CGE transforms campus
Center for Global Engagement prepares for upcoming Global Focus Week
International — Campus serves students from across the globe. Photo credit: Leah Seavers
Seeking to “foster a global perspective within the Liberty community,” the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) will host Global Focus Week Sept. 7 -11, according to the CGE website.
Featuring an international chocolate tasting, a world music festival and more, the CGE seeks to help Liberty students of all backgrounds and goals reach the world, according to Jonny Williams, coordinator of special projects at the CGE.
The CGE is enthusiastic about the improvements and new events at this year’s Global Focus Week.
“We are really excited for … an event called Global Talks,” Williams said. “(These will be) a series of talks similar to TED talks … given on global subjects by experts.”
According to Williams, those presenting at Global Talks include professor Doug Miller from the cinematic arts department, history and geography professor Dr. Robert Ritchie IV and John Miller, a representative for the environmental mission initiative Eden Vigil.
Williams also said that there would be an event Tuesday evening called secret church, but information about the event is not being disclosed at this time.
Williams said the goal of Global Focus Week is “to introduce the student body to the concept … that they can use their skills and degrees on the global platform.”
Additionally, Global Focus Week serves to expose Liberty students to other cultures and international career fields.
“We have Global Focus Week to increase awareness of global issues, organizations and just encourage the idea of other cultures,” Williams said.
The CGE staff selects the ministries and organizations that present at Global Focus Week, ensuring that the organizations correlate with Liberty’s “vision, values and doctrine,” according to the CGE website.
“We try to choose organizations that we have a relationship with and that offer opportunities for our student body,” Williams said.
Global Focus Week unites the student body and encourages students to think on a global level.
“We don’t live in a self-contained environment anymore,” Williams said. “All the cultures of the world are here. You don’t have to go get on a plane and fly to India to meet somebody from India. It could be your co-worker. It could be the person that lives down the street or your classmate.”
In addition to Global Focus Week, the CGE provides internships and retreats to prepare Liberty students for cross-cultural work around the world. To learn more, visit liberty.edu/academics/globalengagement.
STEPTOE is a news reporter.