Alessandro Balza, an international exchange student from the University of Pavia in Pavia, Italy, is making a name for himself in Florida’s vibrant chess community. Studying political science during his time abroad at FSU, Balza brings not only academic focus but also exceptional talent to the chessboard.
Balza first learned about a local competition from Global Nole, Ellie Usher. He entered the FAMU-FSU Chess Tournament on March 7 and emerged as the overall champion.
On March 11, over 30 FSU staff from multiple departments across campus participated in ACIREMA, an interactive simulation designed to recreate the complex journey international students navigate before arriving at Florida State University.
The Global Citizenship Certificate (GCC) Scholarship is awarded to high-achieving students enrolled in the GCC program who have been accepted into an FSU Global Exchange and demonstrated financial need. For the Spring 2026 semester, two students received this competitive scholarship: Austin Mossbacher and Katelyn Brown. Both are undergraduate students majoring in finance, and both are excited to participate in the impactful international learning experiences of their global exchanges.
Maclay School hosted its annual Global Festival on Saturday, February 28, bringing together cultural displays, performances and food from around the world for students and families to enjoy. The event provided a fun and engaging opportunity for the school community to experience global traditions firsthand.
The Global Noles Program at the CGE is an opportunity for FSU students to be paired with one or more incoming exchange students from FSU exchange partner universities. Many of the Global Noles have studied on a Global Exchange, have an interest in participating in an exchange program in the future, or are just genuinely interested in engaging with students from other backgrounds. Global Noles buddies communicate with the new exchange students before they arrive to Tallahassee, support the students after arrival and organize and participate in social events.
Fifty-five students applied to participate in an FSU Global Exchange for Summer, Fall and Academic Year. This includes 23 applications for Summer, 26 applications for Fall and six for Academic Year placements. This is about a 50% increase across all terms, reflecting rising enthusiasm for global study opportunities. The increased interest in exchange programs is due to the addition of several highly ranked universities in popular destinations such as Madrid, Paris, Tokyo and Seoul.
Since August 2025, Heather Jordan has been serving as Florida State University’s Peace Corps Campus Recruiter, embodying the Peace Corps’ third goal: to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. For the past two decades, she has shared her Peace Corps experience with friends, family and colleagues—and now, it’s her job to inspire students to consider this life-changing opportunity. Jordan provides Peace Corps information sessions Wednesdays at 2:00 P.M. and Thursdays at 12:00 P.M.
The Dominican Student Association (DSA) has been a frequent collaborator with the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) on events such as International Coffee Hour, International Bazaar and Global Café. They will co-host the upcoming Global Café: Dominican Republic at The Globe on Friday, February 27, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The menu will feature Dominican favorites including pollo guisado, red beans and rice, tostones, flan and a passionfruit mojito.
The CGE welcomes two new student staff members to the Communications team: Isabella Saavedra and Malaika Hyder. Saavedra, CGE’s Communications Intern from the InternFSU Program, is currently a junior majoring in Human Resource Management with a love of all things outdoors and traveling. Last spring, she participated in a Global Exchange in Pavia, Italy, where she spent her free time drinking cappuccinos with friends or sightseeing the surrounding European countries. Saavedra is a participant in the Global Nole Program and is paired with an exchange student from Madrid’s IE University.
The Indian Student Association of Tallahassee (INSAT) is one of the largest student organizations on campus, with more than 600 registered members. Established in the late 1980s, the organization’s primary mission is to support the transition of new international students from India to FSU. Sriya Chakraborty, former INSAT president and a PhD student in English Literature, Media and Culture, reflected on her own experience: “I remember when I first moved to the U.S.
