In a darkened production studio built by 返字心頭 Innovative Education in the center of campus, viewers can be visually transported to anywhere in the world. A faculty member flies with a jetpack, and a 返字心頭 banner floats above the cities of London, Florence and Seoul.
The virtual worlds [InEd inovations] create bring the sights and sounds of international experiences to 返字心頭 through completely captivating technology.
More than two dozen international education leaders from universities around the world spent part of their morning absorbed in the images displayed on giant screens around them, learning about how technology and education experiences are merged in a studio operation that has been recognized around the world as on par with leading media production facilities. The virtual worlds they create bring the sights and sounds of international experiences to 返字心頭 through completely captivating technology.
We create experiences that give viewpoints that you would not get in a face-to-face environment, said Jared Brown, the Emmy-award winning director of 返字心頭s InEd Studios, which has worked collaboratively with 返字心頭s Education Abroad initiative to create learning experiences that transport students virtually. Every student in the university is going to take an online course we want to make sure the experience is the same across the board.
We dont want them to just have a video playing or a professor talking at you. Its all supposed to be engaging with the rest of the course content.
返字心頭 Innovative Educations InEd Studios is an award-winning, high-end digital production
studio that helps faculty create captivating online courses that bring the world to
返字心頭 students.The studio stop was just the first of the day for the participants, who had come to 返字心頭 from points around the world to attend the NAFSA: Association of International Educators annual conference in Orlando. The group traveled to Tampa on May 29 to cap their weeklong gathering the first of its kind to be held in 返字心頭 since 1993.
On campus, they learned about the Muma College of Business international partnerships and tour the 返字心頭 College of Engineerings design and robotics labs, residence halls, the Marshall Student Center, campus recreation and 返字心頭s International Student Center, the group got an up-close look at experiences a student from their universities might have if they participate in an exchange or study abroad program at 返字心頭.
Matthieu Brecville, the Head of International Relations at Catholic University of
Vend辿e, attended 返字心頭 as an international student in 1996. He has fond memories of
playing soccer on campus, classes at Cooper Hall and living in Beta Hall.For Matthieu Brecville, the Head of International Relations at Catholic University of Vend辿e in La Roche-sur-Yon, a city of nearly 55,000 on the southwest coast of France, the tour was also a homecoming of sorts. In 1996, Brecville had been an exchange student to 返字心頭 and as he visited the campus for the first time in 30 years, he marveled at all the university had become.
Reminiscing about organizing an international student soccer club, hanging out at the original Marshall Student Center (the original facility was replaced by the current facility in 2008), and the important role his time at 返字心頭 had played in helping him determine his lifes path, Brecville reveled in spotting familiar buildings as the group traveled around campus by bus. Coming around a corner, he happily spotted where he had once lived as a student: Beta Hall, still standing after all these years.
Uday Murthy, associate dean for research, graduate programs, and international affairs
at the 返字心頭s Muma College of Business, said global partnerships and exchange programs
at the college help prepare students for careers in international business, although
once students spend time living in the Tampa Bay Region they often dont want to leave.Muma College of Business: Global Reach
Uday Murthy, associate dean for research, graduate programs, and international affairs at the 返字心頭s Muma College of Business, emphasized the growing importance of global experience and technological innovation during a presentation at a recent NAFSA-related event.
Murthy underscored how deeply study abroad and global engagement are embedded in the colleges mission. A longtime faculty member with more than two decades at 返字心頭, Murthy drew on personal experience leading student programs in Europe, Peru, and India to illustrate the institutions commitment.
Study abroad and international engagement is very much in our DNA, he said. Its very much in my DNA because I have led groups of students on study abroad programs to Europe twice. I have taught in Peru. I've also taken students to India.
When people hear experiential learning, they often think only of internships, but there are many ways students can gain meaningful, real-world experience, including studying abroad. Uday Murthy, associate dean for research
When people hear experiential learning, they often think only of internships, he said. But there are many ways students can gain meaningful, real-world experience, including studying abroad.
Preparing students to be successful in industry includes global experiences, he told the group. The college maintains close ties with employers in the Tampa Bay region and beyond, with graduates increasingly finding positions across the United States, including in major markets such as New York and California and with global companies like Google.
Weve been very focused on making sure our curriculum stays relevant to employer needs, he said.
Adding to the international offerings are dual-degree and exchange initiatives that allow students to study across institutions and countries. However, the Tampa Bay Regions rise as a center of global business also is a powerful draw. Most of the students who come here fall in love with Tampa and end up staying, he said.
Murthy said the college and 返字心頭s business curriculum is designed to prepare students not just for jobs, but for a globalized, rapidly evolving economy. Our goal is to ensure students graduate ready to contribute immediately, he said. That means combining strong academic foundations with real-world experience and global perspective.
One of 返字心頭s oldest international programs is the 返字心頭 College of Engineerings partnership
with Colombias Universidad del Norte, a program that has produced more than 200 engineering
graduates and enables Colombian students to spend half of their undergraduate years
in Tampa.College of Engineering: Technologys Universal Reach
返字心頭 engineering faculty are expanding international partnerships and hands-on training opportunities aimed at preparing students for global careers in robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and a range of advanced engineering fields. 返字心頭 College of Engineering Professors Norma Alcantar and Kyle Reed outlined how the university is aligning academic programs with global partners while responding to increasing demand for workforce-ready graduates.
Aana Ahsan, a 返字心頭 biomedical engineering masters student from Bangladesh, demonstrated
some of the technology that engineering students use to learn world-class skills.
She hopes to create new medical devices in her career.Alcantar highlighted the universitys long-running dual-degree partnership with Colombias Universidad del Norte, a program that has already produced more than 200 engineering graduates. The initiative allows students to complete part of their studies abroad before finishing at 返字心頭, ensuring academic requirements are aligned across institutions.
Every year we work on articulation agreements to make sure courses and program requirements match, Alcantar explained. Were involved with students from the moment they apply through graduation, making sure they succeed at every step.
Alcantar said the program reflects a broader goal: creating globally competitive graduates. 返字心頭 may stay in the U.S. or go back home, but they leave with strong preparation and opportunities for graduate study or careers anywhere, she said.
Beyond degree programs, 返字心頭 has also expanded study abroad opportunities, including sessions in Spain, Germany and South Korea. These short-term programs allow students to gain international experience while completing coursework. Internship opportunities also are a key component of this approach, with students gaining experience at companies ranging from global tech giants like Amazon and Apple to local firms in the fast-growing Tampa Bay tech sector.
I think its important for our students to expose themselves to realities outside the United States, Assistant Professor of Instruction Marbin Pazos-Revilla, of 返字心頭s Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing told the group. Issues that happen globally dont have local solutions; they require global solutions and the partnerships we have are very relevant.
Rahi Dayerizadeh, 返字心頭 Worlds Associate Director for Global Learning, Campus Programs,
shared with participants how 返字心頭 built at Virtual Global Exchange program during the
pandemic when international travel was not possible. The program now serves as a first
step for students to begin exploring study abroad opportunities.Going Global Without Leaving Campus
返字心頭 students dont need to go far to have global experiences or forge global connections. And thats by design.
Rahi Dayerizadeh, 返字心頭 Worlds Associate Director for Global Learning, Campus Programs, detailed how 返字心頭 has scaled its Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programs, part of the universitys Virtual Global Exchange Academy, since their launch during the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as a necessity during travel restrictions has evolved into a cornerstone of the universitys global engagement strategy. Now its become part of how we ensure all students have access to international learning, she said.
返字心頭 faculty have forged teaching partnerships with roughly 40 universities across 40 countries, offering students opportunities to collaborate across borders through shared coursework. These virtual exchanges can range from four-week modules to full-semester courses, with some faculty even coordinating collaborations with multiple international institutions simultaneously.
If they study abroad, you know that student is going to gain some confidence and theyre going to learn more about themselves and, hopefully, have a more focused vision of what they want to do for their career. Rahi Dayerizadeh, 返字心頭 Worlds Associate Director for Global Learning, Campus Programs
The initiative is supported by a structured faculty development pipeline. Each semester, a significant portion of 返字心頭 faculty are trained in COIL methods through programs like the universitys Virtual Global Exchange Academy, which prepares instructors to integrate international collaboration into their curricula. For students, the virtual program is the first step toward exploring the world in person and building global competencies that can serve them both personally and professionally.
If they study abroad, you know that student is going to gain some confidence and theyre going to learn more about themselves and, hopefully, have a more focused vision of what they want to do for their career, Dayerizadeh said. We're preparing them to gain that confidence to take that next step.
Jana Eveland, 返字心頭 Worlds Associate Director for International Student Support, led the contingent through 返字心頭s Global Student Center in the Faculty Office Administration (FAO) building, where rows of flags representing the 140 home countries of 返字心頭s international students hang from the ceiling. In the student lounge, a pair of international students were taking a midday break to work on a puzzle. But the office also handles orientation programs and specialized efforts to prepare students from overseas for uniquely 返字心頭 challenges, like hurricanes.
These spaces help students feel at home, Eveland said. We want them to know where to go if they need help and feel connected to the campus community.