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The International Networking Initiative

Grace Davis and Ming Liu

Mission Statement

“The International Network Initiative exists to bring together domestic and international students here at

Texas A&M University for the purpose of bridging cultural gaps and increasing cross-cultural

awareness.”

Objectives

Increase voluntary, informal communication within the Texas A&M student body between international students and domestic students.

Increase the amount of interaction and involvement between the Aggies and international students outside of class.

Reduce the amount of culture shock experienced by Aggies whenever meeting a foreigner or traveling abroad.

Strategy

Start small.

Leverage our contacts in international and domestic student organizations to recruit dialogue participants

Maintain open dialogue with all participants.

Focus on building a sustainable program.

INI Pilot Sessions

Focus on Chinese Culture

16 Student Limit

Three-Sessions

1 Hour in Duration

Session #1

Attendance 4 Domestic, 2 International

Main Topics Government and Politics Food

Duration Allocated an hour, Exceeded by 40 minutes

Session #2

Attendance 5 Domestic, 5 International

Main Topics Movies & Music Sports

Duration Allocated 1.5 Hours

Challenges

Finding suitable dates/times

Recruiting domestic students

Student attendance

Funding

Manpower

Successes

Meaningful connections and conversations

Increased student interest

Potential for program longevity

Testimonials

Project Evaluation

Assessment Tools Surveys Dialogues

Challenges v. Successes

What we’d do differently

Sustainability

Partnership with International Business Association (IBA) Funding Manpower Sustainability

Expansion Opportunities Class Size Cultural Coverage Amount of Sessions Twice a Year vs Once a year

Conclusions

Overall, a successful pilot year

Valuable experience not only for participants, but for us as well Sharpened leadership skills Increased self-awareness Greater cultural understanding

Questions?

The International Networking Initiative

Texas A&MHome of the 12th man Backgrounds of the 12th

manThe INI

Bridging the gaps that divides us to realize the

similarities that define us