April 2026 Edition

Global Engagement News

Dear friends,

As the semester resumes after spring break, this issue highlights how Yale’s community is connecting research and collaboration across disciplines and regions — from international convenings to work that informs policy and public understanding.

These efforts underscore the importance of linking insight with action in addressing today’s challenges.

I hope you’ll explore this issue — and I welcome your thoughts on how these efforts connect with your own work or suggest opportunities for further collaboration.

With best regards,
Sunil Amrith

Vice Provost for International Affairs
Henry R. Luce Director, Whitney & Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies
Renu and Anand Dhawan Professor of History
Yale University

Yale and global partners convene at IARU Presidents’ Meeting in South Africa

The International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) Presidents’ Meeting brought together a global network of research-intensive universities to address shared challenges. Representatives from Yale, including Dr. Ingrid Katz, director of the Yale Institute for Global Health, joined international partners to advance collaboration on priorities ranging from innovation and AI to the UN Pact for the Future.

Global carbon credit program risks rewarding the wrong behavior

New research by Yale scientists at the School of the Environment reveals hidden vulnerabilities in the world’s largest forest protection credit systems. It found that a United Nations-backed framework for protecting tropical forests could allow governments to collect income from carbon credits without advancing forest conservation.

‘Unfurling the Flag’ exhibition traces how American patriotism has been defined, contested, and reshaped over 250 years

A new Beinecke exhibition highlights some foundational moments of American identity that emerged through international connections, including the work of immigrants whose contributions helped shape the nation’s earliest expressions of independence. Drawing on materials that span centuries and perspectives, the exhibition reflects how national identity is shaped by migration and transnational influences — and Yale’s role in fostering dialogue that extends beyond national borders.

From fieldwork to policy insight: Fellowship expands graduate research across disciplines

Yale’s Institution for Social and Policy Studies Graduate Policy Fellowship is enabling interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research across global contexts — from fieldwork in El Salvador to studies of emerging social challenges — equipping graduate students to translate research into real-world impact.

Five Yalies selected as 2026 Gates Cambridge Scholars

Three Yale seniors and two recent Yale College graduates are among scholars selected to the 2026 cohort, which will support postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. Their selection reflects how international research, study, and lived experiences at Yale help shape academic paths and prepare students for global leadership.

Global wildlife trade raising risk of animal diseases spilling over to humans

The global wildlife trade is quietly accelerating the spread of infectious diseases from animals to humans, according to a new Yale-led study published in Science, conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Lausanne. While scientists have long known that wildlife trade contributes to outbreaks — from SARS to COVID-19 — this study is the first to quantify that risk at a global scale.

More news

Rethinking Palliative Care in Ethiopia

from Yale School of Medicine

How should policymakers respond to rising fertilizer prices?

from Yale School of Management Insights

The hidden complexity of ownership and impacts on women’s well-being

from Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs

Blue Center lecture examines U.S. law enforcement in the foreign policy arena

from Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs

Learning in a living laboratory: International experience in Costa Rica

from Yale School of Management