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May 2026
URochester Global Leadership Message
From Discovery to Impact: Research Across Borders
As we conclude the spring semester and the academic year, I find myself reflecting on my first six months as Vice Provost for Global Engagement with a deep sense of appreciation and enthusiasm. It has been a privilege to witness the extraordinary scope and impact of our faculty’s scholarly research across the globe.
Across disciplines, our faculty are forging partnerships, securing competitive funding, and advancing knowledge in ways that resonate far beyond our campus. What has stood out to me most is not only the global reach of this work, but also its tangible impact by shaping local communities, informing national conversations, and contributing to solutions for complex global challenges.
Equally inspiring is the central role our students play in this work. One of the distinctive strengths of our institution is the opportunity for students, including undergraduates, to collaborate directly with faculty on research. These experiences are transformative. By engaging in international and globally informed research, students are not only gaining technical and analytical skills, but also developing the cultural awareness, adaptability, and collaborative mindset needed to address the world’s most pressing issues. By working alongside faculty, they are being prepared as the next generation of global problem solvers.
International research is, at its core, a collaborative endeavor. It reflects a commitment to engaging diverse perspectives, building meaningful partnerships, and translating knowledge into action. In close collaboration with the Vice President for Research, I have been inspired by the ways in which our faculty integrate these principles into their work, whether through long-standing international collaborations, emerging research networks, or innovative, interdisciplinary projects supported by external funding.
Our team in the Office for Global Engagement stands ready to support faculty in developing partnerships and navigating some of the complexities of international research.
As we look ahead, I remain energized by the possibilities for continued collaboration and impact. Thank you for your leadership in research, for your commitment to mentoring our students, and for the global contributions you make every day.
Meliora!
Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, Ph.D
Vice Provost for Global Engagement
Professor, Warner School of Education
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Building a Partnership Beyond Borders: How Collaboration Between the University of Rochester and PUCP Is Advancing Global Impact
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For Benjamin Castaneda, successful international academic partnerships are built the same way as any meaningful relationship: through trust, shared goals, and ongoing collaboration.
Over the years, Castaneda has helped cultivate a growing partnership between the University of Rochester and the La Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), creating opportunities for collaborative research, shared learning, and long-term academic engagement that extends well beyond traditional exchange programs.
At the center of the collaboration is a shared commitment to addressing healthcare challenges through innovation. Castaneda’s research focuses on point-of-care quantitative ultrasound — combining artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and advanced imaging technologies to make ultrasound more accessible to healthcare providers with limited training. The work has had significant impact in rural and underserved regions throughout Peru, including communities in the Amazon rainforest, the Andes Mountains, and remote desert regions where access to specialized healthcare is limited.
But according to Castaneda, the partnership’s success comes not only from the technology itself, but from the collaborative framework supporting it.
“A meaningful collaboration benefits all partners and works both ways,” he explains. “International collaborations are key to truly understanding healthcare problems from a global perspective and proposing solutions together.”
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Student Fellowships Office
Redden Strengthens Global Engagement Through Fulbright Leadership
Belinda Redden, director of the Student Fellowships Office under the leadership of Elaine Sia and Academic Excellence, continues to advance global learning and intercultural exchange through national leadership in the Fulbright Program. In 2024, Redden was selected as one of just 16 Fulbright Program Advisor (FPA) mentors in the nationally competitive FPA Development Initiative administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) for the U.S. Department of State.
Throughout the 2025–26 academic year, Redden mentored newer Fulbright advisors at institutions across New York and Maryland, helping them strengthen Fulbright recruitment and advising practices through one-on-one consultations, virtual meetings, and ongoing support. She also participated in training sessions led by Fulbright program officials at IIE.
In spring 2026, Redden was invited to serve as an expert advisor at the Fulbright Program Advisor Development Initiative in Washington, D.C., where she shared insights from more than two decades of successful Fulbright advising at Rochester. Working with advisors representing institutions nationwide, she offered guidance on topics including campus engagement, recruitment strategies, application development, committee processes, essay review, and celebration practices. She will continue this national leadership role in summer 2026 by leading a virtual training session focused on campus committee interviews.
Redden says her commitment to the Fulbright Program is rooted in a deep belief in intercultural exchange and the transformative value of international experiences. Having studied abroad in France as both an undergraduate and graduate student, she remains passionate about helping students engage meaningfully with communities around the world while supporting colleagues who are building Fulbright cultures on their own campuses.
Correction: In a previous issue, it was not clear Belinda Redden was named a Fulbright Program Advisor mentor.
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International Partnerships and Agreements
Each month, the international partnerships team will highlight a partnership agreement facilitated by the Office for Global Engagement, the Center for Education Abroad, and/or a University of Rochester academic unit. These global partnerships strengthen collaboration, support innovation, and create valuable opportunities for faculty and students.
New Student Mobility Agreement with O.P. Jindal Global University
In May 2025, the University of Rochester signed its first student mobility agreement with an Indian institution, marking a meaningful milestone in the University's engagement with a region of growing strategic importance.
The agreement was formalized with O.P. Jindal Global University following an extended period of relationship-building, including a visit from the Global Engagement team in early Spring 2025. Managed by the Center for Education Abroad, the undergraduate student placement agreement supports the direct enrollment of a minimum of two URochester students at O.P. Jindal Global University each academic year, with the agreement running through 2030.
India has been identified as a priority region for the University of Rochester, driven by a confluence of factors: strong and evolving geopolitical ties between India and the United States, growing student populations and rising educational demand, increased investment in India-U.S. partnerships, and institutional focus on student mobility, pathway programming, and research collaboration. This agreement represents the first formal step in what is expected to be a deepening portfolio of collaborations across the Indian higher education landscape.
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Monthly Observances
Each month, the Office for Global Engagement will highlight holidays observed around the world, fostering greater awareness of celebrations across cultures and communities.
May 1 – Visakha Puja Day (Buddhism)
May 1 – Beltane (Wicca/Paganism)
May 5 – Samhain - (Southern Hemisphere) Wicca/Paganism
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo
May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
May 18 – Victoria Day (Canada)
May 21 – World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
May 21-23 – Shavuot (Jewish)
May 23 – Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)
May 24 – Pentecost (Orthodox Christian)
May 25 – Memorial Day
May 26 – Eid al-Adha (Islamic)
May 29 – Ascension of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)
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Find URochester Global Offices
Staff are available to support students, scholars, faculty, and partners with international education, global programming, immigration services, and study abroad opportunities in the Center for Education Abroad, the International Services Office, and the Office for Global Engagement.
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Stay Connected with URochester Global
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