International Initiatives Events

The Jersey Devil ranks as the most popular legend in the folklore of the Garden State. Join Dr. Brian Regal, Professor for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine at Kean University, to hear more about this legend. In the dark forbidding Pine Barrens, a witch known as Mother Leeds gave birth to a ‘child’ with horse-like head, bat-like wings, clawed hands and hooved feet. It flew off into the woods to take up a career haunting and harassing travelers.

International Education Week is a weeklong celebration to promote the power of global engagement and intercultural exchange developed by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. Observed Nov. 11–18, 2025, at Virginia Tech.

Women are underrepresented in politics at all levels around the world. Women’s equal participation in public life and political roles are a critical component of the sustainable development goals as women’s political inclusion facilitates a more vigorous democracy and positions governments to better address pressing issues. Various training programs have been implemented across the globe to reduce some of the barriers to women’s entry.

The Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021 marked a pivotal and troubling turn for women’s rights. In this webinar, two experts on women in Afghanistan assess women’s status in the country since the Taliban’s resurgence.

Women are still underrepresented in most governments around the world, even in established democracies. One of the frequently heard explanations is that people won’t vote for women, and they view men as better political leaders than women; in sum, that women don’t fit the image of a leader. However, what people think a leader looks like can change, particularly as they see more women in government.

As colorful lights are strung and seasonal music begins to play, attention turns to holiday happenings and frolicking in the snow. While our modern-day associations with Christmas include Santa Claus and his merry band of elves, the legends of previous eras were often more weird than wonderful, causing children (and their parents) to quiver in the silent nights of winter. In this installment of the Something Supernatural webinar series, Ingrid Johnson will highlight some of the more (in)famous European midwinter monsters from folklore, then transition to the Victorian fascination (or obsession) with ghosts and telling ghost stories during the darkest days of the year. Grab a cup of cocoa and some holly jolly treats, and get ready for a festively frightful conversation about the ghosts and ghoules of Christmas past!

This webinar discusses a new edited collection by Devin K. Joshi and Christian Echle (2022, Routledge) that assesses the progress women have made in pursuing legislative office throughout Asia, but, more crucially, how women and men parliamentarians advance women’s well-being and gender equality. Panelists are authors of various chapters, including Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and will also feature parliamentarians from Indonesia and Malaysia.

This event revisits the transformative vision of the Beijing Platform for Action and asks a timely question: What does meaningful representation for women look like in today’s rapidly shifting global order?

Please join us for an information to learn more about a CLAHS cohort-based faculty workshop, Global Teaching Scholars Scandinavia: Making Global Connections for Student Learning, in Copenhagen, Denmark (May 31–June 6, 2026).

This event will provide important information about the U.S. Fulbright Student Program, scholarship eligibility requirements, award types, application process/timeline and more! Presenters will take audience questions as well.

"Survivors Change Laws: the impact of Gisele Pelicot’s and V. Springora’s cases in France” by Dr. Sharon Johnson, Modern Classical Languages and Literature, Virginia Tech. "Gender and Patriarchal Counternarratives in Contemporary India” by Professor K. Suneetha Rani, Director of the Centre for Women’s Studies, University of Hyderabad, India

As part of the Gender Equity Lecture Series, the Center for European Union, Transatlantic, and Trans-European Space Studies will host a webinar on Violence Against Women in Europe.

Each year, the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers diverse opportunities for U.S. academics, administrators and professionals to teach, research, conduct professional projects, and attend seminars abroad in over 135 countries. Please join the CLAHS Fulbright Info Session if you are interested in learning more about the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.