The Global Leadership and Development (GLAD) Program is designed to provide educational, research, and training opportunities for students, professionals, and scholars who wish to develop their leadership and professional skills in this globally connected world.

The program originally began in 2006 by hosting visiting officials from Korea at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG), UGA. Since then, the program has provided research and training supports for government officials from S. Korea, partnering with colleges and universities around the world. For over a decade, the program has provided professional development opportunities and trainings for over 400 visiting scholars at UGA.

Taking a holistic educational approach, the program consists of three pillars in providing an educational experience for program participants: global perspective and academic excellence with lectures and seminars from faculty in the highly ranked public and international affairs program in SPIA; professional and leadership development through internships, site visits, and networking opportunities with faculty at CVIOG and government officials in Georgia; and cultural understanding via out-of-classroom activities and field trips throughout neighboring communities and states in U.S.

If you would like to learn more about the GLAD Program or are interested in participating in the program, please see the detailed information below.

Also, if you have any questions about the program, please contact Dr. Taesik Yun.

MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Mission

In accordance with the mission of the Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS), Global Leadership and Development (GLAD) Program fosters educational and research activities focused on economic, political, and sociocultural change and development occurring at the global level. In addition, GLAD Program aims to provide training opportunities for students, professionals, and visiting scholars through numerous partnerships with colleges and institutions at the University of Georgia (UGA), local, state, and federal agencies, non-profit organizations throughout the nation, and international organizations at the global level. The GLAD Program will help the participants to develop their own professional knowledge and skills to become a leader in this globally connected world.

Program Structure

GLOBIS’s Global Leadership and Development (GLAD) Program follows the School of Public and International Affairs’ mission of training a future generation of teachers, scholars, and practitioners in the field of public and international affairs. Thus, the Program focuses on providing opportunities for their participants to broaden the global perspective and to strengthen their capacity in the field of public and international affairs. The program consists of a series of weekly sessions, including seminars, group discussions, workshops, cultural activities, and site visits that are relevant to key aspects of professional development for visiting officials. Weekly sessions can be modified based on participants’ needs as the process unfolds.

Seminars/Lectures are offered on various government-related topics, including federal, state, and local government structure and operation, public finance, HR management, leadership, public safety and emergency management, economic development and global commerce, workforce development, public and private partnership and community development, international relation and global networking, environment and green policy, agriculture and food, and higher education systems. Program participants will become familiar with recent public administration topics and obtain a global perspective through interactions with speakers from various fields and discussions among program participants.

Site Visits are also offered throughout the semester and program participants will obtain an in-depth understanding of public services provided by local and state governments as well as public-private partnerships that aims to enhance community development. Participants will also be able to extend their professional network through the site visits and meetings with government officials and representatives from non-profit and private organizations in the U.S. The site visits include, but are not limited to, Athens Clarke County Government, Atlanta Beltline Inc., Georgia Emergency Management Agency, Georgia Public Safety Training Center, Georgia Department of Economic Development and Quick Start, Innovation Gateway, and World Trade Center in Savannah.

Cultural activities and participatory learning opportunities can be coordinated throughout the semester based on available resources and the needs of participants in the program. Cultural activities may include UGA football games, cookout lunch, and field trips in Georgia. Participatory learning opportunities may include attendance in public meetings, conferences, training, and volunteer activities. Participants will broaden their understanding of cultural diversity and enrich their global perspective and experience.

Admission Requirements & Application Process

Invitation of visiting scholars in the GLAD Program will be determined based on the qualifications of the applicants, potential for mutual benefits, and the established agreements with global partners. GLAD Program may choose to limit the number of visiting scholars from each organization in order to amplify the diversity of cooperative relationships with its potential partners. Exceptions to this would be organizations with an existing partnership (or ones in the process of developing a partnership) with GLOBIS or UGA.

Individuals who are interested in participating the GLAD Program would need to submit a cover letter, resume, research/training plan, financial proof, a copy of passport, a letter of recommendation, and English proficiency proof. Applicants will also need to fill out and submit the UGA Visitor Agreement Form and Program Participation Agreement Form. Finally, applicants will need to pay an application fee of $200 for their applications to be processed (a separate invoice will be sent to the applicant after completing the submission of the required application documents above).

For more details on admission requirements and English proficiency requirement at UGA, please click the links below.

Admission Requirements

English Proficiency Proof 

To download UGA Visitor Agreement Form and Program Participation Agreement Form, please click the links below.

UGA Visitor Agreement Form

Program Participation Agreement Form

All application materials must be sent to Dr. Taesik Yun via [email protected]. If you have any questions regarding application process or requirements, please contact Dr. Yun.

Requirements for Program Certificates

All visiting scholars/Researchers in GLAD Program will need to meet the following requirements in order to receive the Certificate of Program Completion at the end of their program participation.

  1. Participants are required to attend weekly sessions provided by the GLAD Program throughout the semester (the schedule of the sessions will be announced through GLAD Program Guide before the beginning of each semester).
  2. Participants are required to provide quarterly research/training progress reports during their tenure at UGA and meet with the Program Director to discuss their individual research/training progress each semester.
  3. Participants are required to present their individual research/training topics during their first semester and present their final research outcome at the end of their participation in the program.
  4. Participants are required to submit their final research reports and an executive summary at the end of their participation in the program.

These interactive sessions and requirements for visiting scholars/researchers are set and designed to enhance participants’ research and professional skills, knowledge sharing among participants, and personal network for their future success. Failure to meet these requirements would result in incompletion of the program and participants may not receive the Certificate of Program Completion.

Tuition & Fees

GLAD Program will assess program fees based on the length of participation in the program, types of participation, and the established agreements with partners (see the table below for current fee schedules).

Program Participation Fee Schedule:

6 Months 12 Months 18 Months 24 Months
General Area (W/O MOU) $6,000 $12,000 $18,000 $24,000
General Area (W/ MOU) $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000
Public Safety-Related Area $7,500 $15,000 $22,500 $30,000

The fees can be changed without prior notice based on the changes in administration costs of the program.

The participants who wish to extend their stay at UGA beyond the original agreement will need to consult with Program Director and to submit necessary documents in advance (at least 45 days prior to the termination of their original participation period). For the extensions, additional fees will be applied based on the length of the extension period.

Application Fee:

Applicants who wish to participate in GLAD Program will be required to submit the following documents and to pay an application fee of $200 for their applications to be processed (an invoice will be sent to the applicant after the participant completes the submission of application documents).

Research/Training & Settlement Assistance

GLAD Program will assist visiting scholars/researchers in the program for the success of their research/training, by providing shared office space, computer access, library access, mentoring, and access to local, state, and federal government agencies in their field of interest as necessary. GLAD Program will also strive to ensure that participants in the program have opportunities to collaborate with faculty in SPIA and at UGA on request.

In addition to visitors’ research/training assistance, GLAD Program will provide some assistance to our program participants for their settlement in Athens. We understand that visiting scholars/researchers from abroad may face with some difficulties in adapting to a new living environment here in U.S., which might be quite different from their own culture, language, and government systems. The program can assist with finding a place to live in Athens area, airport pick-up arrangement, public utility set-up, and opening a bank account. Other settlement assistance may be possible on request, based on the availability of staff and resources in the program.

CUSTOMIZED GROUP TRAINING PROGRAM

GLAD Program can also provide customized group training programs for partnering organizations based on the training needs of the organizations. The customized group training programs will be tailored to meet the partnering organization’s goals and training needs. Since its original establishment at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government in 2011, GLAD Program has provided customized group trainings for over 300 trainees from our partnering organizations, which include Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), the Governors Association of Korea (GAOK), Busan Metropolitan City Government (BMG), Korean National Police (KNP), Local Government Officials Development Institute (LOGODI), Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), Ministry of Personnel Management (MPM), and Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU).

Customized group training programs often consists of four aspects of global training: English language skill development, global leadership and network development, professional knowledge in specialized areas, and activities for understanding different cultures. Group trainings are often run in a relatively short period of time and may vary from two weeks to three months depending on the training needs of partnering organizations.

If you have any questions regarding customized group training programs or are interested in developing customized training programs for your organizations, please contact Dr. Taesik Yun.

Contact Information

GLAD Program
Center for the Study of Global Issues
Baldwin Hall 411
355 S. Jackson Street
Athens, GA 30602

Dr. Taesik Yun
Director
[email protected]
Office: (706)542-0165

Ms. Yeo-Ri Kim
Program Coordinator
[email protected]
Office: (706)542-5511