Emira Ibrahimpasic, assistant professor of practice in the School of Global Integrative Studies, and Kate Kunzman, coordinator of the univerity's Education Abroad program, earned the 2021 Award for Excellence in Education Abroad Curriculum Design from The Forum on Education Abroad for "Negotiating Peace: From Conflict to Coexistence."
The award honors faculty who develop and implement innovative and effective education abroad curricula. It is the education abroad field's only award presented to an individual or group of individuals for excellence in the design of an education abroad course.
Ibrahimpasic and Kunzman drew on their experiences developing faculty-led programs and resources and best practices from The Forum, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and School for International Training (SIT) to create a virtual summer course designed to keep students connected with the world while travel was paused due to COVID-19. The session began by grounding students in an understanding of colonialism, native lands, and historical conflicts in the United States before moving on to understanding modern-day conflicts in Syria and Ireland through guest lectures from individuals with real-world experience in conflict negotiation and individuals affected by the conflicts studied.
