and the role of religion in different countries.

Naturally, these talks devolve into other areas of interest, like one’s academic and career plans or what sort of food they miss the most from home.

Among the group’s regular attendees are speech-language pathology graduate students from the UNC School of Medicine, there to meet people and prepare for their future careers.

“Being able to listen to different dialects, accents and things like that — it’s very critical to our work as clinicians,” first-year graduate student Stacy Thornton said. “Being able to decipher different things and train our ears a little bit.”

Gigi Taylor, the senior English language and coach specialist at the Writing and Learning Center, discusses the day’s topic at the Speaking Group’s weekly meetup on Nov. 14. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

International students also have the chance to work one-on-one with speech-language pathology graduate student Kelly Yang. She gives feedback and tips on improving their speaking skills after having a conversation and listening to them read a passage.

Some of Yang’s advice is easy to get behind. “Watch TV shows. Listen to podcasts,” she said.

Beyond the language skills, the Speaking Group delivers the universal need for connection.

For Kimura, joining the group has helped turn Chapel Hill from just a place into a home.

“I like meeting new people,” he said. “That’s very useful. Also, there are a lot of people from other countries all over the world. It helps me to understand the difference between Japan, the U.S. and other countries. It’s so interesting.”

The exchange program was funded by the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki’s public affairs grant program and organized by UNC Global Affairs.

“Carolina was the perfect fit for this exchange program,” said Timothy Rose, Carolina’s associate director for exchange and sponsored programs. “UNC and our partner, the University of Helsinki, have both the expertise in various issues pertaining to global security and the ability to provide transformative, experiential opportunities for students. This expertise fit in well with the type of programs the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki was looking to support.”

(Submitted photo)

In North Carolina, participants learned from Carolina faculty in PWAD, political science and geography; toured and met with state security experts at the North Carolina National Guard Joint Force Headquarters and State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh; visited Fort Bragg to learn about special operations, information warfare and women in the U.S. military and conducted discussions, simulations and activities.

“During the simulation, we reflected on when we first heard of Russia’s attack on Ukraine,” Kate Klinger ’26 said. “In that moment, I realized how much closer the conflict feels when Russia is your neighbor. Americans must remember our trans-Atlantic partners and the personal stories of those whom this war affects daily.”

Program events were open to the greater Carolina community and dozens of students were able to explore global security issues with their Finnish counterparts.

In May, Carolina participants visited Finland’s Ministry of Defense, Institute of International Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Helsinki, as well as the International Center for Defense and Security and NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia.

The April timing of the Chapel Hill visit was intentional. Finland joined NATO on April 4, 2023, after 74 years of an official foreign policy position of neutrality. Understanding NATO — including Finland’s recent accession and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — is central to the program’s learning objectives.

During the April exchange, UNC Global Affairs and the Center for European Studies hosted a Diplomatic Discussion with Finnish Consul General Jarmo Sareva in the Nelson Mandela Auditorium.

In her remarks at the Diplomatic Discussion, Barbara Stephenson, vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer, spoke about NATO and the role the alliance has played in promoting democracy and security around the world. She emphasized the importance of the exchange program in helping tomorrow’s leaders pursue solutions to shared global challenges.

“Finland is our friend. Finland is a close partner, and as of April 4, 2023, Finland is a crucial NATO ally,” Stephenson said. “These students are discovering the importance of this bilateral relationship through a transformative experience.”

UNC-Chapel Hill also ranked No. 1 in North Carolina for study abroad participation and placed among the national leaders for program length, coming in at No. 11 for short-term programs (eight weeks or less) and No. 12 for mid-length programs (one semester). This year, the state of North Carolina ranks No. 7 in the nation for study abroad participation.

The report was released Nov. 17 by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education, and it summarizes international exchange across U.S. colleges and universities, including study abroad participation for credit and international student enrollment.

“Year after year, the Open Doors Report affirms our deep commitment to providing the richest menu possible of global experiences to every Tar Heel,” said Barbara Stephenson, vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer at UNC-Chapel Hill. “When nearly half of our undergraduate students study abroad, it speaks volumes about the culture of curiosity — and the strength of the Global Guarantee — that define the Carolina experience.”

Carolina’s 2025 Study Abroad Impact Report, released alongside the national rankings, highlights the University’s continued progress in expanding access to international education. The report includes participation trends, student stories, campus benchmarks, and scholarship achievements, underscoring Carolina’s mission to prepare students to lead and collaborate across cultures.

“Our goal has always been to make a global education part of every student’s Carolina journey,” said Jason Kinnear, associate dean for study abroad and exchanges in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. “We’re proud that students from all majors and backgrounds are finding ways to engage with the world, whether through short-term faculty-led programs, semester opportunities, internships or research abroad.”

According to the 2025 Open Doors report, Carolina’s international student enrollment grew by 6.7% in fall 2024 over the previous year. The top countries of origin for international students are China, India and South Korea.

The Open Doors Report is published annually during International Education Week, Nov. 17-21. Fall 2025 international student enrollment data will be published next year in the 2026 Open Doors Report.

There are many ways for Tar Heels to experience the Global Guarantee. UNC Global Affairs and the Study Abroad Office are available to help students find the right opportunities for their time at Carolina.

This year, the 2025 Charles B. Rangel Fellow and graduate student at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies headlined two Diplomacy Week events, leading discussions on critical minerals and careers in global affairs.

“Emma’s intellectual curiosity and determination to better understand policy challenges related to critical minerals made her the obvious choice to pilot this new Diplomacy Week event,” said Barbara Stephenson, Carolina’s vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer.

Stephenson also founded the Diplomacy Initiative. “There is a bit of Emma in every part of the Diplomacy Initiative, so it is fitting that she was our first alum to return to Chapel Hill to share her expertise in this highly engaging manner.”

Launching a global journey

Sampson, from Apex, North Carolina, began her Carolina experience at the Universidad de Granada in Spain, spending her first semester abroad as a Carolina Global Launch student.

Living with a host family who spoke no English, Sampson quickly adapted to a new culture and language. The experience sparked her curiosity about the world, strengthened her resilience, and solidified her interest in diplomacy and global studies.

“Freshman year, coming back after studying abroad, I didn’t really know where my place was,” she recalled. “That version of me would be so happy — and surprised — to see where I am now.”

Back in Chapel Hill after her Global Launch, Sampson plunged into international studies and activities. She double-majored in public policy and global studies, joined the inaugural cohort of Carolina Diplomacy Fellows and became the first student ambassador for the Diplomacy Initiative. Sampson mentored peers, networked with visiting diplomats and gained hands-on experience organizing high-profile speaker events.

In May 2024, she participated in the UNC-Nagoya cybersecurity exchange, a program connecting Carolina students with peers from Nagoya University in Japan to explore cybersecurity through policy, technology and diplomacy.

“Her academic excellence, leadership and genuine commitment to public service made a lasting impact on our campus,” said Ted Leinbaugh, associate professor of English composition and literature and faculty adviser for the Carolina Forum for Education and Diplomacy, where Sampson served as secretary.

Charting a path to the Foreign Service

As a Rangel Fellow, Sampson is part of a nationally competitive program that supports future U.S. Foreign Service Officers through graduate study and professional development. She credits Carolina, and the Diplomacy Initiative in particular, for helping her discover this path.

“I really built my Carolina experience around this goal,” she said. “The Diplomacy Initiative showed me what a career in diplomacy could look like and gave me the confidence to pursue it.”

Over the summer, she worked with the Atlantic Council on global energy issues, publishing a piece on cyber, natural disaster and physical threats to Guam’s power grid. At Johns Hopkins, she’s focusing on technology and innovation in China, building on the policy work from her time at Carolina and courses that first drew her to critical minerals.

Returning to Carolina for Diplomacy Week, Sampson spoke about the importance of critical minerals, the role of diplomacy in securing them and potential policy solutions. The discussion also served as a primer for the Nov. 4 talk by Indonesian official Septian Hario Seto, which explored how critical minerals can drive sustainable development and global partnerships.

Sampson led another session on global careers, reflecting on her own path.

“As a child, she was constantly reading atlases and curious about the world,” said her mother, Sheri Sampson. “It was no surprise that this is the career path Emma chose. We are very proud of her.”

Read more about Emma Sampson.

“Why not seize the opportunity?” he asked himself.

“Columbia is a very small town,” Bryant said of the coastal community about three hours east of Chapel Hill. “Traveling outside the country is not a common thing to do back home.”

Now a sophomore double-majoring in global studies and business, Bryant spent a month this past summer in Thailand for a Burch research seminar on public health entrepreneurship.

He and his classmates visited recycling plants, an HIV clinic and a coffee plantation and traveled within the country, from Bangkok to rural villages.

“The exciting part was getting to see a new place and learning about their culture,” said Bryant, who was struck by the hospitality he received and how community-oriented Thailand was.

The Phillips Passport Initiative, a program of the Phillips Ambassadors, is now in its fourth year of providing funding to undergraduate students to obtain their first U.S. passport. The deadline for this fall’s cycle is Oct. 31. Committing to studying abroad isn’t a requirement. But many students who take advantage of the initiative later do so and receive resources on ways to study, intern, perform service or research globally from the initiative, which collaborates with the Study Abroad office, UNC College of Arts and Sciences and UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s global programs.

Bryant (far right) has plans to study abroad again at Carolina and would like to go to Brazil. (Submitted photo)

The initiative provides students with the steps needed to get their passport, sophomore Kinlee Reece said. “I got my picture taken in the Student Stores and then printed out my forms and went to the Post Office. It was pretty seamless,” said Reece, a Blue Sky scholar from Mount Airy, North Carolina, nearly two hours northwest of Chapel Hill near the Virginia border.

Like Bryant, Reece spent part of her summer enrolled in a Burch seminar. She and her classmates split time between London and Berlin and earned political science credit studying nationalism, identity and responses to immigration in historical and current times.

“It really had a lot of my interests in one short class,” said Reece, who’s double-majoring in political science and journalism and is interested in attending law school or exploring political communication as a career field.

She also enjoyed seeing the sights in both cities, including shows in London, and was eager to report back to her family.

“They were super excited for me to go,” Reece said. “When I was there, I would call them and they’re like, ‘Wow, this is so cool.’ It’s just a random summer, and I’m exploring all these new places. They were super happy for me.”

Reece’s seminar in London and Berlin aligned with her career interests. (Submitted photo)

Both Reece and Bryant made friendships they maintain today from their summers abroad, and they each are eyeing more international travel.

Reece would like to visit France, and Bryant, a Portuguese minor, is interested in a study abroad opportunity in Brazil next school year.

Carolina, which ranks ninth nationally in study abroad participation, has a Global Guarantee that promises an accessible global education to all students. The initiative is an example of that in action, one that takes care of a basic requirement for international travel.

Bryant encourages students considering getting their passport to take advantage of the free resource. It opened up the world for him and can kick-start exciting journeys for others.

“Once you actually start reading the directions and figure out what you need to do, it’s not that hard,” he said. “It seemed daunting, but it wasn’t.”

“Research opportunities are very limited in Turkey,” said Tuğcu, a junior at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. “To be able to focus on my passions like science and communication at one of the most renowned research institutions in America is incredibly important to me. And to do it in such a beautiful place, I really can’t believe I’m here.”

While she knows Carolina’s campus recently starred in Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” she’s most excited about exploring classes she doesn’t have access to back home and advancing her studies in the emerging field of neurolaw.

Neurolaw is “the ethical, legal and social implications of emerging biotechnologies and how their development can determine the law in all its dimensions,” Tuğcu explains. Pursuing a double-major in psychology and Western languages and literature, she hopes to later attend law school in the U.S.

“I’m interested in responsible innovation,” she added. “And America is the cradle of innovation, I like to say.”

Tuğcu’s current course schedule is well-rounded. This year she’ll be taking neuroscience-related classes, like neuropsychopharmacology, as well as statistics. She’s also thrilled to be studying Shakespeare and American literature before the 1900s.

“Growing up, I was pushed towards medicine by my family, by society,” she said. “Studying the humanities and learning English is not very common or encouraged. But now I’m able to pursue studies that combine both, in a sense. And the freedom to have so much choice in your studies here is very different than back home.”

While Tuğcu’s love for learning is palpable, she feels a calling to teach and help others that is just as strong. When a 2023 earthquake devastated Turkey, Tuğcu and her family were fortunate to survive with minimal damage to their home. She sprang into action, galvanizing friends to co-found a mentorship program to help tutor displaced high school students preparing for university entrance exams.

“Everyone wanted to lend a hand,” said Tuğcu. “It was the most incredible collective effort, and we weren’t alone. This was happening all over the country.”

Tuğcu is also determined to increase accessibility to learning English in her native country. While English classes are not emphasized in Turkish schools, Tuğcu says proficiency in the language has become increasingly crucial when it comes to job hunting and promotions.

“I have family members who were directly impacted by this and suffered from a lack of English education in their careers,” she said.

After encountering people in Mersin who were struggling with these same roadblocks, Tuğcu partnered with her local city council to teach free English classes for those who wanted to learn. To earn money in college, she taught English to people online around the world before committing to her year of study abroad in Chapel Hill.

Tuğcu’s face lights up when she talks about the classes and experiences that come with being an inaugural Morehead-Cain Global Fellow, and she can’t wait to get to her first football game this fall. But it’s what she’ll take home with her that has the most meaning.

“When I go back, I want to be able to shed some light on the power of research and share all of the possibilities with those who want to pursue it in Turkey.”

Members of Carolina’s BoUNC, or the Bowlers & Batters at UNC-Chapel Hill student organization, are on Hooker Fields for a Friday practice. Founded in 2024, the team aims to eventually compete in Collegiate Cricket League tournaments. First, though, they’re recruiting more undergraduate and graduate students to join them. They also plan to host the North Carolina Cricket Championship with teams from Duke University, North Carolina State University and UNC Charlotte.

“We want to expand the profile of cricket at UNC and in the state,” said BoUNC co-president Ishan Joshi, a junior physics major from Gujarat, India.

An estimated 300 million men and women aged 16 and older play the game around the globe.

(Left to right) Muhammad Musa, Dhruv Srinivasan, and Jaskaran Chadha at BoUNC cricket practice on Sept. 19, 2025. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill).

Carolina cricketers

For these students, the only thing that matters for the next hour is their passion for the game. They greet each other enthusiastically, especially newcomers. Joshi, and fellow co-president Salman Khan, a senior who was born in Pakistan and has lived in North Carolina since high school, brought the team’s limited equipment – one bat, one ball and wicket components.

As other players arrive, the team’s treasurer, Avi Tikoo, helps them assemble the wickets. Tikoo, a sophomore from Raleigh, hopes to be accepted to UNC Kenan-Flagler Business school.

A coin toss decides which team bowls or bats first. Players assume their positions. Most wear long pants despite the heat, with a couple of guys in shorts. Two wear Carolina Blue shirts.

Anmol Pawar swings at BoUNC cricket practice Sept. 19, 2025. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Some cricket notes

Passersby watch briefly, as cricket is an uncommon sight on campus and hard for the uninitiated to understand. Two 11-player teams alternate innings to bat and bowl (pitch) a ball. Batters score runs by hitting the ball and running between two wickets, while bowlers aim to dismiss them.

Each wicket’s three hard plastic posts or stumps are topped by notched pieces called bails that if dislodged by a bowled ball, dismisses or puts the batter out. From behind a crease line, the bowler delivers a straight-armed overhead throw from 22 yards at the 28-inch tall, nine-inch wide wicket. Nine fielders and a keeper behind the batter’s wicket support the bowler.

The bat has a flat, thick hitting surface and a baseball bat-like grip.

Dismissals include bowled (stumps hit), caught (fielder catches hit before bounce), leg before wicket (batter’s body blocks a ball that would have hit wicket), run out (fielder knocks down stumps before batter reaches crease) and stumped (wicketkeeper removes bails when batter is out of crease).

Founded in 2024, BoUNC plans to one day play in the Collegiate Cricket League tournaments. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

At this practice, the first bowler launches the ball toward the batter, who smacks it 40 feet to his left or leg-side. A fielder scoops the ball with bare hands. He throws it at the wicket by the crease before the batter can reach it.  Only wicketkeepers wear gloves.

Games end when one team completes its innings, usually when the number of plays (when the ball is hit) reaches the game format’s limit, when 10 wickets fall or if the other team achieves more runs.

Khan said that all interested students are welcome at practices, regardless of experience with cricket. It’s all free.

“It doesn’t matter how rich or how poor you are. If you’ve got a bat and a ball, you can play cricket,” said Raj Patel, a computer science graduate student from Ahmedabad, India.

Dimka is one of the first 12 Morehead-Cain Global Fellows, a program launched in 2024. Through the fully funded fellowship, they study here for one year before completing their studies at their home university.

The opportunity to explore drew Dimka to the fellowship program and to Carolina. She’s always been interested in educational options. At the University of Jos in Nigeria, she created the Student Republic website as a place where students could exchange ideas about their school’s policies and curriculum.

“It’s written with wit, satire and humor,” she said of the student-run website. “We like to listen to each other rant. And one thing that’s very interesting about Nigeria is that we laugh a lot about our problems.” Dimka hopes to one day work on educational reform within the Nigerian government.

Dimka’s family has always been supportive of her education, she said. Early on, her mother favored boarding school for her. The experience gave Dimka better academic opportunities but also exposed her to bullying because of the differences in socio-economic status.

It also turned out to be what inspired Dimka’s interest in a certain area of medicine. In her studies at the University of Jos, she decided to focus on urinary tract infections, remembering how many of her boarding school friends developed UTIs.

“This is very rampant,” she said of UTIs. “I found out the basis of survival of any living organism are enzymes. And these enzymes have proteins that make their activities possible. And so I put it together — proteins, proteomics and urinary tract infections.”

At Carolina, Dimka works in the Netz Lab, where associate professor Netz Arroyo is developing electrochemical sensors to monitor molecules within the body related to health problems — glucose monitoring for diabetes, for example.

Dimka thinks the same technology could be used to target the proteins linked to UTIs. “So I’m going to study them, study their biomarkers and target them,” she said. “It would be a good basis of knowledge for people that want to create targeted medicine for it, or even immunizations for it.”

While she’s very interested in lab studies, Dimka is also involved in much more at Carolina. “At my home university, if you do biochemistry, that’s what you’re doing. Anything else is of your own volition,” she said. “At UNC, I get to do research and a whole mix of other courses.”

Dimka is learning to swim, and she’s also joined Zankiliwa, the African dance team. “That is the accomplishment for me, knowing that I don’t have to hold myself back. I get to say, ‘Oh, I find this interesting. You know what? I’ll do it.’”

One of the areas she’s most excited about is creative writing. “I like writing poetry and short stories. I’ve actually been hiding that part of my creative self or just saving it for later. But here it’s something I’m really willing to explore, and I’m very happy about it. I’m basically discovering a new part of my soul and a new person.”

Based on her experience, she had some advice for her fellow students. “You’re never going to have it figured out. Just make sure that you stay true to yourself and do what you love,” she said. “In life, we all are travelers. And when you’re a traveler, you’re always exactly where you’re supposed to be. That’s a beautiful thing.”

“Wherever I have been, I’ve been welcomed with open arms,” said Joshi. “That’s very impressive and something I’m grateful for.”

Joshi is part of the inaugural class of Morehead-Cain Global Fellows. The 12 fellows, who represent Azerbaijan, Brazil, India, Nigeria and Turkey, will study at Carolina for one year.

“What sets this program apart from others is you have a plethora of flexibility in terms of what you want to do. There are no set guidelines for courses you have to take,” said Joshi. “For my degree at my home university, I am focusing on development and economics, but here I’m learning new things, ranging from Persian, religious studies, comparative theology and peace, war and defense.”

He’s excited to explore the United States beyond Chapel Hill, too. Joshi plans to visit San Francisco, Chicago, New York City and Florida through the program. He also hopes to visit the Outer Banks and attend Indian festivals in the Chapel Hill area.

“The Morehead-Cain Foundation is making sure we get the most out of our visit and we’re not just limited to our academics,” said Joshi.

Back at his home university, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Joshi is earning his integrated Master of Arts in development studies. Through his degree, he is learning about economics, philosophy, public policy, sociology and gender studies.

His research at IIT-M is associated with the intersectionality between climate change and gender, showing the integration of economics associated around both topics. He has traveled to Canada to research these topics with the University of Alberta School of Public Health, examining the coastal fishing community.

Joshi’s main mission, however, has been to make a difference in government and policy, helping with student politics and serving on the student legislative council. He convened a two-day pan- IIT student governance summit, the first of its kind in India, with student leaders to talk about issues important to students like dining, facilities, academic policy and research.

He legislated several policies around efficient budget allocation and financial monitoring, substance abuse, mental health and well-being; Joshi wants to address increases in substance abuse and strengthen measures student leaders can take to assist. He initiated dialogue with the university administration on how the university’s wellness center could approach this issue by creating a safe space for students.

Joshi has enjoyed seeing the research opportunities at Carolina through his courses and connecting with others. He hopes to hold those relationships in his time after the program.

“I have enjoyed the professors and how engaging my classes have been,” said Joshi. “The Tar Heel environment is something that amazed me a lot, too, in terms of extracurricular activities.”

Once Joshi graduates, he hopes to enter public services in India then pursue politics to make a difference in the lives of Indians and people throughout the world.