As part of the award, recipients collaborate with counterparts across the Atlantic to co-create a virtual exchange and collaborative online international learning course that addresses one of four key global challenges: climate change, inequality, polarization and division, or racial justice.  

Working in collaboration with Professor Julia Paxton, from Ohio University (USA), and her “Economics of Poverty” course, Professor McGowan will delve into and explore issues around inequality to enhance his course “Incorrigibly Plural”, which is part of the Liberal Arts degree at Queen’s.  

Speaking about the award, Professor McGowan said: “This Fulbright Global Challenge Teaching Award is excellent recognition for Queen’s, for our Liberal arts degree in particular, and for all the colleagues across the University working to enhance our international profile. It supports the core ethos behind what we offer in Liberal Arts here at Queen’s, to engage our students with real world issues that they, when they graduate, will be tasked with solving. And it expands our work with North American partners in the delivery of world-leading educational opportunities.” 

Maria Balinska, Executive Director of the US-UK Fulbright Commission added: “The Fulbright Global Challenges Teaching Awards are the Commission’s flagship initiative because they’re about democratising global learning and developing new inclusive ways of supporting international education exchange. We are tremendously excited to be enabling connections between classrooms in Northern Ireland and Ohio; the Midlands and South Carolina; Scotland and Massachusetts and the North of England and Georgia. We cannot wait to see what transatlantic collaborations come about as a result.” 

For more information, please visit: https://fulbright.org.uk/our-programmes/fulbright-scholarships-to-the-usa/uk-scholars/global-challenges-teaching-award/  

Media

Media enquiries to Zara McBrearty on email: z.mcbrearty@qub.ac.uk