Fostering international exchange

By Janette Neuwahl Tannen [email protected] 06-08-2026

Staff from universities across the globe visited the University of Miami's Coral Gables Campus for the Office of Study Abroad's first partner day recently.

The event attracted study abroad experts from institutions in Argentina, Scotland, England, Wales, Turkey, Australia, and Italy to meet and chat with University staff about what today's students are looking for in an international experience.

Each year, more than 1,000 University of Miami undergraduate students participate in various study abroad programs, and the University also hosts a sizeable number of exchange students from other institutions across the world. Devika Milner, executive director of Study Abroad, said hosting international students and offering experiences abroad are invaluable ways to help students learn and appreciate the larger world through individual experiences.

"Study abroad and global engagement professionals are often people who make international collaborations real for our students and faculty," added Maryann Tobin, chief of staff for the Office of the Provost, who opened the event with Maria Galli Stampino, dean of undergraduate affairs.

"These partnerships are ultimately about our students, helping them to develop curiosity, adaptability, intercultural understandings, and the confidence to work across borders. We are honored that your students choose to study with us in Miami, and we are grateful for the deep enrichments you provide to our students who study at your campuses abroad, Tobin said."

Stampino echoed her ideas and stressed the importance of international education as a growth opportunity for Hurricanes, as well as for visiting students.

"Our students demand more understanding, more communication, and more connection, and, as an educator, not only is this consistent with my own goals, but thinking about how we're all connected is needed, so I want to thank you for spending time with us today," she said.

Throughout the June 1 event, partners toured the campus and met with professionals who work closely with University of Miami students, including experts from career services, those who work with scholarship recipients, and faculty members who have traveled abroad with the students. This helped partners understand how to attract Hurricanes to their campuses abroad and learn what they can share with their own students.

Soledad Zapiola and Jessica Cohen were visiting from the University of San Andrés in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and explained the chance to visit Coral Gables gave them a more nuanced view of the University, its campus, and its academic offerings, which will be more helpful when speaking with their students about Miami. The two campuses have had an exchange partnership for more than 25 years.

"Meeting people is key for us to understand who is behind building these experiences for our students, and when a university is open and willing to receive our students, it makes a difference," Zapiola said. "It's also interesting for us to understand what UM students are looking for and how we can work with staff and faculty to build more momentum for students to come to Buenos Aires. We would love to send more students to UM, but we also want UM students to come to us in the long run."

During lunchtime roundtables, University Study Abroad staff and campus faculty and staff members learned more about the student populations at partner institutions so they can help exchange students acclimate better to Miami.

Omër Eskici, who was visiting from Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey, said they sent a student to the University of Miami in 2024, but he would like to send more in the future. He thought many of his students would find the research opportunities on campus very appealing and appreciated the chance to attend partner day.

"This was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about this University, and I am looking forward to increasing our inbound and outbound exchange activities," said Eskici, whose university has had a partnership with the Office of Study Abroad since 2009. "Partner days are beneficial because we can learn about a campus and the academic structure at the University, while also meeting colleagues to network with."