Welcome to The Bridge , the newsletter of the Office of Global Engagement.

The motto of our office is Faciamus cum sociis pontes , "Let us build bridges with our partners." We hope you will begin to partner with us by subscribing.

The Office of Global Engagement Welcomes the Boston College Community Back to Campus!

Updates from Global Engagement

The Global Engagement Map

The Boston College Global Engagement Map is a useful resource for anyone seeking opportunities for engagement with our partners around the world. Explore the map and find out more!

New Members in the Office of Global Engagement

The Office of Global Engagement is thrilled to announce new members of our team. 

Vaughn Thornton

Programs & Outreach Specialist

"I am excited to come to a university that provides so many opportunities for students to engage with the world at large. Studying abroad as a student in Spain and the U.K., then serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Indonesia opened my eyes to the vastly different world outside of my hometown of Detroit, MI. I look forward to continuously engaging with faculty, staff, and students here at BC and with our greater global community"

Rowan Mayback

Applications & Technology Specialist

"I am excited to be part of a community that promotes the development of global citizenship and responsibility. My own journey into global citizenship began when I studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea. This experience was transformative for me and cultivated my passion for international higher education. I look forward to working with our BC community to continue fostering global partnerships and facilitating study abroad opportunities for students."

Global Scholars Lecture Series

There will be seven Global Scholars Lectures this spring.

Visit the link to learn more and register for the events.

Happy Lunar New Year!

To celebrate Lunar New Year, the Asian Caucus, Chinese Students Association, Korean Students Association, Taiwanese Cultural Organization, and the Vietnamese Student Association will present New Year’s food from various countries, games, and opportunities to make New Year’s decorations. This event is free and open to the public at the McMullen Museum of Art.

International Higher Education Webinars

Join the Boston College Center for International Higher Education for the first webinar of the semester. This webinar will be held on zoom, 10:00 - 11:00 am EST on Tuesday February 15th. Further details will become available at the link below:

There will also be an in person opportunity to watch the CIHE visiting scholar, Professor Marcelo Knobel, give a talk on February 9, 2022 at 5:00pm EST in Champion Hall Room 139 at the Lynch School of Education. Register and learn more below:

BC Hockey in the Winter Olympics

Boston College senior forward Marc McLaughlin, of North Billerica, MA and junior defenseman Drew Helleson, of Farmington, MN have been selected for the 2022 United States Men's Winter Hockey Olympic Team, becoming the 26th and 27th U.S. Olympians in the program's history.

The 2022 Winter Olympics will also include '16 Alex Carpenter's second Olympic appearance, after competing in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games where she won a silver medal. Carpenter received the 2015 Patty Kazmaier Award while playing for Boston College and has competed on seven International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship teams. 

What I've Learned

Beloved BC librarian and adjunct professor Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah has been spotlighted in an article recently published in the Boston College Magazine .

As the instructional services manager for Boston College Libraries for the past three decades, he’s taught generations of Eagles how to conduct research. He advocates for patience and asking questions. Library resources are an opportunity to find answers to those questions. Sarkodie-Mensah also published studies on how libraries can support international and adult students, served as a court interpreter, and started the Boston College-Ejisu Computer Literacy Camp volunteer program. Read more from this scholar below:

Raising the Bar

Kimberly Addison ’12 and her sister Priscilla celebrate their Ghanaian heritage through a Ghana-based chocolate business, ’57 Chocolate, named for the year Ghana achieved independence from Britain.

“There’s still this stigma, even here in Ghana, that ‘Made in Africa’ goods are of lesser quality,” Addison said. “We want to shift that narrative.”

To learn more, read the Boston College Magazine article here:

Our Dreams Jesuit Film Contest

The International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU), in collaboration with the Jesuit General Curia in Rome, launches the Four Dreams Jesuit Film Contest , an opportunity for students at Jesuit universities globally to enlighten the world with their creativity, skills, and production talents.

Registration for students will close on March 1st, and all films must be submitted by May 1, 2022. Information on submission and themes is available at the link button.

Winning films will be presented to Fr. General Arturo Sosa and the leaders of Jesuit universities on 3 August 2022 at the IAJU General Assembly at Boston College.

From the Pope to a Flat White

The McMullen Museum welcomes Boston College Irish Studies Professors Marjorie Howes, Vera Kreilkamp, and Joseph Nugent to introduce Martin Parr’s Irish photographs that form the core of its current exhibition, Martin Parr: Time and Place.

Join February 28 at 5:30 for this virtual event. More Information:

Rewinding Planet Earth

As part of Environmental Studies’ Rewilding Planet Earth Series, Gopal Patel will be speaking and giving a keynote speech at a panel discussion on February 8th. This event is co-sponsored by the Office of Global Engagement and the Jesuit Institute. 

Gopal D. Patel is a faith-based environmental activist, campaigner and consultant. For more than a decade he has spearheaded the development of environmental initiatives engaging religious communities and leaders in India, East Africa, Europe and North America. Please join us for a panel at 12:00pm, Interfaith perspective s on earth ethics and a talk at 4:30pm, Faith, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Restoration. Event details will become available on the website soon.

Per una finanza più responsabile

This article by Rui Albuquerque, Seidner Family Faculty Fellow and Professor at the Carroll School of Management. Per una finanza più responsabile was recently published by the Vatican Press. Please view it below.

International Assemblies

Boston College is pleased to welcome colleagues and distinguished guests from around the world as it hosts important international assemblies in the summer of 2022. The International Federation of Catholic Universities and the International Association of Jesuit Universities will be on campus this summer as will the International Association of Jesuit Engineering Schools.

Follow our twitter for future opportunities to engage with our partner schools and their events!