Global Lehigh

20/10/2026

When Lehigh University student Avneet Kaur arrived in Santiago, Chile, for an international internship in the summer of 2025, she spoke little Spanish. Her host mother, Mari, spoke almost no English.

Kaur initially believed speaking the same language was essential to getting to know someone and forming a meaningful relationship. But over the next two months, she discovered just how wrong that assumption was.

What developed was a loving bond that Kaur said changed her understanding of human connection. She captured the experience in a short film, Llorona (Crybaby), which has been selected as one of four finalists in the 2026 IES Abroad Film Festival.

VOTE NOW! Voting is open through Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 1 p.m. EST.

"I don't think there's an English word that captures the kind of bond and connection that I feel with Mari," Kaur said. "She made me feel understood and cared for even before I had the words to tell her."

Visit here to see the film and learn how to vote: https://global.lehigh.edu/news/lehigh-university-avneet-kaur-student-film-llorona-crybaby

28/09/2026

Lehigh University has been named co-chair of a United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) hub focused on advancing global partnerships for sustainable development, placing the university in a leadership role within a network of more than 1,900 higher education institutions worldwide.

The appointment expands Lehigh’s longstanding engagement with the United Nations and provides new opportunities to bring the university’s research, educational programs, and international partnerships to a global audience.

“The role will immediately raise Lehigh to a leadership capacity within this worldwide academic association and enable us to spotlight our research and programmatic initiatives at the UN and far beyond,” said Bill Hunter, Director of the Lehigh University/United Nations (LU/UN) Partnership.

Read more at our Global Lehigh story here: https://global.lehigh.edu/news/lehigh-university-united-nations-global-partnership-hub-sustainable-development-goal-sdg-17

16/09/2026

Many Lehigh University students explored various study abroad opportunities offered at the annual Go Abroad Fair on Sept. 3.

Sam Tighe ‘28 marveled at how many opportunities Lehigh offers to study abroad, and how many fellow students she knows who have taken advantage of those programs.

“I know so many people here who have studied abroad at least once,” said Tighe, a pre-med student from New York who said she would love the chance to study in Ireland. “It’s great that Lehigh offers so many of these opportunities.”

Hundreds of students attended the annual fair held on Lehigh’s Alumni Memorial Walkway. The fair allows Lehigh students to learn about opportunities to study, intern, and conduct research through programs across the globe.

Read more at our Global Lehigh story here: https://global.lehigh.edu/news/lehigh-university-go-abroad-fair-2026-story

10/09/2026

For Hans Kuder, a trip to India that began with a weeklong spring experience quickly became something more.

Kuderl is a member of Lehigh University's Class of 2028 studying bioengineering on the biopharmaceutical track. He returned to India this summer to conduct research at Ashoka University through Lehigh’s Iacocca International Internship Program (IIIP).

This time, he spent his summer working with an environmental science lab to develop a device that utilizes machine learning to detect elephant vocalizations. The goal is to create a low-cost warning system that can help reduce human-elephant conflict in rural communities.

“I immediately knew I had to go [to India] again,” Kuder said. “I felt one week in India wasn’t enough to truly immerse myself in the culture.”

Read more at our Global Lehigh story here: https://global.lehigh.edu/news/lehigh-university-hans-kuder-engineering-elephant-conflict

08/09/2026

Lehigh University's Fellowship Advising services, which helps students identify and pursue nationally and internationally competitive scholarships and fellowships, will become part of the Lee Iacocca Institute for Global Leadership effective Sept. 1.

The integration brings together two areas of the university with complementary missions focused on helping students pursue transformative opportunities and develop as leaders.

“This transition will not change fellowship advising at Lehigh or its commitment to supporting Lehigh students,” said Leah Mason, Executive Director of the Lee Iacocca Institute. “Students will continue to receive the same individualized advising and have access to the same fellowship opportunities and resources.”

Read more at our Global Lehigh story here:

Lehigh University is integrating Fellowship Advising into the Lee Iacocca Institute for Global Leadership to strengthen connections among competitive fellowships, leadership development, experiential learning and global opportunities for students.

03/09/2026

Artificial intelligence is neither a guaranteed utopia nor an inevitable apocalypse, and we should stop treating it like one, according to Amandeep Gill, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies.

Gill, who leads tech innovations for the U.N., discussed the future of AI during a presentation for more than 150 attendees at Lehigh University on Sept. 2. As the U.N.’s chief tech envoy, he spearheads global AI governance, digital cooperation, and the implementation of the U.N.’s Global Digital Compact.

Gill rejected the idea that technology alone will determine AI’s future, arguing that people still have control over how it develops. As technological power becomes concentrated among fewer private companies and infrastructure limits emerge, Gill urged policymakers, educators, and students to take an active role in shaping AI before it causes serious harm.

“There are no dystopias or utopias either,” Gill said. “This is one of the traps to be avoided today, and some people actually would like us to fall into one of these traps, so we fear losing agency or can be sold a dream. Between the hype and the horror, there is a wise path, and that's what we should be looking at.”

Read more at our Global Lehigh story here: https://global.lehigh.edu/news/lehigh-university-artificial-intelligence-ai-united-nations-amandeep-gill

28/08/2026

PLEASE NOTE: This event location has been changed to Whitaker Laboratory room 303 to accommodate the expected attendance. See you there!

Amandeep Gill, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, will visit Lehigh University next week for a presentation about artificial intelligence.

Under-Secretary-General Gill's presentation will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at UC 375. It is titled "What Kind of Education and Infrastructure Do We Need to Realize AI's Promise?"

“We are honored to welcome Amandeep Gill to Lehigh to share his expertise and perspective on one of the most important issues shaping our world today: the future of artificial intelligence,” said Bill Hunter, Director of the Lehigh University/United Nations (LU/UN) Partnership.

Under-Secretary-General Gill will be interviewed by Provost Nathan Urban. This event is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the LU/UN Partnership. Attendance is free to the Lehigh community.

PLEASE NOTE: This event location has been changed to Whitaker Laboratory room 303 to accommodate the expected attendance.

Read more at our Global Lehigh story here: https://global.lehigh.edu/news/lehigh-university-amandeep-gill-united-nations-under-secretary-general-event-announcement

26/08/2026

Amandeep Gill, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, will visit Lehigh University next week for a presentation about artificial intelligence.

Under-Secretary-General Gill's presentation will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at UC 375. It is titled "What Kind of Education and Infrastructure Do We Need to Realize AI's Promise?"

“We are honored to welcome Amandeep Gill to Lehigh to share his expertise and perspective on one of the most important issues shaping our world today: the future of artificial intelligence,” said Bill Hunter, Director of the Lehigh University/United Nations (LU/UN) Partnership.

Under-Secretary-General Gill will be interviewed by Provost Nathan Urban. This event is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the LU/UN Partnership. Attendance is free to the Lehigh community.

PLEASE NOTE: This event location has been changed to Whitaker Laboratory room 303 to accommodate the expected attendance.

Read more at our Global Lehigh story here: https://global.lehigh.edu/news/lehigh-university-amandeep-gill-united-nations-under-secretary-general-event-announcement

24/08/2026

In response to the federal Duration of Status rule change, Lehigh University's Office of International Affairs (OIA) has invited two lawyers from Green and Spiegel, LLC to host a hybrid town hall for international students and scholars and their families.

This is an important informational discussion regarding changes to immigration policy for students with F and J visas. During this session, the immigration lawyers will explain the Duration of Status rule and what is currently known about its implementation, provide their perspective on its implications for Lehigh’s international community, and address participant questions.

The session is intended to provide general information about the rule and its implementation and should not be considered individual legal advice. This event will be held on Tuesday, September 1, in a hybrid format, with the option to attend either in person in or virtually.

PLEASE NOTE: This event location has been changed to Whitaker Laboratory room 303 to accommodate the expected attendance.

In-person attendance is limited, so please register using the appropriate link below:

In-Person Registration: https://forms.gle/j4RgfbwsGVVojADLA
Virtual Registration: https://lehigh.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kZpFnKECTCOO54g3VMBcjA

24/08/2026

Stepping into the classroom as a Teaching Assistant isn't about delivering a conference paper or giving a high-level academic lecture. It's about bridging the gap between complex course material and undergraduate success.

In the Aug. 25 workshop "Facilitating the TA-Student Relationship: Communicative Roles," designed for prospective and incoming TAs, you will discover your role as a "disciplinary ambassador" who translates complex ideas, sparks enthusiasm, and guides students through their academic journey.

The workshop will be hosted by the International Center For Academic and Professional English (ICAPE). Learn more or register here: https://global.lehigh.edu/icape/workshops