Women Who Inspire: Hong Zhu

This story is part of Notre Dame Global's series titled "Women Who Inspire."

The guiding philosophy of Hong Zhu’s professional life can be summed up in three words: do good work. This mindset has led her through 19 years and counting at Notre Dame. In the five positions she’s moved through in that time, it’s never been about the promotions or the accolades but rather about the grind and quality of the work itself.

Notre Dame Global (NDG) has been through its fair share of changes and growths since it was established in 2010, and Hong’s been present for all of them. She started at Notre Dame in 2005 as an international student advisor on what is now the International Students and Scholar Affairs team. After a few years, she transitioned to a position with study abroad as assistant director. The switch was natural as she still got to do what she loved — work with students.

“You feel like you’re making a difference and making an impact,” she shares. This part of her job was one that was especially rewarding to Hong, as she once thought she’d be a teacher.

“I had always wanted to be a professor,” she admits. “Growing up in China, teaching and being a professor is a very highly valued profession because you make a difference in someone’s life.” Even though she didn’t end up teaching, she found her own fit in higher education, which culminated in her current position as senior director of global education at NDG.

The beauty of being with an office over an extended period is that you get to see how it expands and flourishes over the years. Hong has watched NDG transform from solely running study abroad programs to becoming the robust internalization effort within and beyond the University that it is today. The study abroad team, in particular, has grown as well. It went from being primarily an administrative arm on logistics to executing global programs that prioritize elements like cultural competency, academic alignment, and creating opportunities for deeper immersion through research, internships, and community engagement. Leading those changes has been one of the highlights of Hong’s career.

“Just a few years ago, we were still focusing on selecting students to go. Now, we are reaching a point where we want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to go.” she says. The participation rate of the study abroad program at Notre Dame is 87.5 percent, according to the most recently released IIE data, and the acceptance rate is over 90 percent. Essentially, any student who has some flexibility in their academic calendar and is willing to go to nontraditional locations has the opportunity to study abroad — and more and more are taking it. This, Hong shares, is what makes Notre Dame so different.

“We feel very privileged here at Notre Dame because we don’t have to push our students to study abroad. It is very much the expectation and the culture that study abroad is a part of their Notre Dame education,” she says. “Our role has always been to try to help students find the right program, navigate the process, and help them maximize their time abroad. That’s our focus.”

Operating with integrity, honesty, and fairness is important to Hong. She believes that anything she asks others to do, she has to be willing to do herself. That said, her work ethic is her own, and she doesn’t expect everyone to approach it the same way. Her mind is constantly looking ahead to what’s next and thinking, Is this working? How can I make this better? What’s the next obstacle? What will this lead to? She shares that it’s this ability to always be one step ahead that’s allowed her to progress and accomplish what she sets out to do.

As Notre Dame looks to the future, internationalization has been outlined as a key priority in the University’s strategic framework. While the work to focus on intentionality of study abroad, deepen international partnerships, and bring international students to campus has been ongoing at NDG — and thriving, as proven by the University’s recent selection as NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Award recipient — there is more to be done to reach the goals the University has set. And Hong is ready to hit the ground running.

“We have so many things ahead that we need to be doing. You can see it as more work, or you can see it as ‘This is so exciting, we have new opportunities,’” she says, sharing how the new global strategy energizes her.

One aspect that makes the constant flow of tasks and goals easier for Hong is when the work serves a bigger purpose. While keeping your head down and doing the work is important, the ‘why’ behind the work is the driving force for her.

“I have a deep respect for this institution and what it stands for and the community we build here. We are driven by our values, by our vision and mission,” she shares. From daily tasks to overarching strategy, “everyone is mission-aligned from top to bottom” — that’s how Hong leads and why she continues to stay inspired and encouraged by her work, nearly two decades in.

“In my own career, I have never set a goal that I want to be this or be that. My goal has always been to do good work.” And, of course, she says, “It helps when you love what you do.”

Originally published by Jessie Carson at global.nd.edu on March 05, 2025.