Building “A Global Classroom for Global Challenges"

How can we decolonize political science teaching in a world where pressing global challenges – from climate change and food security to migration and cyber security – require political solutions which build on the experiences of diverse communities with different views, interests and needs? How can political science knowledge generation help overcome, rather than cement further, asymmetries in economic, epistemological and political power across the globe and within countries?  

To address these issues, the project “A global classroom for global challenges” establishes best practice sharing, student mobilities, teaching exchanges, online courses, student community building, and joint curriculum development across five campuses: Bergen, Cape Town, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Toronto. Running between 1 March 2025 and the end of 2028, the project provides 24 student exchanges between UiB’s Department of Government and the four partner sites (half in-coming/out-going) and the development of two Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) courses (on climate change governance and on the governance of migration and citizenship, respectively).  

The project is co-lead by Lise Rakner, Martina Vukasovic and Regine Paul (PI) and involves administrative support from the International Office. 

Partner Institutions   

The Department of Government is partnering with four excellent institutions across the globe – two in the formerly colonized Global South and two with a specific teaching focus on indigenous rights: the University of Sao Paulo (School of International Studies), Toronto Metropolitan University (School of Public Policy and Democratic Innovation), the University of Washington (Department of Political Science), and the University of the Western Cape (School of Government).  

Mobility Options for students

There are three dedicated exchange spots per year for GlGOV students to spend a semester in Cape Town, Sao Paulo, Seattle or Toronto, starting already in the fall semester 2025. Students considering mobility options for semester three should check out the host institutions well in advance (see links above). We also organise regular information meetings before the annual application deadline.  

The advantage of taking one of the UTFORSK spots will be a very close collaboration between our program and the partners’ teaching curricula on global challenges with focus on i.e. climate change, migration and citizenship, or indigenous rights in governance and policymaking. The project budget also involves travel grants.  

We are currently working on the mobility agreements and an allocation system for students if demand is high.

In this space, we will keep you posted about project events, opportunities, outputs, student engagement and information meetings.