Networking NetworkingBeginning this semester, all that is set to change, with the launch of Global U, a new initiative on NYU's website at www.nyu.edu/global. Bob Berne has encouraged the development of the project, which he summarizes as a one-stop shop for information about everything international at NYU. "For the first time, members of the NYU community will be able to access information about all of NYU's international activities in one place. This project fits in very well with President L. Jay Oliva's aim for a global university. Both the President and I feel that Global U provides opportunities for a significant broadening of our horizons here at NYU.
Global U can be accessed by all members of the NYU community -- students, faculty, and staff. The website lists all the international programs, activities and resources at the university, providing
links to over 20 academic programs which have an international focus, as well as to the variety of
international houses and institutes which proliferate around our campus. In addition, it lists NYU's
Study Abroad programs, providing links to the relevant schools. It also provides a link to the Office
of International Students and Scholars, and contains lists of student clubs and organizations of
international interest.
Global U features the University's first online international calendar, listing all the internationally focused events taking place at NYU every day. Visitors will find out about a wide variety of events, from a discussion of German film or a lecture on Arab-Israeli relations, to a Chinese instrumental music concert or an Irish dancing class. All types of events will be featured, the only requirement being that their focus be in some way international.
Global U will also provide the gateway to a number of e-mail discussion groups, known as listservs, on international topics. These discussions may cover any international subject, and members can be either experts or newcomers to the field. In list discussions, subscribers exchange e-mail relating to the topic of interest. The benefits of this kind of discussion are many, particularly as more and more people use e-mail as a means of communication.
Through a good listserv discussion, participants can find out about relevant published materials on a subject, be alerted to upcoming events at the university and around the city, or simply make contact with other people who have similar interests. Faculty members can benefit by using lists as discussion forums for their students; student clubs may use them to pass on information to members; new foreign students can ease their loneliness by meeting others of their nationality online. The benefits are there for all to enjoy, and all you need is an e-mail account and a willingness to engage in conversation.
Global U will be online by the beginning of this semester, at www.nyu.edu/global. In order to inform people about this service, information about Global U will be disseminated to students getting their online residence hall connections through ResNet. It will also be available to all those applying for new ACF accounts. New students and faculty will learn about it at their orientation sessions, and cards and posters will be placed around the university.
Vice President Berne wants to emphasize, however, the importance of word-of-mouth in generating
interest in Global U. "This is an exciting initiative -- it's really the first of its kind here at
NYU," said Berne. "We feel that it is a service which will have huge benefits to all members of the
community, whether those benefits are academic or simply social. But it depends on the users. So tell
your friends, give them the URL. The potential is unlimited!"
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Posted January 20, 1998
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