Students and alumni meet through global network virtual meetings

 Virtual meetings offer global network members the incredible opportunity to meet across international borders and time zones. This February, USF World hosted meetings for all seven networks and welcomed USF students and alumni from countries all around the world.

On Tuesday the 20th, USF Network India kicked-off the series with Naman Sehgal, President of the Students of India Association (SIA) at USF as the featured guest. Alumni joined in from different cities in India to reminisce about their time at the university and offer current Indian students valuable advice. Everyone contributed to the discussion on establishing an annual Network India event on campus in September, to welcome new students and celebrate the Indian community in the Tampa Bay area.

USF Network Brazil featured three special guests: students Clara Rokita Garcia and Julia Saad, current Brazilian students working for the USF newspaper, the Oracle, and Emmanuelle Bordallo, a Brazilian journalist who earned the prestigious opportunity to participate in the Journalism & Democracy Immersion Program as an international scholar at USF in February 2024. Participants identified various ways to connect and collaborate through the network. They shared their contact information to expand exciting plans to build a community of support for Brazilians Bulls in and out of the country.

The Network Saudi Arabia meeting featured alumna Khlood W. Tarabzouni who join in from Mukatafa. As a graduate of the Global Sustainability & Entrepreneurship program, Khlood offered network members an inside look at the growing importance of sustainability in Saudi Arabia, and the Kingdom’s plans for its development. Graduate student Samiah Alrwaily was excited to pose questions and connect with other network members from Saudi Arabia.

At the USF Network Colombia meeting, the two featured guests made an instant professional connection. Sebastian Paez, who works at Promigas, a natural gas transmission company in Latin America that places a high value on sustainability, was happy to connect with Natalia Patino Gonzalez who founded and manages a company in Panama offering businesses products and services to improve sustainability. Beyond a new business opportunity, a mindset that centered around growth and support for others rose from the conversation. There was great emphasis on the potential for partnerships and internships that would increase connections and networking opportunities for all Bulls. Incoming students from UniNorte were especially excited to connect with alumni and current students, in preparation for their move to Tampa.

The following week started with two wonderful virtual meetings for USF Network the UK and USF Network the Caribbean. Special guests Oliver Mason and Jema Hewitt from the UK offered fascinating insight into the worlds of theater, acting, costuming, and creative industry while connecting with fellow bulls from across the region. All were excited to learn that there would be an in-person event in London this June, to welcome over 100 USF students who will be studying in the city this summer.

Later that evening, the virtual meeting for USF Network the Caribbean re-united several alumni who had met in person last year in Jamaica, and welcomed new alumni and students to the conversation. Special guest Breanna Broderick, a graduate student from USF in the Psychology program, shared the student perspective on opportunities for network development. Alumni guests Nicolas Elias and Monique Smith offered valuable advice to current students and shared stories about their professional journeys since graduation.

The final virtual meeting of the series was held by USF Network France on February 27. Alumni in France and French students had the opportunity to meet and share their perspectives on the best ways to further develop the network. All were especially excited to hear about the two annual events on the horizon - one in Paris every summer and one on the Tampa campus in Florida each fall. Students were especially excited about connecting with community partners like the French-American Chamber of Commerce that could help them access internships and employment opportunities with French-owned businesses in Tampa Bay.

The USF Global Networks program has three main objectives:

1. 1. to build community,
   2. to foster international professional development opportunities, and
   3. to support inbound and outbound international mobility through scholarships.

Going forward, the program will aim to hold in-person events in both network countries and in Tampa Bay.

Indeed, common themes in each meeting were the desire for closer ties and the desire for internship opportunities from both the perspective of sourcing talent (alumni-owned companies) and the need to gain professional experience (students). These virtual annual events are a great way for USF students, alumni, and partners to connect. Members expressed an interest in meeting more frequently and through different modes. Going forward, the program will aim to hold in-person events in both network countries and in Tampa Bay. The February virtual meetings all concluded with the desire to see more online meetings offered throughout the year. 

The Global Networks program is proud to foster closer connections with the international community in Tampa Bay and across the globe! See you at the next meeting!