How UCLA leaders are championing global education and research

In the presence of foreign consular representatives, UCLA students, staff and faculty, university leaders gathered late last month to exchange ideas about shaping the future of international education at the signature International Education Week event, "UCLA 'Glocal' Conversation: Advancing Global Education and Research in Turbulent Times."

At the event, Miguel García-Garibay, dean of physical sciences, senior dean of UCLA College and distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry, emphasized that a global approach was part and parcel of the scientific endeavor.

"I think science wouldn't exist without being international. In the history of humanity, right from the very beginning, science was an endeavor that really knew no boundaries," he said.

In addition to García-Garibay, the conversation also featured Athena Jackson, Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian at UCLA, and Eric Bullard, dean of the division of continuing education and UCLA Extension (UNEX), the latter participating through written comments.

Moderated by David Kim, associate vice provost of the UCLA International Institute and professor of European languages and transcultural studies, the discussion addressed how internationalization is essential to missions of the Division of Physical Sciences, UCLA Library and UNEX, the challenges these units are currently facing (including sustained attacks on higher education) and the actions these units are taking to advance global education and research in the face of these challenges.

Framing the discussion

Cindy Fan, vice provost for international studies and global engagement, opened the evening by noting that 33 campus units had sponsored nearly 40 events during International Education Week 2025 (Nov. 17-21). "(This) is a reminder that this is truly a global campus and a reminder of UCLA Connects, one of the university's flagship initiatives," she said.

In introductory remarks, UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt stressed that in a time of division, UCLA is focused on bringing people together, exchanging knowledge and collaboratively developing solutions to shared problems.

Hunt also lauded the work of the Global Advisors Council, which was established in 2024. "The council is bringing leaders together from throughout the campus to develop strategies to strengthen our international efforts and global leadership, (and) also reflecting UCLA's nature as a global leader dedicated to addressing both global and local problems," he said.

Internationalization as a guiding principle

During the panel, García-Garibay explained how university-based research came to be. Over the course of human history, "as different societies took leadership and had the resources and economic means to invest in science, they became the focus of science," he said. "So people from around the world would go to those centers. We see that in many different civilizations going back to Alexandria, Greece (Athens) and Rome."

The international nature of the physical sciences, he pointed out, can be seen in the research and fieldwork of the UCLA science faculty and students throughout the world, from the Andes to the Alps to the CERN particle physics laboratory in Geneva. It is also illustrated by the collaborative research projects of faculty.

"Any given scientist at any given time is likely to have multiple collaborations in multiple continents, with many people connected through technology (for a project) that could not be carried out in (one) particular location," he said.

He continued: "We are extremely lucky to attract talented students from all over the world, and (that) many of our faculty - many are really the best in their fields - have chosen to come to UCLA to develop their scholarship."

Jackson added that a global orientation is also part of the lifeblood of UCLA Library. "I think that … for our campus, what's exciting is that we are global because we're in Los Angeles and in areas where the library really situates itself in advancing international endeavors," she said.

She reminded the audience that UCLA Library is an academic library in a public institution that not only "fulfills the research, teaching and learning mandate across the campus, but also something bigger … and that is the learning mandate of educating the world."

The internationalization of UCLA Library can be seen, she added, in special collections that attract researchers from around the world; the circulation of "medium-rare" collections of small presses from Asia, Africa, Latin America and other world regions; the library's modern endangered archives program; its extensive international and area studies program; its world-renowned East Asia Library; two Los Angeles archivists who engage with many diasporic communities; and the fact that it collects materials in over 400 languages.

As for UCLA Extension's work, Bullard, whose comments were read during the panel, said, "Each year, out of the more than 32,000 learners we serve, approximately 2,500 come from over 67 countries, bringing global perspectives, professional experiences and cultural insights that enrich every classroom and program.

"At the same time, our global reach directly enhances the learning environment for domestic students and working professionals. … UCLA Extension helps advance the UCLA mission of serving an interconnected world, expanding access to high-quality education while cultivating a vibrant, diverse and globally aware learning community in Los Angeles," his statement continued.

Sustaining international education and research in turbulent times

In response to a "loss of trust" in universities, Jackson said of UCLA Library, "Our job is to give you the tools and resources that have been validated, so you can form a very educated and well-vetted opinion of your own."

Despite current challenges, including "pocketbook" issues, Jackson said it remained imperative to capture our present moment through archival materials with a view toward curatorial oversight at a later time. She also advocated bringing UCLA Library's physical and online spaces together in a way that promotes serendipitous encounters among people along the route to satisfying their curiosity. Asked what students could do to support the international mission of the library, she encouraged them to communicate the importance of having primary source materials and engaging with contemporary history as key components of their education.

García-Garibay noted that collaborative practices in science, which often begin with meeting a colleague at an international conference, are becoming highly regulated. Although he said he understood governmental concern about the links between research, knowledge, technology and the economic impact of technology, newly introduced controls are making global collaboration more difficult.

He nevertheless called on scientists to be more intentional than ever in establishing and pursuing global collaborations.

"(E)ven if we have to go through multiple hurdles … most importantly, we need to continue to maintain the climate that we have today, which is one that welcomes international talent," he said.

Bullard said in his statement that, "UCLA Extension is rising to the challenges of this moment by broadening how we engage learners globally.

"We are expanding online and hybrid offerings so international learners can access UCLA quality education without travel," his statement continued. "And we're developing modular, short-term programs that allow students to begin their studies abroad with the option to transition on-site when circumstances improve."

Several of Kim's observations throughout the discussion distilled its essence. He noted, for example, that both García-Garibay and Jackson emphasized the need for institutional stability in turbulent times, together with leadership that takes into account faculty, student and institutional engagement.

"(T)he decisions that we make at local and national scales are shaped by global events, and for our faculty, students, alumni and staff, it is absolutely important to be able to connect the local with the global in order to understand the issues and to transform that knowledge into some kind of action that benefits either the local community or the nation or the globe as a whole," he said. "Knowledge is really an international enterprise."