Barbara Stephenson helps Carolina spot opportunities

Since becoming UNC-Chapel Hill’s inaugural vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer, Barbara Stephenson, a former U.S. Foreign Service officer and ambassador, has led UNC Global Affairs to function like the University’s foreign ministry.

“As Carolina’s chief global officer, I am looking for opportunities to accelerate progress toward solving the grand challenges of our time without taking on risks that could compromise our University’s coveted status as best value in the U.S. for higher education,” Stephenson said. “Our rich partnership with Queen’s University Belfast and budding partnerships with universities in Ireland are perfect examples of opportunities that promise low risk with potential for significant benefits.”

In her role, she welcomes the world to Carolina while shaping the University’s global engagement into a portfolio that maximizes upside gain while minimizing downside risk.

“Derisking has been part of my whole career,” Stephenson said. “Since my time as consul general in Curaçao, and every post after, including as consul general in Belfast, I had to keep our people and buildings safe, advise American businesses and citizens on how to operate in a non-American environment — managing risk even as I advanced America’s interests.”

Stephenson advises University leaders and faculty seeking to engage around the world. She urges using the University’s “risk budget” wisely — saving it for when it is truly needed, as when infectious disease experts at UNC-Chapel Hill are called to help contain an Ebola outbreak.

“We’re looking for opportunities that ideally combine potential for significant gains with a low-risk operating environment,” she said. “We’re looking for capable partners where our strengths are aligned. We’re looking to places that have long, stable relations with America. We’re looking for places where contracts are honored, where we can advance the University’s mission and reputation.”

Thus, UNC Global Affairs has become the University’s “opportunity-spotters.”

“When we spot an opportunity that is right for Carolina, when we tell faculty and students that an opportunity has the potential to deliver big results for the University, we are doing so from a very informed view,” said Krista Northup, director for global partnerships in UNC Global Affairs.

Why Ireland?

The state of North Carolina has strong ties with both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, largely built on family ties from past migration and propelled by complementary strengths and excellent universities on both sides of the Atlantic.

The activities that accompany the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, including the American Ireland Medical Summit, create a rare opportunity for top leaders from Carolina to travel to Ireland and Northern Ireland. The trip is undoubtedly made easier with the new Aer Lingus flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Dublin.

UNC Global Affairs seeks to make the most of this opportunity for face-to-face meetings with collaborators at Queen’s, University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin to unlock research funding, particularly in biomedical and pharmaceutical research. The U.S.-Ireland Research and Development Partnership creates a unique advantage for research cooperation with counterparts in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

UNC Global Affairs encourages Carolina faculty to collaborate with researchers at Queen’s and Irish universities, like Trinity and UCD, in pursuit of dedicated funding from major agencies across the three jurisdictions. Before the football game, Stephenson, with leaders from UNC-Chapel Hill’s research enterprise, met with leaders from Queen’s, UCD and TCD.

“We hope to build on the theme — Much More Than a Game — to launch productive research partnerships that make material progress toward solving the grand challenges we face both in North Carolina and on the island of Ireland,” Stephenson said.