WFU RAISE Center committed to improving global learning experiences
Whether American students are studying abroad or international students are making their way to the United States, successful outcomes depend on the right support and resources. The most effective way to provide those is to first understand what is needed.
As far as is known, WFU’s RAISE Center is the first and only center of its kind in higher education whose mission is to understand and enhance the experiences, engagement and development of abroad and international students.
Similar to a think tank, the RAISE Center oversees funded longitudinal research projects to generate large datasets for collaborators to answer key questions in the field. The RAISE Center also provides expertise on global competency and cultural responsiveness for grant proposals across a range of disciplines. Recent publications include:
Factors associated with depression among international students in the U.S.;
Social support and psychological well-being of international students; and
International undergraduate student psychosocial adjustment at US universities.
The Center is a resource for data and research collaboration and expertise on international and abroad student engagement.
“Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to connect with us and consider joining our diverse research teams supporting the Center’s mission,” said Nelson Brunsting, director of the RAISE Center. “We are in the process of enhancing theory on global competence – the ability to respectfully and effectively interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds – which undergirds our work on abroad and international student engagement. By better understanding interrelations among our intersecting identities, global competency, university context, and engagement across cultures, we can support abroad and international students’ resilience and wellbeing.”
The RAISE Center has several projects underway where faculty, staff and students can share their expertise. These include:
Mapping the Knowledge Base in Study Abroad, in which we are generating a database of research on study abroad to support literature reviews
Project RISE, a multi-wave multi-institutional longitudinal study of international students’ experiences and wellbeing at U.S. universities
Project GEO, a multi-wave longitudinal survey of engagement and global competency development during study abroad.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Center and how to participate in ongoing research collaboration should contact Nelson Brunsting at raisecenter@wfu.edu for information.
Whether American students are studying abroad or international students are making their way to the United States, successful outcomes depend on the right support and resources. The most effective way to provide those is to first understand what is needed.