Latest news with #MinervaUniversity
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Can elite universities remain global?
One reason the schools have arguably been caught off guard is less so: They have misread the nation. Advertisement Large and influential swaths of America The globalization of America's universities began decades ago. When Richard Levin assumed the presidency of Yale in 1993, in his inaugural address he stated that 'as we enter the 21st century, we must aspire to educate leaders for the whole world. … We must focus even more on global issues … if we are to be a world university.' For Levin, the mission was clear. In the early 18th century, Yale's mandate was to educate leaders and citizens for the region. 'By the mid-nineteenth century, our compass had become the whole nation,' he said. Now the work would be global. And Yale was far from alone in such ambitions. Advertisement From the establishment of campuses overseas to the creation of research centers and collaborations worldwide and the embrace of international students, many universities have changed dramatically in the years since Levin made those remarks. Today, For years, this embrace of international students was largely seen as in accord with the national interest. Despite pockets of protests, globalization on campus was treated as inevitable — and desirable — in many quarters. Meanwhile, the federal government maintained expansive investment in these universities — to the tune of The assumptions driving the internationalization of America's universities, however, have now changed. Many people no longer believe globalization is good for America. That change is most obvious in the MAGA movement. But the anti-Israel protests tinged with anti-American, anti-Western, and anti-capitalist messages that some international students have helped lead have alienated other Americans as well. Advertisement As a result, many universities have been caught out over their skis. Some now see a heavy international student presence less as a virtue and more as something suspect when it comes to university leaders' motives and wisdom. On university campuses, many faculty would undoubtedly disagree and argue that globalization is still a positive force for America. But with seats scarce at exclusive universities, filling them with international students is seen through a zero-sum lens. Universities may now face a decision. Do they want internationalization or federal support? Both may no longer be an option. The compact between universities and the federal government can only continue if the work of the university is seen as being in lockstep with the national interest. This isn't to say this is the end of global universities. Or of research universities. Minerva University, where I serve on the board of trustees, is unabashedly global. Eighty-five percent of students hail from countries other than the United States. All students live outside the United States for three of their four years. But Minerva doesn't take any federal money, nor is its model built around research. On the other hand, the Highly selective universities may choose to fight to retain federal support and remain global in the hopes that they can weather the next few years. Advertisement But with alternative models and the ascendance of skepticism around the merits of globalization, it seems less clear if this will be a viable strategy.
New Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Writing His Own Chapters: Manu Jayamohan's Journey Through Storytelling
It's the little moments that make life big — a truth that performer and filmmaker Manu Jayamohan beautifully illustrated during his stand-up storytelling show The Smartest Person in the Room, at Aaromale - Cafe and Creative Community in Film Nagar. Amid the warm lighting of the studio hall, Manu took the audience through the story of his life, setting the agenda with three simple yet profound questions — 'Why storytelling? Why do I believe in magic? And why am I here?' Although he was an NRI kid, Manu's parents made sure he stayed rooted in his culture. He grew up watching icons like Shah Rukh Khan and Mammootty, and it wasn't until he moved back to Kerala that he fully understood the deep impact cinema had on him. In 2023, this connection came full circle when he worked on Aakasham, an independent music video. The project became a turning point — a redefinition of who Manu Jayamohan was and could be. He shared candid anecdotes from his school and university days, describing several experiences as 'a slap to the face' for the class-topping student that he once was. With refreshing honesty and humour, he laughed at his younger self, acknowledged his mistakes, and embraced his journey. The audience listened closely as he recounted playing the role of Pootham in an annual day performance of the Malayalam poem Poothappattu, his battle with depression, his transformative years at Minerva University, and the powerful lesson that he didn't need to be the best person in the room to matter.
Malaysian Reserve
24-04-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Minerva University Appoints Dollie Davis as Executive Vice President of Global Learning and Academic Operations
SAN FRANCISCO, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Minerva University president Mike Magee announced today that Dean of Faculty Dollie Davis, Ph.D., has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Global Learning and Academic Operations. 'For nearly a decade, Dollie Davis has been a driving force for student-centered innovation at Minerva University. This new role increases Dollie's responsibilities over our global operation, ensuring that we maximize learning opportunities for our students in culturally and economically vibrant cities around the world.' As Dean of Faculty at Minerva University, Davis has led faculty development and all hiring, onboarding, training, and staffing. She also leads numerous cross-team initiatives and committees, shaping the educational landscape at Minerva. She is active in research on innovative pedagogy as well as in her field of development economics often presenting at conferences focused on innovative learning, generative AI in higher education and plurality in the field of economics. In her new role Davis will oversee organizational development, global rotation learning experiences, student life, academic operations, instructional technology and new program implementation. She will work closely with incoming Provost Patrice McMahon who will oversee degree programs, faculty development, academic resources and infrastructure, external academic relations, accreditation, and new program development. 'Dollie understands Minerva University's foundational commitment to exceptional teaching and learning as well as anyone,' said Diane Tavenner, Chair of the Board of Trustees. 'Her new role helps ensure that both continuity of mission and cutting edge innovation remain hallmarks of what we do.' Prior to her Dean role, Dean Davis taught economics and finance at Minerva University and prior to joining Minerva, she worked as an International Visiting Fellow at a think tank in Taipei, Taiwan. She has also taught in the school of International Relations at the University of Southern California where she earned a Ph.D. in Political Economy. About Minerva University: Minerva University, headquartered in San Francisco, California, is committed to providing a transformative educational experience, allowing the brightest and most motivated students from around the world to become leaders, critical thinkers, and global citizens. Ranked #1 for three consecutive years in the World University Rankings for Innovation, Minerva offers a reinvented interdisciplinary curriculum, a cutting-edge seminar model paired with project-based, experiential learning, and an immersive global experience in several cities around the world. For media inquiries, contact: Minerva University pr@
Associated Press
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Minerva University Names Patrice McMahon as New Provost
SAN FRANCISCO, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Minerva University President Mike Magee announced today the appointment of Patrice McMahon, Ph.D., as the university's new provost. She will begin her term on July 1, at the conclusion of her residency at The Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center. Currently an International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations based at the Community of Democracies in Warsaw, Poland, McMahon has had a distinguished career in scholarship, teaching and academic leadership at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A two-time Fulbright award winner, her career has included numerous teaching awards, including 'best class at UNL.' Her scholarly contributions include, most recently, Activism in Hard Times in Central and Eastern Europe: people power, a collaboration between activists and academics from seven countries, The NGO Game: Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in the Balkans and Beyond (2017) and, with co-author David Forsythe, American Exceptionalism Reconsidered: U.S. Foreign Policy, Human Rights and World Order (2017). From 2018-2024 she was the Director of UNL's Honors Program. McMahon is currently working on a book project, Ordinary People: Grassroots Humanitarianism and the Future of Aid, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), that explores Polish humanitarianism toward Ukrainian refugees. 'Patrice McMahon understands why Minerva University's innovations are so important, to the students we serve and to global higher education,' said Magee. 'She is an exceptional leader who shares our commitment to building a global institution where aspiring leaders from every nation come to live and learn together and to collaborate on a safe and sustainable future.' University Trustee Bertil Andersson, chair of the board's academic committee, was also a member of the search committee that led to McMahon's hiring. Andersson, former President of Nanyang Technological University and former chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said, 'Patrice McMahon's distinguished career as a scholar of International Relations, her leadership of the Honors Program at Nebraska and her commitment to innovative higher education make her an excellent fit for Minerva.' 'As the proud mother of a Minervan (MU 2020), I have followed the university's trajectory from its beginning. After 26 years in higher education, I know that Minerva has rightfully earned the title as the most innovative university in the world and that its 'secret sauce' is the faculty. With impressive degrees and a wealth of experience, Minerva faculty devote 100% of their time to students and student learning! I have never witnessed this before – as a student or a professor. As a scholar of International Relations, I am convinced that Minerva's interdisciplinary, systems-thinking approach where faculty collaborate to co-create classes and project-based learning at campuses around the world is exactly what young people need to be successful in an uncertain, globalized world. I am grateful for the opportunity to help advance Minerva's mission – for our students and the world,' McMahon said. About Minerva University: Minerva University, headquartered in San Francisco, California, is committed to providing a transformative educational experience, allowing the brightest and most motivated students from around the world to become leaders, critical thinkers, and global citizens. Ranked #1 for three consecutive years in the World University Rankings for Innovation, Minerva offers a reinvented interdisciplinary curriculum, a cutting-edge seminar model paired with project-based, experiential learning, and an immersive global experience in several cities around the world.
