Notre Dame Global in Photos: August 2026 | News | Notre Dame Beijing

August marked a season of arrivals across Notre Dame’s global network, as students began a semester of research, clinical learning, internships, and life in new cities. Rome welcomed 137 students across six unique programs, while send-off gatherings across Asia marked the next step for international students joining the Notre Dame community in South Bend.

Elsewhere, conversations and collaborations brought fresh momentum to Notre Dame’s academic partnerships and global work. In Santiago, a visit with UC Chile leaders reinforced the importance of a longstanding institutional partnership, while meetings in South Korea and India sparked discussions regarding future collaboration. Scholars and practitioners gathered in London to consider democratic governance, and a Notre Dame delegation joined Catholic university leaders in Germany to explore higher education’s responsibilities to the common good. From Dublin students’ work with a historic library collection to iSURE participants celebrating a summer of research, these exchanges offer a glimpse of what’s ahead for Notre Dame’s global network this academic year.

Rome

Two students in Notre Dame t-shirts pull luggage near a gate and greenery.

The fall semester students arrived at Notre Dame Rome, ready to begin their study abroad adventure in the Eternal City. The academic center welcomed 137 students across six programs, including 23 Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME) students, 33 Rome Undergraduate Program (RUP) students, three Rome International Scholars (RIS), 62 third-year architecture students in the Rome Studies Program, four Notre Dame Rome Dissertation Research Fellows, and 12 architecture graduate students.

Jerusalem

Notre Dame Jerusalem kicked off the ADAM Pre-College Gap Year Program with an orientation for its new cohort of 23 participants, selected through the academic center's rigorous admissions process. Through the program, participants will gain skills to navigate their academic and professional futures confidently, prepare for academic success at top colleges and universities, become proficient in digital literacy and computer coding, and benefit from exposure to Notre Dame’s diverse network of academics, practitioners, and mentors.

Santiago

Five people in suits and a blazer stand on a tiled porch, smiling.

Alongside the Notre Dame Santiago team, Michael Pippenger, vice president and associate provost for internationalization, visited Santiago to meet with leaders from UC Chile and further strengthen the institutions’ partnership and shared commitment. The visit marked Pippenger’s first in-person meetings with Juan Carlos de la Llera, UC Chile’s president since March 2025, and María Montt, vice president for international relations.

Mexico

A group of ten people in blue surgical scrubs and masks wave.

Notre Dame Mexico welcomed 12 pre-health students from the fall 2026 study abroad cohort to Puebla. During the semester, they’ll take courses at Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP)—a private, Catholic university dedicated to forming transformation-minded leaders through an educational model rooted in humanist values and the common good—while participating in research, clinical rotations, and internships.

London

A diverse group of people are in a meeting around a table with laptops.

Notre Dame London hosted the Kellogg Institute’s African Governance Innovations Lab, co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative and the Franco Family Institute. This convening of leading scholars, policymakers, artists, and practitioners examined challenges and opportunities for strengthening democratic institutions and explored cutting-edge research and approaches to governance, democratic accountability, public service delivery, citizen participation, and institutional reform.

GLOBAL INNOVATION TEAM

Group of people posing in front of a large building with an orange roof.

A Notre Dame delegation joined the 3rd Consortium of Catholic Universities conference at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, where participants explored higher education’s role in advancing peace, sustainability, human dignity, and the common good. Under the theme “Building Bridges: Global Responsibility for the Common Good,” Ron Metoyer, vice president and associate provost for teaching and learning, shared Notre Dame’s approaches to the intersection of higher education and AI; Jonathan Noble, senior assistant provost for internationalization and global executive director, discussed multilateral research collaboration; and Maggie Dankert, director for academic strategy and partnerships, presented insights from an international partnership benchmarking exercise.

Beijing

A couple smiles in front of a grand building, holding a Notre Dame pennant.

Notre Dame Beijing Executive Director Jingyu Wang visited Kyung Hee University in South Korea and met with Stephen Yong-Seung Park, dean of the School of Management and director of the Institute for Peace through Commerce. The visit provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and learn more about Kyung Hee University’s academic programs and initiatives, as well as potential connections and future collaboration between Kyung Hee University and Notre Dame.

Dublin

Audience watches a presentation with an image of a dome and statue on a large screen.

Members of the Central Catholic Library joined the Notre Dame Dublin team for a screening of Daniel O’Connell: The Emancipator. The Central Catholic Library has served as a resource for Notre Dame students studying abroad in Dublin. Students have completed research at the library while also helping to catalog and digitize the library's collection of Catholic writing.

Global Engagement Programs

A group of Notre Dame students hold a blue and gold ND flag on a beach.

Participants in Notre Dame Global's International Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (iSURE) program celebrated eight weeks of research with a farewell gathering at Weko Beach on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Mumbai

Group of 20 people posing for a photo in front of a wooden wall and two large screens.

Notre Dame Mumbai Director Dhiraj Mehra visited the Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT Indore)—a leading center for education, research, and innovation in science, engineering, and the humanities—and presented to faculty and deans regarding potential research collaborations with Notre Dame.

São Paulo

Four people smile at a table with pasta dishes and drinks outdoors.

The Notre Dame São Paulo team, including Director Thaïs Pires and Program Assistant Rafaella Bonaccorsi, gathered with students Michele Jimenez and Liam Carey for a welcome lunch at Ibirapuera Park. This semester, Jimenez and Carey will study business at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) while navigating life in Brazil's largest metropolis.

Hong Kong

Group of people smiling and holding University of Notre Dame banners and pennants.

Notre Dame Hong Kong led new student send-off events in Manila, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. This fall, 20 students from across these locations were part of the 515 international community members welcomed to the Notre Dame campus.

This photo gallery highlights some of the valuable interactions and experiences Notre Dame faculty, staff, students, and alumni have taken part in over the past month. The selection was curated by Notre Dame Global staff working on campus and in the University's 12 global locations. View past photo essays.

Originally published by Cory Hankins at global.nd.edu on September 11, 2026.