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Institute for European Studies

Research at Risk: Cultural and Language Fluency

Phoebe Wagner FLAS India
September 15, 2025

SEAP and SAP lose funding, seek solutions

The federal government has announced the end of National Resource Center and FLAS funding, which has supported area studies training for decades.

Additional Information

Faculty Research Seed Grants: Global Hubs Info Session

October 1, 2025

12:00 pm

Join this info session to learn about 2026 Global Hubs Faculty Research Seed Grants offered by Global Cornell as part of our Global Hubs initiative. Info session attendees will learn about the grant opportunity and application tips through a short presentation and Q&A.

Through these seed grants, Cornell faculty from across the university are invited to apply for research funds to work with collaborators at Hubs partner institutions. Funded projects should lead to tangible outcomes, including the submission of at least one co-authored peer-reviewed publication and at least one application for external grant funding.

Up to 20 applications for research with a Global Hubs collaborator will be funded.

Successful proposals will receive up to $5,000 from Cornell, with the potential for matching funds from some Global Hubs partner universities.

Application deadline: October 15, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET

Project duration: January 1–December 31, 2026

Virtual information sessions:

September 18, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET (register)

October 1, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET (register)

Learn more and apply for a Global Hubs joint seed grant.

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

East Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Institute for African Development

Institute for European Studies

South Asia Program

Migrations Program

Southwest Asia and North Africa Program

Faculty Research Seed Grants: Global Hubs Info Session

September 18, 2025

12:00 pm

Join this info session to learn about 2026 Global Hubs Faculty Research Seed Grants offered by Global Cornell as part of our Global Hubs initiative. Info session attendees will learn about the grant opportunity and application tips through a short presentation and Q&A.

Through these seed grants, Cornell faculty from across the university are invited to apply for research funds to work with collaborators at Hubs partner institutions. Funded projects should lead to tangible outcomes, including the submission of at least one co-authored peer-reviewed publication and at least one application for external grant funding.

Up to 20 applications for research with a Global Hubs collaborator will be funded.

Successful proposals will receive up to $5,000 from Cornell, with the potential for matching funds from some Global Hubs partner universities.

Application deadline: October 15, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET

Project duration: January 1–December 31, 2026

Virtual information sessions:

September 18, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET (register)

October 1, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET (register)

Learn more and apply for a Global Hubs joint seed grant.

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

East Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Institute for African Development

Institute for European Studies

South Asia Program

Migrations Program

Southwest Asia and North Africa Program

A Paradigm Shift to Social Europe?

October 15, 2025

12:00 pm

Uris Hall, G08

A Paradigm Shift to Social Europe: The impact of the EU Minimum Wage directive on the strengthening of collective bargaining in Europe

The EU Minimum Wage Directive, adopted in 2022, marks a paradigm shift in EU labor policy. While the EU has long contributed to weakening trade unions and collective bargaining systems through its liberalization policy, the new directive now explicitly aims to strengthen labor market institutions. In order to promote adequate minimum wages, statutory minimum wages should be raised and collective bargaining systems strengthened all over Europe. The Directive obliges all EU member States with collective bargaining coverage of below 80% to establish national action plans to promote collective bargaining, with the aim of progressively increasing collective bargaining coverage.

The presentation will discuss the implementation of the directive in individual Member States to date and identify the most important instruments that can contribute to higher collective bargaining coverage.

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Schulten is head of the Collective Agreement Archive of the Institute for Economic and Social Research (WSI) of the Hans Böckler Foundation which is closely related to the German trade unions. He is also teaching as an honorary professor at the University of Tübingen.

Further reading:

Torsten Müller and Thorsten Schulten, The road to 80% collective bargaining coverage. The need for ambitious national action plans under the Minimum Wage Directive, ETUI Policy Brief No. 1/2025, Brussels, https://www.etui.org/publications/road-80-collective-bargaining-coverage

Host
Institute for European Studies

Co-host
School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Additional Information

Program

Institute for European Studies

18 Cornellians Receive Fulbright Awards

Fulbrighter Kyrin Pollock kayaks among icebergs.
September 12, 2025

With Support from Einaudi

They will conduct research, study, and teach English in Canada, France, Honduras, India, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Norway, and Taiwan.

Most will be on site by October.

The Fulbright program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. The Einaudi Center administers the Fulbright program at Cornell, providing all the resources students and alumni need to apply for Fulbright funding for international experiences.

Fulbright Top Producer U.S. Student Program 2024-2025

Cornell consistently ranks as a “top producer” among universities with the highest number of candidates selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. With this year's Fulbrighters, we are celebrating over 600 awards since the 1940s!

We're excited to congratulate conservationist Kyrin Pollock, one of this year's five Fulbright–National Geographic Award recipients—and the first Cornellian ever to receive the prestigious award. Kyrin will spend the year working with the Olokhaktomiut Hunters and Trappers Committee in Ulukhaktok, Canada, to document how industrial noise is transforming Arctic waters. Watch for more news about her journey from National Geographic and Einaudi. 

The next cycle of Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open now. The Einaudi Center encourages Cornell undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent alumni to explore the opportunity and apply.


Meet the Fulbrighters

Alexis Anderson headshot.

Alexis Anderson '23

Honduras

Research: Impacts of Coastal Pollution on Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in Roatán, Honduras

Improving the knowledge base on how SCTLD spreads is critical to help stop further global expansion of the disease.”

Read Alexis's abstract
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is an aggressive coral disease that is rapidly spreading in the Caribbean and decimating reefs. The coral disease was first reported on the island of Roatán, Honduras in 2020, but it has now spread to all three of the Honduran Bay Islands. Roatán, the largest of the three islands with the most tourism, is heavily impacted by the disease. There are identified geographical patterns of the disease spread in Roatán, which may be influenced by differences in environmental factors, such as water quality. Given this, I propose the following research question: is the spread of SCTLD in Roatán being exacerbated by coastal pollution? This will be determined by building on ongoing research and from field data collection on marine water quality and infected corals. However, with the Bay Islands' tourism economy being dependent upon the health of their coral reefs for diving and marine sightings, community understanding is a critical component to improving both coral reefs and coastal livelihoods. Research findings will be incorporated into environmental education presentations to be given to schools in Roatán as well as compiled for organizations partnered with the Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA). By building on existing partnerships and networks, this project aims to advance the understanding and conservation efforts of corals infected with SCTLD in Honduras, which will in turn help infected corals in Florida's coral reef and in the Mesoamerican reef areas of Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. Improving the knowledge base on how SCTLD spreads is critical to help stop further global expansion of the disease.

Cornell seal

Erin Connolly '22

Norway 

Research: Phorid Fly Biodiversity Across the Latitudinal Gradient of Norway

Early months of my work in Trondheim will be based in the laboratory …, while the later months of the award will be dedicated to … a diurnal sampling scheme fieldwork project.”

Read Erin's abstract

Historic limitations to the identification fly families such as Phoridae attributed to morphological uniformity are shrinking with the application of integrative approaches to taxonomy. Ongoing research efforts at NTNU are changing the narrative of Phoridae as an under-explored fly family with multidisciplinary techniques that enable species discovery within the hyper-diverse group. As a scientist whose research experience is rooted in Diptera, my objective is to better understand the biodiversity and prevalence of the fly genus Megaselia (Diptera: Phoridae) across the latitudinal gradient of Norway with a focus on methodological sustainability. I will utilize university arthropod collections, sequencing technologies, and DNA barcoding to efficiently sort phorid flies. Data will be analyzed with phylogenetic and biogeographic tools; my focus on comparing phorid fly diversity across Norway's latitudinal gradient will take increased interest in comparing the variance of phorid flies in urban areas to remote regions, as I am interested in deciphering changes in species composition between industrialized areas versus remote regions. Early months of my work in Trondheim will be based in the laboratory learning the sequencing technologies behind DNA barcoding, while the later months of the award will be dedicated to assisting with the early stages of a diurnal sampling scheme fieldwork project led by Dr. Hartop. This fieldwork would encourage application of integrative methodologies to a prospective initiative within the collaborative research environment at NTNU.


Isabella Culotta headshot.

Isabella Culotta '22

Netherlands

Master of Design: Probing Our Perceptions of Waste at the Design Academy of Eindhoven

Our aversion to speaking and even thinking about our waste constrains our discovery and implementation of innovative waste management systems.”

Read Isabella's abstract

I plan to pursue a Master of Design to investigate our attitudes toward human waste within the Critical Inquiry Lab Program at the Design Academy of Eindhoven (DEA). Our excreta carries immense value—in the taxes paid to treat it, the aquatic life it pollutes, the information it holds about our bodies, and its nutrients that we can process into fertilizers and energy. We all use a toilet every day, but led by taboos, denial, and cultural undertones taught from birth we are detached from its ubiquity in our lives. Our aversion to speaking and even thinking about our waste constrains our discovery and implementation of innovative waste management systems. I use art and science to investigate the chemistry of waste while exploring its subjective reality in human perception through public art- spurring conversations about our waste taboos. With collaborative installations in the North Brabant province, I will probe two assumptions of our "flush and forget" mentality toward waste. The first is that once excreted, our waste is no longer "ours." We do not need to, and shouldn't, think about it further: potty language stays in the bathroom. The second is that the Western "gold standard" of sanitation is the best and cleanest option—we are lucky to have it as civilians of the "developed world." I will examine these assumptions through public art installation and performance in North Brabant. 


Gabriel Godines headshot.

Gabriel Godines '23

Taiwan

English Teaching Assistant

My experience in the U.S. Navy sparked my interest in East Asia, particularly in fostering understanding between the U.S. and China.”


Tenzin Kunsang headshot.

Tenzin Kunsang '25

India

Research: Reconceptualizing Education in Exile: Transnationalism in the Tibetan Children's Village

“These findings will help … to promote domestic language and cultural preservation among Tibetan-American students amid the politicization of schools in Tibet.”

Read Tenzin's abstract

My project examines the mechanisms that foster sociocultural transnationalism within the Tibetan Children's Village, the largest Tibetan education system in exile, and how it fosters a sense of kinship. As a six-decade-long running institution, founded in Dharamshala, India, TCV has evolved in tandem with the sociopolitical "Tibet issue" within the India-China-U.S. triangle. As a result, there has been a rise in Himalayan descendants and overseas Tibetan, as well as a decrease in Tibetan refugees directly from Tibet. I will conduct this project in Dharamshala, particularizing the term "Himalayans" to analyze what regions are experiencing the most out-migration into TCV and why TCV is a more favorable schooling option compared to students' more proximate schools. I will contextualize these trends with current events, such as the conversion of a TCV branch to a school solely for overseas Tibetans, and how their mechanisms of promoting kinship in exile resemble or differ from the original TCV branch. Through semi-structured interviews, archival and ethnographic fieldwork, and participant observation, I will examine how TCV students have been key components in the institution's operational longevity. After I return to the States, these findings will help guide collaborative efforts with the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago to promote domestic language and cultural preservation among Tibetan-American students amid the politicization of schools in Tibet. 


Michelle Lee headshot.

Michelle Lee '25

France

English Teaching Assistant

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I missed an opportunity to study abroad in France. This setback has motivated me to regain the chance to experience the country firsthand.”


Tiffany Liu headshot.

Tiffany Liu '22

Taiwan

English Teaching Assistant

“I … hope to observe the various technological initiatives currently pioneered by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, including the movement to integrate AI.”


Kyrin Pollock National Geographic award

Kyrin Pollock, MEng '19

Fulbright–National Geographic Award Recipient (Canada)

Research: Arctic Echoes: Exploring Inuvialuit Knowledge and Marine Soundscapes in Conservation

“My work will address a gap in Arctic marine bioacoustics research … with documentation of Indigenous knowledge and an audio sample of the changing Arctic Ocean soundscape.”

Read Kyrin's abstract

I plan to co-lead an investigation with Inuvialuit (Inuit of the western Canadian Arctic) and the Arctic Noise Research Team at the University of Victoria to study the role of anthropogenic noise in Arctic waters. Driven by the goals of the Olokhaktomiut Hunters and Trappers Committee (OHTC), I will document knowledge on the Arctic marine soundscape through interviews and observations with OHTC members and through compiling a sound-lapse of the waters surrounding the hamlet of Ulukhaktok. The investigation will explore two key questions: What are the implications of anthropogenic marine noise for Inuvialuit culture and livelihoods? How are Inuvialuit responding to the altered soundscape and the changing behaviors of the animals they rely on in the Beaufort Sea? Answers to these questions are critical. Sound is a key indicator of ocean health, and with the rapid warming and subsequent industrialization of the Arctic, noise pollution is expected to become more acute. My work will address a gap in Arctic marine bioacoustics research by contextualizing scientific research with documentation of Indigenous knowledge and an audio sample of the changing Arctic Ocean soundscape. The compiled audio collection will be archived in sound libraries in Canada and the United States, and aired on public radio in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. My previous experience in participatory action research, interviewing, marine bioacoustics, and experiences in the Arctic have prepared me for this work. My Fulbright will continue to advance my career working in community-led conservation.


Caitlyn Sams headshot.

Caitlyn Sams '25

Jamaica

Research: Herbal Medicine in Oncology: Safety of Psilocybin and Cancer Therapy Co-Medication

“This project will … spark conversations about herbal medicine use and promote avenues for holistic cancer care.”

Read Caitlyn's abstract

I propose to investigate the use of herbal medicine in combination with prescription cancer medication. Over 80% of cancer patients in Kingston, Jamaica, use herbal medicines for pain relief and palliative care treatment. Among these medicines, psilocybin containing “magic mushrooms” are some of the most effective. However, many clinicians remain hesitant towards herbal medicine use, leading to poor communication between oncologists and patients. Since so many physicians are unaware of their patients' self-medication habits, and because some substances give rise to serious repercussions when co-administered with prescription medicine, the interactions between psilocybin mushrooms and oncological pharmaceuticals is an important area for investigation. Specifically, psilocin's interaction with drug metabolizing Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is vital for determining the safety of co-medication. I propose to collaborate with Dr. Rupika Delgoda at the Caribbean Centre for Research in Bioscience of the University of the West Indies to investigate the impact of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms on cancer cells and the activities of CYP enzymes to determine implications of co-medication with cancer therapies. In addition, I will work with Dr. Dingle Spence at the Jamaica Cancer Care and Research Institute to perform a qualitative study exploring physician perspectives towards psilocybin use in oncology clinics throughout Kingston. This may improve understanding and communication between physicians and cancer patients. This project will inform us about psilocybin and cancer therapy co-medication, spark conversations about herbal medicine use, and promote avenues for holistic cancer care.


Miguel Soto Tapia headshot.

Miguel Soto Tapia '20

Taiwan

English Teaching Assistant

I want to undertake an English teaching assistantship in Taiwan because I love language, teaching, and mentoring.”


Apply for Fulbright

The Einaudi Center supports you throughout the entire process of applying. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open to undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent Cornell alumni.

Learn More about Fulbright

Additional Information

Oxford/Cambridge Study Abroad Session

September 24, 2025

4:45 pm

100 Caldwell Hall

Undergraduates interested in spending a semester or year at Oxford or Cambridge must attend an information and group advising session before applying to the program. Learn more about eligibility criteria, the admissions process, and the student experience to determine whether this will be a good fit for you. REGISTER FOR THIS MANDATORY GROUP ADVISING EVENT

Additional Information

Program

Institute for European Studies

Information Session: Global Research Fellows

September 11, 2025

4:30 pm

Uris Hall, G08

Global Research Fellows are a new interdisciplinary research and professional development community at the Einaudi Center for advanced graduate students, Cornell postdocs, and visiting and local scholars. You'll find a community of fellow researchers with regional and international interests and a desire to foster a more equitable world.

Eligible students:
• Have completed at least two years of graduate education
• Engaged in research on a topic of global or regional studies significance
• Hold a strong desire to impact global challenges and create real-world solutions
• Interested in engaging and collaborating with other researchers

Can’t attend? Contact programs@einaudi.cornell.edu.

***

The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

East Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Institute for African Development

Institute for European Studies

South Asia Program

Migrations Program

Southwest Asia and North Africa Program

Our Stories in Motion: A Migrations Exhibit

September 19, 2025

3:00 pm

Mann Library, 102

View the art, media, and writing of Cornell students and staff who share the ways that migration shapes their lives in this Mann Library exhibit. The exhibit will showcase winning submissions from the Migrations Program's creative writing and art competition and an interactive digital space where you can share your own migration story.

At the exhibit's launch, keynote speaker Cathy Linh Che will read poetry and join us for a Q&A session, and Pedro Molina will present his work.

About the Speakers

Cathy Linh Che is a writer and multidisciplinary artist. She is the author of Becoming Ghost (Washington Square Press, 2025), Split (Alice James Books), and co-author, with Kyle Lucia Wu, of the children’s book An Asian American A to Z: a Children’s Guide to Our History (Haymarket Books). Her video installation Appocalips is an Open Call commission with The Shed NY, and her film We Were the Scenery won the Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction at the Sundance Film Festival. She teaches as Core Faculty in Poetry at the low residency MFA program in Creative Writing at Antioch University in Los Angeles and works as Executive Director at Kundiman. She lives in New York City.

Pedro X. Molina is an award-winning Nicaraguan political cartoonist known for his sharp critiques of authoritarianism and human rights abuses. Forced into exile in 2018 after government reprisals against independent media, he now lives and works in the United States, creating cartoons for outlets including Confidencial, Counterpoint, the Washington Post, and Politico. A 2021–22 Institute of International Education Artist Protection Fund fellow at Cornell University and current visiting critic with the Einaudi Center’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies program, Molina has also been a visiting scholar at Ithaca College and the Brunell Visiting Scholar at Cayuga Community College. His work has earned major international honors, including the 2021 Gabo Award for Excellence and the 2023 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent.

Host and Sponsors

The Migrations Program, part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, is hosting this event.

This event is supported by the Migrations Program, part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, and the Mellon Foundation’s Just Futures Initiative
Co-sponsored by the Southeast Asia Program

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Migrations Program

Southeast Asia Program

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Institute for European Studies

Global Internships

Application Deadline: December 15, 2025
Intern stands next to a sign with many arrows pointing in all directions.

Details

Gain valuable international experience with a Global Internship! As an intern, you'll meet mentors and colleagues working in the international arena and advance your career goals. 

Our Global Internships span the globe with placements at Cornell Global Hubs partner universities, community nonprofits and NGOs, and global practitioners partnering with Einaudi's regional and thematic programs. We offer internships specializing in global development, climate and sustainability, international relations, communication, business, governance, and more. 

Many opportunities have several openings, giving you a chance to intern abroad next summer with fellow Cornellians.

What You'll Learn

How to Be a Global Citizen

"My internship helped me to strengthen my sense of cultural awareness, intercultural communication, and empathy."—Haruna Floate '26

Haruna Floate ’26 in lab at Ashoka University (India), a Global Hubs partner

How to Think Internationally

"In university, we are often taught U.S.-centric views, which can be limiting as environmental problems are global."—Hadley Flanagan '26

Intern holds up lid on a bench turned into a composting system.

How to Adapt in New Places

"The number one lesson I got from the experience was the importance of being teachable. I had to go outside of my comfort zone."—Eliana Amoh '26

Eliana Amoh holds her arms open to wide to display a "Lead for Ghana" sign.

Read their internship stories.

Funding Amount

All Global Interns receive an award to cover the estimated costs for airfare, transportation, and living expenses. A portion of the stipend may be paid directly to the in-country host to support housing, food, and local transportation. Find specific funding information under the "cost" tab on each internship’s Experience page. 

How to Apply

Find out how to apply then continue exploring internship options and start your application on Experience.

View All Global Internships

Deadline and Decision

The deadline to apply is December 15. We notify applications of decisions by late February. 

Questions?

Joshua Kennedy is the Global Internships advisor. Select "Global Internships" in Cornell Chatter to schedule an appointment. You can also reach out by email with questions.


Meet Past Global Interns

Our annual international research showcase will feature a student poster session with past Global Interns and Laidlaw scholars. Join us on Nov. 19 at 4:30 in Atkinson Hall. Refreshments will be served.

You can also hear from our past interns on the Global Cornell YouTube channel.

Additional Information

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