The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Global Gateway Initiative has been offering students one-of-a-kind study abroad opportunities for over a decade.
Since its start in China in 2014, the faculty-led program has expanded to multiple locations, including Brazil, India, Botswana, Ghana, Singapore, and Washington, D.C. Faculty rotate regularly, designing courses that reflect their academic expertise and the host location. Topics have ranged from politics and textiles to sustainability and the arts. This summer’s faculty leaders were Professor Mary Hark, Ghana; Interim Provost John Zumbrunnen, Singapore; and Political Science Director of Undergraduate Studies Amy Gangl, Singapore and Washington, D.C.
The program serves primarily first- and second-year undergraduates, many of whom are first-time travelers and first-generation college students. In addition to coursework, participants complete blogs, reflections, and outreach activities that connect their experiences back to campus.
With support from the Office of Student and Financial Aid, the program reduces financial barriers, covering tuition, program fees, and airfare for three-week summer courses abroad. Additionally, students benefit from participating in the global experience alongside a cohort of peers overseen by a faculty leader.
“The Global Gateway Initiative has been pivotal in our efforts to ensure study abroad and study away programs are accessible to students across all majors,” said International Division Assistant Dean Dan Gold. “The unique model of a faculty-led cohort provides rich experiences that further personal and professional growth.”
Camou explores sustainability in Singapore
For UW–Madison student Lazlo Camou x’28, the Global Gateway Singapore program was both eye-opening and inspiring. A biochemistry major from Platteville, Wisconsin, Camou joined the program to explore sustainability and urban development in one of the world’s most forward-looking cities.
“In Singapore, they’ve done a lot to integrate nature into their urban planning as they’ve continued to grow and expand,” Camou said. “We got a chance to kind of look at how they approached the issues that we face today regarding the environment and sustainability.”
Camou and fellow students examined how the city-state of Singapore balances rapid growth with a sustainable mindset, touring sites such as Gardens by the Bay, where massive glass domes house ecosystems from around the globe.
Camou also valued traveling with faculty leaders.
“Professor Zumbrunnen and Director Gangl were really great sources of information and insight, especially when it came to approaching things that even they hadn’t encountered yet,” Camou said. “It was really cool to have them there to help guide the thought process on the politics and history of Singapore.”
Reflecting on the program, Camou emphasized both the personal and collective benefits.
“I loved my cohort,” he said. “It was an amazing experience, and I hope more students get the chance to participate.”
Zumbrunnen leads global explorations of politics, history, and ecology
John Zumbrunnen is no stranger to leading education abroad. A political scientist, he has led 11 short-term study abroad and study away programs in locations including Ireland, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. His courses often focus on the intersections of politics, history, and ecology, encouraging students to question official narratives while engaging thoughtfully with local perspectives.
This summer, he, along with Gangl, led Badgers to Singapore to examine sustainable living and urban planning in the context of Singapore’s rapid development and colonial history. The Singapore program combined classroom learning with afternoon site visits, such as tours of innovative public housing developments and water treatment facilities. Students were challenged to reflect critically—balancing appreciation for local achievements with deeper questions about governance, sustainability, and identity.
“My goal is to help students develop critical thinking coupled with generosity of spirit,” Zumbrunnen said. “I want them to learn to engage with the world and with global issues throughout their lives. And as they do so, I want them to balance the simple pleasure that comes from experiencing new places and interacting with new people with the ability to ask the deeper questions that help us understand somewhere unfamiliar.”
For Zumbrunnen, leading these programs also offers a unique chance to stay connected with students. “I come away with real and lasting relationships, and that helps me understand today’s students better. That is immensely valuable,” he said.
Faculty leaders also benefit from the professional challenge of adapting their expertise to new contexts.
“I’m drawn in by the pedagogical challenge of creating and leading a program like this,” Zumbrunnen said. “I have a set of enduring questions and themes that I am interested in. How do I curate a three-week experience for students that gets them engaged with those questions and those themes? As an educator, I love that challenge.”
Nnamuchi weaves together culture, fashion, and sustainability in Ghana
Curiosity about the intersections of health, culture, and sustainability led Adaobi Nnamuchi x’27, a global health (honors) major on the pre-medical track, to Global Gateway in Ghana.
Nnamuchi, a sophomore from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, joined the program to study cloth and culture. For someone with a long-standing love of fashion, it was the perfect entry point into understanding how culture intersects with health, tradition, and identity.
“This program offered a unique and deeper cultural immersion that I hadn’t experienced before, especially through the lens of cloth, culture, and sustainability in Ghana,” she said.
One of the most powerful moments came during a visit to Kantamanto Market in Accra.
“As someone who once believed that cleaning out my closet and donating clothes was always an act of service, I was challenged to rethink everything I thought I knew about sustainability and fashion,” Nnamuchi said. “Seeing the massive secondhand clothing economy up close, and the environmental and human cost behind it, was unforgettable.”
The experience left her with a lasting perspective on the urgency of sustainability.
“I’ve come to understand sustainability not as a distant, theoretical goal, but as something deeply personal and urgent,” she said. “The way we consume, and discard, clothing has real consequences.”
The experience was led by Design Studies Professor Mary Hark. Nnamuchi praised Hark not only for her academic expertise but also for having a profound cultural and emotional connection to Ghana, which made for a deeper, more meaningful experience.
“They helped us see layers of beauty, history, and resilience that we might have otherwise missed,” Nnamuchi said. “Their insight allowed us to engage with the country not just as students, but as thoughtful, respectful guests.”
Gilboa examines the psychology of political polarization in D.C.
Henry Gilboa x’26, a psychology major from Appleton, Wisconsin, discovered some of the most meaningful moments during Global Gateway in Washington D.C. weren’t found in lectures or at national institutions, but in discussions among peers.
Gilboa has carefully observed the impact of political polarization in friends and family, leading him to seek insight into various ideologies across the political spectrum. He found the same mix of “passion and insight” in discussions with program peers.
“Leading discussions with a true willingness to hear opposing viewpoints opened doors to my favorite conversations of the program,” he said.
The experience also confirmed an academic path. Through readings and debates in Washington, D.C., Gilboa found inspiration in the research questions he will pursue during his future doctoral studies.
“My program experience bolstered my interest in pursuing social science,” he said. “Reading social science literature motivates me to pursue something similar in my academic journey.”
Like other Global Gateway participants, Gilboa noted that the guidance he and his peers received from faculty leader Amy Gangl added further depth. With program goals that included fostering cross-cultural empathy and open dialogue across contentious topics, Gilboa said that Gangl modeled the qualities—wisdom, humility, patience, and curiosity—that helped students reach those aims.
“The experience was not simply enhanced by the sole presence of a faculty leader, but one who truly leads students to the program’s objectives,” Gilboa said.
Where will studying abroad take you?
In 2026, Global Gateway will expand from three to five program sites, including Chile, Ghana, Estonia, South Korea, and Washington, D.C. Students can find more information on Global Gateway programs planned for summer 2026, as well as details on Global Gateway Fellowships, on the Global Gateway Initiative webpage (summer 2026 programs expected to be added in October 2025). The page also includes more participant reflections on summer 2025 programs.
Additionally, the entire campus community is invited to explore study abroad, study away, and international internship programs at the annual Study Abroad Fair on September 30, 2025.
Story by Steve Barcus