Teachers College, Columbia University, has reaffirmed its historic commitment to global education with the launch of several new faculty-led study abroad programs in countries including Costa Rica, Morocco, China, Brazil, France, and Italy. To celebrate, the Office of Global Engagement (OGE) hosted the college’s first-ever International Film Festival under the theme “Learning to Heal: The Role of Education in Conflict and Reconciliation.”
The event featured student-produced films from the College’s inaugural visit to China, live music, a networking reception, and formal presentations of the new credit-bearing study abroad programs.
“The launch of graduate-level international study programs marks a historic milestone for Teachers College,” said Amine Mechaal, Director of Global Affairs. “Graduate students often face barriers to studying abroad—including heavy academic loads, professional responsibilities, and limited financial aid. Our new short-term, credit-bearing, faculty-led programs are specifically designed to address these challenges while offering meaningful global experiences that align with students’ academic and career goals. This is about more than crossing borders—it’s about expanding worldviews.”
As part of the College’s commitment to student success, these new programs aim to equip students to become globally engaged professionals capable of addressing complex international challenges. “These courses help students contribute meaningfully to the public good,” said KerryAnn O’Meara, Provost, Dean, and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The event also served as a fundraiser for OGE’s International Study Travel Grant program.
To showcase the impact of global experiences, six students who participated in TC’s inaugural study abroad program in San Juan, Costa Rica—led by Associate Professor of International and Comparative Education S. Garnet Russell—shared short films documenting their experiences.
The nine-day program explored the relationship between education, conflict, and peacebuilding. In addition to cultural immersion, students attended lectures from faculty at the University for Peace (UPEACE), a UN-established institution focused on peace education, and visited local organizations like Fundacion Sifais, which offers educational programs to underserved communities.
“I came to TC seeking to deepen my understanding of peace and education,” said Vince Upang Moua, a student in Education Policy and Social Analysis, whose short film won the festival’s top prize. “I chose this study abroad program to help create pathways to academic and economic freedom for those who rarely see themselves as agents of change.”
The new programs provide opportunities for TC students to collaborate with faculty and international partners to conduct academic work in diverse cultural settings. For college leadership, facilitating global engagement during graduate studies is seen as vital to students’ growth beyond the walls of 120th Street.
“Behind every program we launch is a student who gains insight, humility, and a renewed sense of purpose,” said Portia Williams, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Global Affairs. “These student-made films aren’t just travel logs—they are windows into transformative experiences and powerful reminders of why we do this work.”
To recognize student efforts and storytelling, prizes and cash awards were given based on selections from a panel of judges, which included Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Tom Rock, Charles Lang, Executive Director at the Digital Futures Institute, and Joy Rockwell, Executive Director of Joy Worldwide, a nonprofit that provides study abroad opportunities and scholarships for Black college students. Attendees also voted for an audience favorite award.
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