The Creighton Global Initiative seeks to animate, enrich and embrace an intentional global focus for the University community. Creighton has a remarkable track record in global outreach and education. Many established programs offer service, research, internship and volunteer opportunities abroad. The Creighton Global Initiative builds upon current academic and institutional efforts and creatively envisions and implements new ones.
In the 16th century, St. Ignatius Loyola propelled the Jesuit Order to unprecedented international outreach, particularly in the work of education.
In recent years, the Superiors General of the Society of Jesus have reminded Jesuit educators of their responsibility to inspire students to reach beyond their boundaries in order to fulfill their potential. The Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., articulated the fundamental mission of Jesuit higher education as the service of faith and the promotion of justice, and he encouraged Jesuit colleges and universities to know and engage the uncomfortable realities of the world. Recently, the Rev. Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., has challenged Jesuit higher education to network more creatively and substantively.
Our Jesuit academic community demonstrates an impressive international presence, and we will expand our outreach with the Creighton Global Initiative Fund. With increased resources, Creighton University will strengthen the ideals of global citizenship by forming international relationships, engaging worldly crises, and building a better world.
Creighton Global Initiative (CGI) allows faculty, staff and students to strengthen existing Creighton projects and programs while increasing support for and build up the Global Engagement Office (GEO). CGI creates a funding pool, housed at the GEO, to which the Creighton community may apply for financial and departmental support.
Awards are grants for projects including campus-based workshops, guest speakers, a lecture series, course development, recruitment, immersions and research initiatives. Proposals may be issue-specific, such as climate change, migration, or natural resources, or experiential, allowing participants to immerse more fully into international realities.
All campus constituents who have developed promising, globally related initiatives were invited to submit proposals. A campus committee comprised of faculty, staff and students, and chaired by the executive director of the GEO evaluated these proposals.
Centered on Creighton University’s commitment to advance global learning, Creighton Global Initiative creates resources that offer opportunities for faculty, staff and students to embrace global perspectives. Through philanthropic support, we will animate a global focus for the Creighton University community, living out our mission to stimulate critical and creative thinking and provide ethical perspectives for dealing with an increasingly complex world.
Creighton Global Initiative drives transformational learning exchanges through heightened relationships, experiences and perspectives embracing Jesuit higher education’s centuries-long tradition for building global networks. CGI celebrates and creatively extends the University’s presence on the global stage.
"Break the boundaries of what’s familiar and friendly. Go beyond your comfort zones. Study and work abroad. Reach out to those other gritty realities of the lives we live and the world we inhabit." — Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson