In a darkened production studio built by USF Innovative Education in the center of campus, viewers can be visually transported to anywhere in the world. A faculty member flies with a jetpack, and a USF banner floats above the cities of London, Florence and Seoul.
The virtual worlds [InEd inovations] create bring the sights and sounds of international experiences to USF through completely captivating technology.
More than two dozen international education leaders from universities around the world spent part of their morning absorbed in the images displayed on giant screens around them, learning about how technology and education experiences are merged in a studio operation that has been recognized around the world as on par with leading media production facilities. The virtual worlds they create bring the sights and sounds of international experiences to USF through completely captivating technology.
“We create experiences that give viewpoints that you would not get in a face-to-face environment,” said Jared Brown, the Emmy-award winning director of USF’s InEd Studios, which has worked collaboratively with USF’s Education Abroad initiative to create learning experiences that transport students virtually. “Every student in the university is going to take an online course … we want to make sure the experience is the same across the board.
“We don’t want them to just have a video playing or a professor talking at you. It’s all supposed to be engaging with the rest of the course content.”
USF Innovative Educations InEd Studios is an award-winning, high-end digital production
studio that helps faculty create captivating online courses that bring the world to
USF students.The studio stop was just the first of the day for the participants, who had come to Florida from points around the world to attend the NAFSA: Association of International Educators annual conference in Orlando. The group traveled to Tampa on May 29 to cap their weeklong gathering the first of its kind to be held in Florida since 1993.
On campus, they learned about the Muma College of Business’ international partnerships and tour the USF College of Engineering’s design and robotics labs, residence halls, the Marshall Student Center, campus recreation and USF’s International Student Center, the group got an up-close look at experiences a student from their universities might have if they participate in an exchange or study abroad program at USF.
Matthieu Brecville, the Head of International Relations at Catholic University of
Vendée, attended USF as an international student in 1996. He has fond memories of
playing soccer on campus, classes at Cooper Hall and living in Beta Hall.For Matthieu Brecville, the Head of International Relations at Catholic University of Vendée in La Roche-sur-Yon, a city of nearly 55,000 on the southwest coast of France, the tour was also a homecoming of sorts. In 1996, Brecville had been an exchange student to USF and as he visited the campus for the first time in 30 years, he marveled at all the university had become.
Reminiscing about organizing an international student soccer club, hanging out at the original Marshall Student Center (the original facility was replaced by the current facility in 2008), and the important role his time at USF had played in helping him determine his life’s path, Brecville reveled in spotting familiar buildings as the group traveled around campus by bus. Coming around a corner, he happily spotted where he had once lived as a student: Beta Hall, still standing after all these years.
Uday Murthy, associate dean for research, graduate programs, and international affairs
at the USF’s Muma College of Business, said global partnerships and exchange programs
at the college help prepare students for careers in international business, although
once students spend time living in the Tampa Bay Region they often don’t want to leave.Muma College of Business: Global Reach
Uday Murthy, associate dean for research, graduate programs, and international affairs at the USF’s Muma College of Business, emphasized the growing importance of global experience and technological innovation during a presentation at a recent NAFSA-related event.
Murthy underscored how deeply study abroad and global engagement are embedded in the college’s mission. A longtime faculty member with more than two decades at USF, Murthy drew on personal experience leading student programs in Europe, Peru, and India to illustrate the institution’s commitment.
“Study abroad and international engagement is very much in our DNA,” he said. “It’s very much in my DNA because I have led groups of students on study abroad programs to Europe twice. I have taught in Peru. I've also taken students to India.”
“…When people hear ‘experiential learning,’ they often think only of internships, but there are many ways students can gain meaningful, real-world experience, including studying abroad.” — Uday Murthy, associate dean for research
“…When people hear ‘experiential learning,’ they often think only of internships,” he said. “But there are many ways students can gain meaningful, real-world experience, including studying abroad.”
Preparing students to be successful in industry includes global experiences, he told the group. The college maintains close ties with employers in the Tampa Bay region and beyond, with graduates increasingly finding positions across the United States, including in major markets such as New York and California and with global companies like Google.
“We’ve been very focused on making sure our curriculum stays relevant to employer needs,” he said.
Adding to the international offerings are dual-degree and exchange initiatives that allow students to study across institutions and countries. However, the Tampa Bay Region’s rise as a center of global business also is a powerful draw. “Most of the students who come here fall in love with Tampa and end up staying,” he said.
Murthy said the college and USF’s business curriculum is designed to prepare students not just for jobs, but for a globalized, rapidly evolving economy. “Our goal is to ensure students graduate ready to contribute immediately,” he said. “That means combining strong academic foundations with real-world experience and global perspective.”
One of USF’s oldest international programs is the USF College of Engineering’s partnership
with Colombia’s Universidad del Norte, a program that has produced more than 200 engineering
graduates and enables Colombian students to spend half of their undergraduate years
in Tampa.College of Engineering: Technology’s Universal Reach
USF engineering faculty are expanding international partnerships and hands-on training opportunities aimed at preparing students for global careers in robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and a range of advanced engineering fields. USF College of Engineering Professors Norma Alcantar and Kyle Reed outlined how the university is aligning academic programs with global partners while responding to increasing demand for workforce-ready graduates.
Aana Ahsan, a USF biomedical engineering master’s student from Bangladesh, demonstrated
some of the technology that engineering students use to learn world-class skills.
She hopes to create new medical devices in her career.Alcantar highlighted the university’s long-running dual-degree partnership with Colombia’s Universidad del Norte, a program that has already produced more than 200 engineering graduates. The initiative allows students to complete part of their studies abroad before finishing at USF, ensuring academic requirements are aligned across institutions.
“Every year we work on articulation agreements to make sure courses and program requirements match,” Alcantar explained. “We’re involved with students from the moment they apply through graduation, making sure they succeed at every step.”
Alcantar said the program reflects a broader goal: creating globally competitive graduates. “Students may stay in the U.S. or go back home, but they leave with strong preparation and opportunities for graduate study or careers anywhere,” she said.
Beyond degree programs, USF has also expanded study abroad opportunities, including sessions in Spain, Germany and South Korea. These short-term programs allow students to gain international experience while completing coursework. Internship opportunities also are a key component of this approach, with students gaining experience at companies ranging from global tech giants like Amazon and Apple to local firms in the fast-growing Tampa Bay tech sector.
“I think it’s important for our students to expose themselves to realities outside the United States,” Assistant Professor of Instruction Marbin Pazos-Revilla, of USF’s Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing told the group. “Issues that happen globally don’t have local solutions; they require global solutions and the partnerships we have are very relevant.”
Rahi Dayerizadeh, USF World’s Associate Director for Global Learning, Campus Programs,
shared with participants how USF built at Virtual Global Exchange program during the
pandemic when international travel was not possible. The program now serves as a first
step for students to begin exploring study abroad opportunities.Going Global Without Leaving Campus
USF students don’t need to go far to have global experiences or forge global connections. And that’s by design.
Rahi Dayerizadeh, USF World’s Associate Director for Global Learning, Campus Programs, detailed how USF has scaled its Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programs, part of the university’s Virtual Global Exchange Academy, since their launch during the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as a necessity during travel restrictions has evolved into a cornerstone of the university’s global engagement strategy. “Now it’s become part of how we ensure all students have access to international learning,” she said.
USF faculty have forged teaching partnerships with roughly 40 universities across 40 countries, offering students opportunities to collaborate across borders through shared coursework. These virtual exchanges can range from four-week modules to full-semester courses, with some faculty even coordinating collaborations with multiple international institutions simultaneously.
“If they study abroad, you know that student is going to gain some confidence and they’re going to learn more about themselves and, hopefully, have a more focused vision of what they want to do for their career.” — Rahi Dayerizadeh, USF World’s Associate Director for Global Learning, Campus Programs
The initiative is supported by a structured faculty development pipeline. Each semester, a significant portion of USF faculty are trained in COIL methods through programs like the university’s Virtual Global Exchange Academy, which prepares instructors to integrate international collaboration into their curricula. For students, the virtual program is the first step toward exploring the world in person and building global competencies that can serve them both personally and professionally.
“If they study abroad, you know that student is going to gain some confidence and they’re going to learn more about themselves and, hopefully, have a more focused vision of what they want to do for their career,” Dayerizadeh said. “… We're preparing them to gain that confidence to take that next step.”
Jana Eveland, USF World’s Associate Director for International Student Support, led the contingent through USF’s Global Student Center in the Faculty Office Administration (FAO) building, where rows of flags representing the 140 home countries of USF’s international students hang from the ceiling. In the student lounge, a pair of international students were taking a midday break to work on a puzzle. But the office also handles orientation programs and specialized efforts to prepare students from overseas for uniquely Florida challenges, like hurricanes.
“These spaces help students feel at home,” Eveland said. “We want them to know where to go if they need help and feel connected to the campus community.”