Center Profiles & Contacts
Center for Global Initiatives
The Center for Global Initiatives is a catalyst for the innovative work of faculty and students at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Formerly known as the University Center for International Studies (UCIS), the Center for Global Initiatives is entrepreneurial and nimble in its approach to fostering initiatives that deepen knowledge and understanding of our complex world. For its work, the Center is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as one of only nine National Resources Centers for Global Studies.
The goal of the Center for Global Initiatives is three-fold:
1) Cultivate ideas that have the potential to reshape intellectual communities; 2) Bridge disciplinary boundaries to generate diverse perspectives; 3) Engage with external audiences in the university's global activities.
The Center for Global Initiatives relies on a multi-pronged strategy to execute its mission and accomplish its goals:
Create and manage funding opportunities. It offers an array of competitive funding opportunities for faculty, graduate and undergraduate students including the Fulbright Program and awards to support curriculum development, international internships, conference participation, and pre-dissertation travel.
Conceive and organize forums for exchanging ideas. From major events like the annual Navigating the Global American South Conference to intimate faculty working groups, it facilitates the flow of ideas.
Produce and disseminate resources. Drawing upon the institutional strengths at UNC, it generates products ranging from the book Going to Carolina del Norte: Narrating Mexican Migrant Experiences to the database that highlights the faculty's international expertise.
Secure and implement grant proposals. Founded in 1993, it has received $20 million in grants from agencies and private donors including Ford, Freeman, MacArthur, Mellon, National Science Foundation, Z. Smith Reynolds, Rockefeller, Rotary International, United Nations University, U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State and World Bank.
The Center for Global Initiatives is currently focusing particular attention on four themes: 1) Peace and Conflict Resolution, 2) Global Health, 3) Migration, Citizenship and Identity, and 4) the Globalization of the American South.