Notre Dame Global in Photos: September 2025 | News | Notre Dame Beijing

From South Bend to São Paulo, Mumbai to Mexico City, September was a month of connection and discovery for Notre Dame Global. On campus, the University welcomed partners from 17 countries across six continents for its first-ever Global Partners Conference, sparking new ideas and friendships that will shape future collaborations. Meanwhile, a new Memorandum of Understanding set the stage for deeper academic exchange with a partner institution in India. From uncovering Bronze Age history in the west of Ireland and celebrating the 250th birthday of the nation’s first champion of democracy, equality, and human rights in Dublin to building community on the shores of Lake Michigan and witnessing historic moments in Rome, students, faculty, staff, and alumni across Notre Dame’s global network learned, explored, and experienced culture firsthand. Together, these moments reflect Notre Dame’s people and partners living out a shared mission—building bridges through education, research, and global understanding.

This photo gallery highlights some of the valuable interactions and experiences Notre Dame faculty, staff, and students 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.

South Bend

University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., provided the official welcome message for Notre Dame's first-ever Global Partners Conference. The week-long event welcomed 42 partners from 17 countries and six continents. Together with faculty, staff, students, and Notre Dame’s 12 global directors, the University's partners shared ideas, explored new collaborations, and strengthened a collective commitment to building bridges through education, research, and innovation—advancing Notre Dame’s mission to be a force for good in the world. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Rome

Smiling group of Notre Dame students holding a blue and gold ND flag in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, with St. Peter's Basilica prominently in the sunny background. A German flag waves.

The canonization of Carlo Acutis in early September, often called the "First Millennial Saint," for his deep faith and ability to inspire young people, was one of the most significant moments of the Jubilee. Notre Dame Rome students observed the historic occasion, joining the crowd in St. Peter’s Square.

Kylemore

A group of 16 Notre Dame students and adults smiles, seated on jagged grey rock formations along a scenic coastline. The blue ocean and towering cliffs are in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Notre Dame students studying abroad at the University of Galway explored the Aran Islands alongside renowned archaeologist Michael Gibbons. During the semester, RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, featured the students and Gibbons, highlighting his recent discovery of a ritual Bronze Age monument on the island, first uncovered during a previous archaeological field excursion with students.

Mumbai

Six smiling people – four men in suits and two women, one in a patterned blouse, one in a cardigan – stand behind a table. They hold blue or gold gift bags; one woman holds a small clear plaque. A navy and gold Notre Dame pennant rests on the wooden table.

The University of Notre Dame and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in India signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in education, research, and outreach. This partnership builds on shared commitments to global engagement and advancing scholarship for the common good. Present at the signing were (pictured left to right) Jonathan Noble, senior assistant provost for internationalization and global executive director; Madhushree Sekher, chairperson for TISS's Office for International Affairs and dean of the School of Skill Education; Suzanne Wilson, advisor to the vice president and associate provost for internationalization; Narendra Mishra, registrar of TISS; Michael Pippenger, vice president and associate provost for internationalization; and Dhiraj Mehra, director of Notre Dame Mumbai.

Dublin

A man in a pink jacket speaks at a podium, gesturing. Behind him, a screen shows a solemn historical portrait in an ornate gold frame. A Notre Dame Irish flag stands nearby.

Nearly 300 visitors stopped by Notre Dame Dublin’s O’Connell House on Culture Night, a one-day, nationwide celebration of the arts and culture in Ireland, to celebrate Daniel O’Connell’s 250th birthday with an open house and the inaugural O’Connell Lecture. Professor Kevin Whelan’s lecture was titled “Daniel O’Connell: The Global Irishman,” focusing on O’Connell’s life and legacy as arguably the first truly global Irish figure and a champion of democracy, equality, and human rights.

São Paulo

Three smiling people, a man in a blue Notre Dame polo and two women, staff a Keough School of Global Affairs information table. Master's program banners are displayed. Behind them, a city skyline and pink sunset are visible through a large window.

As part of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Discover Master’s Tour in São Paulo, Christian Lehman, associate director of graduate recruitment and admissions, met prospective students to share insights about graduate study at the University of Notre Dame and the Keough School of Global Affairs, including the Master of Global Affairs and the Ph.D. in Sustainable Development programs. Thaïs Burmeister de Campos Pires, director of Notre Dame São Paulo, and Rafaella Bonaccorsi, program assistant, represented the University at the event.

Mexico

Two women, Aurora Piñeiro and Sara McKibben, sit at a blue table adorned with the UNAM seal. McKibben, wearing glasses and a blue patterned shirt, speaks into a microphone, gesturing. Piñeiro, in a dark sleeveless top, listens intently. A wood-paneled wall and window are in the background.

The International Symposium on Irish and Latin American Literature and Culture at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) brought together scholars from Latin America, North America, and Europe to explore historic and contemporary ties between Ireland and Latin America. Notre Dame was represented by Sarah McKibben, associate professor of Irish language and literature, who spoke on a panel about Ecofeminism and Recent Irish Poetry. The event underscores Notre Dame Mexico’s role in advancing international collaboration, promoting knowledge exchange, and deepening the growing engagement of Mexican institutions in Irish Studies.

Hong Kong

Two smiling women staff a Notre Dame information table. One holds a brochure, "Educating the Mind, Body, and Spirit," featuring a campus view. The other displays a green shamrock pennant. A banner in Chinese promotes the University of Notre Dame.

Betty Qi, member of the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Hong Kong, and Catherine Leung, director of Notre Dame Hong Kong, promoted the University's diverse range of graduate, undergraduate, and pre-college programs to students and parents at events in Dongguan and Shenzhen, China.

Global Engagement Programs

A smiling woman in a grey shirt and denim shorts wades in a shallow river, while another in a blue Notre Dame Law sweatshirt walks on the sandy bank. A group of people wade behind them towards a large lake or ocean under a bright blue sky with clouds.

The Global Engagement Programs team traveled to Warren Dunes State Park with nearly 50 visiting international students, as part of the group's culturally immersive itinerary, which takes place throughout each academic year. Among the group were Cecile de Wasseige (center), a graduate exchange student from KU Leuven, and Emma Charlize Tunke (right), a Notre Dame Law School exchange student from Bucerius Law School.

International Student & Scholar Affairs

Two smiling Notre Dame students in green shirts stand before a screen displaying "Football 101 Fall 2025," an athletic field, and "Notre Dame Global." The man wears glasses and a cap, his arm around the woman's shoulder. A wood-paneled fireplace is to their right.

International Student and Scholar Affairs hosted its Beyond Beginnings series aimed at helping international students thrive at Notre Dame. As part of the series, Notre Dame Global’s Senior Fellows, Michael Parent and Natália Araújo do Carmo, presented the Football 101 session.

Beijing

A large group of diverse attendees sits in a brightly lit lecture hall, facing two large projection screens. The screens display an ornate golden artifact and a speaker via video call. Many focus on the screens, while some look at their phones.

Notre Dame Beijing co-hosted the Ancient Chinese Ceramics Lecture and Hands-on Workshop with several partners, including the Imperial Kiln Museum in Jingdezhen, the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, and the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. The event drew over 120 registrants, with 86 students attending the lecture and 42 joining the workshop.

Originally published by Cory Hankins at global.nd.edu on October 08, 2025.