Spotlight: U-M Africa Week |
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U-M Africa Week Virtual Conference
February 15-19, 2021
Africa Week will bring together thought leaders in higher education, industry, and government for a series of discussions on the key issues and opportunities that will shape Africa in the coming decades. The conference will consist of various lectures and workshops focused on economics, technology, healthcare, education, reclaiming and repatriating African heritage, STEM collaborations, COVID-19 and more.
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Date: Month of February
Theme Description: Black History Month is celebrated nationally from February 1st - March 1st. Currently, the Office of Multi-Ethnic student affairs (MESA) helps support the student and staff committee. Virtual events will be held throughout the month in support of this year's theme, which intends to refocus and strengthen the path toward equity and justice while reclaiming space for blackness in all its intracacies in a world where proximity to blackness is a metric for coolness.
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Brief Description: Students in the School of Information are researching how travel applications can better support students studying abroad for their senior capstone project. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete and students will be entered to win 1 of 3 $10 Starbucks gift cards for completing it. Responses are due by Wednesday, February 10.
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Date: Thursday, February 11 from 12 - 1 pm EST
Brief Description: Join Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to discuss questions related to health and safety in service. Space will be provided for participants to ask questions anonymously, and time will be allocated to join "break out rooms" to discuss individual concerns if desired.
Disclaimer: This session is intended to provide perspectives from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers about their individual experiences. To find more information related to health and safety, please visit the Peace Corps website.
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Date: Thursday, February 11 from 4 -5 pm EST
Brief Description: International Coffee Hour is a great place for international and U.S. students, scholars, faculty, and staff to virtually socialize with each other and meet new people from around the world. For the February International Coffee Hour, the theme will Valentine's Day and how it is typically celebrated in the U.S., followed by a discussion about healthy relationships facilitated by this month's special guest, SAPAC.
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Date: Various
Brief Description: The International Center's Intercultural Leadership Seminar (ILS) is designed for international and U.S. students who want to learn how to be more effective in a global environment. ILS includes brief lectures, discussion, experiential activities, and small group work. You can attend as many sessions as you are interested in. Each session has a specific and different area of focus:
- Intercultural competence - Friday, February 12, 3 pm - 4:15 pm EST
- Intercultural communication - Friday, March 12, 3 pm - 4:15 pm EST
- Intercultural leadership - Friday, April 9, 3 pm - 4:15 pm EST
A Certificate of Completion will be issued if participants have attended all three sessions. Application deadlines for the sessions vary.
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The English Language Insitute is offering a series of English for academic purposes workshops this winter semester:
- Writing in "Academic Style"- Tuesday, February 16 at 8:30 am
- Poster Presentations: Interacting Fluently with Your Audience- Tuesday, February 23, at 8:30 am EST
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Discussion Date(s): Thursday, February 11 at 12:00 pm EST
Brief Description: In contemporary parlance, the term “Abrahamic religions” serves to indicate the common ground of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The designation of these three religions as “Abrahamic” is used as a shorthand for their supposed common ancestry as well as for their assumed shared religious principles and values. For medieval thinkers in the Islamicate world, however, the Abrahamic model of religion was radically different from the contemporary one. This lecture will try to show, they referred to Abraham either in order to highlight the exclusive veracity of one specific religion, or, at times, to transcend all conventional religiosity.
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Discussion Date(s): Wednesday, February 24 - Sunday, February 28
Brief Description: This black history month, read a story about a Nigerian international student, Ifemelu, as she explores issues related to racism, relationships, and identity. GRIN will provide free copies of the book (while supplies last) and host a virtual discussion.
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Discussion Date(s): Various Dates Available through March 4
Brief Description: In times of heightened tension, division, and expressions of hate, faith, spiritual and secular communities have a vital role to play in being stewards of resilience, collective courage, and creating braver space in the presence of difference. Come join the Interfaith Program for a cozy meal together with Meals of Meaning! Meals of Meaning will provide a virtual space for students to gather and enjoy a warm dinner conversation together (meal provided). Here, you will have the chance to go beneath the surface, lean into vulnerability, and explore the struggles and stories that make up our lives. Sign up for a day/time that works for you!
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Professional Opportunities |
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Brief Description: The Student Community of Progressive Empowerment (SCOPE) is the undocumented students organization on campus and this semester they are piloting a mentorship program. Graduate students who identify as undocumented or DACAmented can apply to be mentees and/or mentors. Folks who consider themselves allies can support undergraduate students who identify as undocumented or DACAmented. The goal of the program is to build a close-knit community among students and community members in a personal and professional sense. Mentor and mentee pairing will be prioritized based on majors and future career plans. The tentative time commitment is 60 minutes a month with your student or mentor: two 30 minute meetings or one hour meeting per month.
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Application Deadline: Wednesday, February 10 at 11:59 pm EST
Course Dates: May 10-28, 2021 (twice daily on Mon, Tue, and Thurs from 10-11:30 am and 1-2:30 pm)
Project Engagement Dates: June 2 - July 30, 2021
Brief Description: The Global Information Engagement Program (GIEP) partners global and domestic non-profit organizations with teams of interdisciplinary graduate students from the University of Michigan to tackle an information challenge. In GIEP, student teams apply culturally responsive design thinking methods to leverage appropriate technology and information management skills and tools, addressing a contemporary social concern. The GIEP program will be facilitated virtually due to COVID-19 concerns. Because there will no longer be travel-related expenses (typically fully funded), all participants will receive a $5,000 stipend.
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Deadline: Rolling
Brief Description: This fund is intended to help departments and student organizations recognize the diversity of the international student population through special events and programming. We are looking to fund creative and collaborative programming that will address the following goals:
- To elevate the voices of the international student population at the University of Michigan.
- To provide programming to support international students.
- To hold events or offer initiatives of particular interest to the international student population, at large or subsets of it (cultural, vocational, etc).
The application process is currently rolling. Departments and organizations are encouraged to apply at least 14 days in advance of their planned event.
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Please contact the SSW Office of Student Services (ssw.finaid@umich.edu) if you are in financial hardship due to COVID-19. OSS staff will assist you to find funding to support you.
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If you are facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 or any other unforeseen situation, the Dean of Students Office stands ready to assist you. Students must contact the Dean of Students Office by phone (734-764-7420) or email (deanofstudents@umich.edu).
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CEW+ is able to offer small emergency grants to current U-M Ann Arbor graduate students. These grants are for unexpected financial emergencies that threaten to derail degree progress including funding issues that are a result of COVID-19.
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"This document was initially directed at ways for how to turn fieldwork that was initially planned as using face-to-face methods into a more ‘hands-off’ mode. However, people have added useful material about ‘born digital’ research (content already generated on the internet by online interactions), which provides an alternative source of social research materials if researchers decide to go down that path."
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This three session video workshop will focus on understanding anxiety, learning strategies to manage anxiety, and developing a plan to apply the strategies on a daily basis wherever you are during the Pandemic. |
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SSW has listed resources and information on this web page related to tuition costs, financial aid, employment, health insurance and general questions and support. |
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Global Impact: News Story of the Week |
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*All news stories presented are likely to include bias. Please be aware of this as you read the article. If interested, we encourage you to read further about the topic at your own discretion. |
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Bryce Baschuk
"The incoming chief of the World Trade Organization has a reputation for shaking up the guardians of wealth and power that will come in handy in her new role.
During Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s effort to root out corruption during her first stint as Nigeria’s finance minister, opponents of her plans nicknamed her “Okonjo Wahala” — “Okonjo the trouble maker.”
The 66-year-old development economist embraces the moniker and true to form, trouble was what Okonjo-Iweala withstood campaigning for the WTO job. Finding herself on the wrong side of the Trump administration, her lack of trade-negotiating experience made her the target of a unilateral U.S. veto despite the endorsement of the organization’s selection committee and almost all other member nations.
Now, with President Joe Biden’s administration’s blessing after the only other candidate withdrew, Okonjo-Iweala is poised to become the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO in its 25-year history. She will also be the first American citizen to hold the organization’s top job..."
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Email ssw.oga@umich.edu if you have any questions.
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