UF RANKS 3RD NATIONALLY ON PEACE CORPS’ 2025 TOP VOLUNTEER-PRODUCING SCHOOLS LIST
05/09/25

GAINESVILLE 05/09/2025 – The University of Florida is ranked No. 3 in the top large schools’ category among Peace Corps’ 2025 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list*. There are currently 34 volunteers from the University of Florida serving in 21 countries around the world, including Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Senegal, Thailand, Uganda, and Vanuatu.

“We are incredibly proud to see the University of Florida ranked No. 3 among the nation’s top large schools for Peace Corps volunteer production,” said Marta L. Wayne, Dean of the UF...

President of Ajou University Visits UF to Explore Partnership Opportunities
05/05/25

Dr. Keechoo Choi, President of Ajou University in Suwon, South Korea, visited the University of Florida on Friday, May 2. Ajou University, ranked among the top 15 universities in Korea, is a comprehensive institution known for its strong engineering programs.

During his visit, President Choi met with UFIC leadership to discuss potential collaborations, including the establishment of a general Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and student exchange programs.

UF Professor Interviewed by UNICollaboration about Virtual Exchange on Global Health Technology
05/05/25

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Dr. Ana Maria Porras, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, was recently interviewed by UNICollaboration, a European-based Virtual Exchange network. During this interview, Dr. Porras describes how she developed a virtual exchange program in collaboration with Dr. Daniel Suarez Venegas from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia. Their virtual exchange project, which has already been implemented twice, requires students to identify global health issues in their partners’ country and propose solutions. 

To check out the interview and article for the full story, ...

UF Professor Interviewed on Internationalizing STEM Curricula and Exchange Programs
05/05/25

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Dr. Diba Mani,  Instructional Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, was recently interviewed by UNICollaboration, a European-based Virtual Exchange network. During this interview, Dr. Mani described how she developed a virtual exchange program which centered on connecting students with international researchers to support their professional development. The virtual exchange program required students connect with and interview researchers in Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Canada, UK, Italy.

To check out the interview and article for the full...

Get to Know Us! - Amila Tica
04/28/25

Amila Tica— "Tica, like pizza," she joked—is UFIC’s Coordinator of Exchange Student Services, advising and assisting all inbound international students studying abroad here at UF. Amila is a double Gator, with a B.A. in International Studies and English and an M.Ed. in Student Personnel in Higher Education.

Born in Germany to Bosnian parents, Amila moved to the United States when she was 5 years old. “My family escaped from the war in Bosnia and lived in Germany for 7 years—it’s where my brother and I were born. We came as refugees to Jacksonville in 2000, when our residence in Germany became tenuous.” Growing up in Jacksonville, she always was close to her Bosnian heritage, “...

Ukraine Rebuilding Initiative - A Student-Led Virtual Exchange Project
04/28/25

The Ukraine Rebuilding Initiative (URI) began as a UF student organization in August 2023 with a mission to help rebuild and heal the city of Nizhyn, Ukraine. With projects across a range of academic areas - from engineering to business to agriculture and more - the organization has attracted students of all majors who want to contribute their expertise to this humanitarian cause, some of whom also have personal ties to Ukraine and Russia. This semester, URI has launched a new virtual exchange (VE) initiative as one of its projects, with the goal of supporting dialogue between UF and Nizhyn Gogol State University students and providing a space for them to share about their respective...

UNICollaboration Releases Interview with UF and UAO (Colombia) on COIL and Virtual Exchange Strategies
04/21/25

Now on their third annual virtual exchange (VE) project implementation, Dr. Luis Mejia-Puig, Assistant Professor in the UF Department of Interior Design, and one of his VE partners, Prof. Edgar Martínez, Director of the Industrial Design Program at Universidad Autónoma de Occidente in Colombia, were recently interviewed by UNICollaboration, a European-based VE network. They describe their VE project, which requires students to exchange knowledge on their local communities so they can design building interiors for each other's contexts. 

To check out the interview and article for the full story, ...

Kazakh Delegation Explores UF Expertise in Water and Agricultural Innovation
04/21/25

The UF International Center had the pleasure of hosting four international leaders from Kazakhstan as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) focused on “Water Resource Management.”

During their visit, the delegation met with Dr. Gerrit Hoogenboom and Dr. Vakhtang Shelia to learn about the DSSAT crop modeling system. They also engaged in discussions with Dr. Rafael Muñoz-Carpena from the UF Water Institute, Dr. Gbola Adesogan from the Global Food Systems Institute, and Dr. Nargiza Ludgate from Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

The visitors expressed great interest in UF’s research and expertise, and are enthusiastic...

Global Fellows Program Final Symposium Showcases International Research and Collaboration at UF
04/21/25

The University of Florida International Center (UFIC) Office for Global Research Engagement hosted the Global Fellows Program Final Symposium today at the Reitz Union, bringing together faculty fellows, mentors, and research experts for a dynamic morning of cross-disciplinary dialogue and global research engagement. This culminating event marked the conclusion of the 2025 Global Fellows Program, which aims to build institutional capacity for international research and collaboration.

Themed "Building Capacity for International Research and Collaboration," the symposium featured an innovative format inspired by the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Each of the 17 faculty...

International Scholars Program Graduation Ceremony Celebrates Student Success
04/21/25

On Thursday, the International Scholars Program proudly celebrated 145 Spring graduates at the ePortfolio Showcase and Graduation Ceremony. These graduates had the opportunity to present their ePortfolios, highlighting the remarkable international experiences and diverse skills they’ve gained throughout their time at the University of Florida.

Faculty, staff, and students from all corners of campus came together to celebrate these outstanding students and their accomplishments. The ceremony was...

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