In the News - World in Conversation

Dr. Laurie Mulvey Delivers Keynote Speech at NATO Conference in London

Published January 21, 2025

Alumna Makes Impactful Gifts

With a total commitment of $34,000, Penn State College of the Liberal Arts alumna Cassandra Matos has supported a program that played a fundamental role in shaping her experience as a student and future professional. Her gift to World in Conversation (WinC) will help the program to engage the Penn State community in honest conversations on difficult topics through facilitated dialogues across the University and beyond.

Published October 9, 2024

Looking back on our global conference, “Beyond Borders: An International Collaboration to Advance Public Diplomacy”

Published September 9, 2024

Dr. Laurie Mulvey speaks internationally at Democracy Summit DemocracyXChange

Published April 29, 2024

World in Conversation co-founders offer matching funds challenge

A $25,000 bequest from Mulvey and Richards will support the “Fund for a World in Conversation,” and they have promised additional support from their estate as an incentive for others to contribute in order to activate the endowment.

Published April 11, 2023

Day of Dialogue at Penn State asks people to ‘think together’

One thing was clear: While no two dialogues were the same, the experience enabled the members to talk about issues important to themselves in a respectful, supportive environment.

Published February 28, 2020

Students in the US and Iraq Discover Common Ground

“Even though they were oppressed by ISIS, they have hopes and dreams. These students are running extra fast to make up for the 3 lost years of their lives” -Basim Razzo (Iraq program manager for WINC)

Published January 20, 2020

NATO supports dialogue between Allied military cadets and Afghan citizens

Over the last three years, military personnel from Allied nations and civilians from Afghanistan have been involved in a direct dialogue meant to facilitate communication between people from differing cultural backgrounds. This project was financed through the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme (SPS) and ended in December 2017.

Published February 1, 2018

Dr. Laurie Mulvey Delivers Keynote Speech at NATO Conference in London

Dr. Laurie Mulvey, Director of the World in Conversation Center at Penn State University, was the keynote speaker at a NATO research conference in London in May of 2024. The conference, entitled Leadership Development for Multinational Military Operations, was designed to bring together leadership experts to address multinational military and civil leaders, researchers, and NATO partners.

Published January 21, 2025

Alumna Makes Impactful Gifts

Published October 9, 2024

Facilitator Skills as “Citizen Diplomacy” in a War Zone

Momen Muhanned, a student at University of Mosul in Iraq, is a former World in Conversation (WinC) facilitator who participated in all of our classes voluntarily when COVID-19 sent all of our work online. This led him to playing a key role as a “citizen diplomat” in support of Azmat Khan, a Pulitzer prize winning investigative journalist for the New York Times.

Published September 18, 2024

Looking back on our global conference, “Beyond Borders: An International Collaboration to Advance Public Diplomacy”

Some of our colleagues recently traveled to Penn State University from around the world to attend a conference hosted by World in Conversation. Learn how they make it possible for us to serve people and communities with needs, interests, and risk factors that may be vastly different from one another.

Published September 9, 2024

Dr. Laurie Mulvey speaks internationally at Democracy Summit DemocracyXChange

During Canada’s recent Democracy Summit DemocracyXChange, Dr. Laurie Mulvey presented a case for how conflict facilitators are necessary for people to meaningfully collaborate across deep divides in order to build solutions for our most pressing social problems.

Published April 29, 2024

Maymester course gives students an immersive learning experience in South Korea

Titled “Sociology and Culture in Korea,” the program, led by Samuel Richards, teaching professor of sociology at University Park, Ben Park, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State Brandywine, and Laurie Mulvey, associate clinical professor of sociology and director of World in Conversation at Penn State, provided students with a cross-cultural immersion study experience that paired them with students from Seoul’s Konkuk University.

Published June 6, 2023

World in Conversation co-founders offer matching funds challenge

Published April 11, 2023

Day of Dialogue at Penn State asks people to ‘think together’

One thing was clear: While no two dialogues were the same, the experience enabled the members to talk about issues important to themselves in a respectful, supportive environment.

Published February 28, 2020

Students in the US and Iraq Discover Common Ground

Published January 20, 2020

Day of Dialogue Offers Community Chance to Have Conversations that Matter

World In Conversation pilot event draws more than 600 students, faculty, and staff

Published February 19, 2019

Is conversation the answer to what divides us?

World in Conversation executive director on the value of dialogue in a democracy

Published May 21, 2018

Transforming Education: A Powerful Classroom Experience

An unexpected friendship began between Penn State professor of sociology Sam Richards and Basim Razzo, an Iraqi citizen living on the other side of this world

Published April 30, 2018

An Iraqi man’s bond with a Penn State professor started with an email. Then U.S. forces bombed his house

The story of a Penn State professor, his Iraqi friend, a tragic loss of life, and the lessons they provide.

Published April 14, 2018

Is Penn State World in Conversation worth funding?

Founded in the early 2000s, WinC is a program that allows students to attend dialogues facilitated by other students. Topics covered in the dialogues include race, gender, class and more.

Published February 2, 2018

NATO supports dialogue between Allied military cadets and Afghan citizens

Published February 1, 2018

Empatía radical: escuchar y entender al otro

Una metodología que busca encontrar la capacidad de escucha en cada colombiano.

Published August 19, 2017

Si aceptan que violencia fue de ambos lados, se rompería polarización

El sociólogo Samuel Richards analiza cómo debe enfrentar Colombia la reinserción de las Farc.

Published August 12, 2017

Center for Online Innovation in Learning announces spring 2017 grant recipients

The Center for Online Innovation in Learning at Penn State has announced it will fund four new projects through its Research Initiation Grant Program.

Published June 23, 2017

Workshop titled ‘Dialogue in Trump’s America’ to compare U.S., Northern Ireland

“Dialogue is the most effective tool for building our capacity to manage difference and conflict,” David Holloway

Published March 29, 2017

In Step with All In

Earlier in the week, at a “World in Conversation” event joining Penn State’s President’s Council with more than 30 students, some expressed the view that they were working to “not object to someone they disagreed with” in order to better get along together.

Published January 25, 2017

Penn State prof uses technology to help students think about race

“I want the conversations that are sparked in this class to go beyond the classroom,” Richards said. “A subject like race and ethnic relations is a national and global issue. To be successful, we have to bring many different voices and perspectives into the conversation. We can do that with the live stream.”

Published January 25, 2017

University Leaders, Students Come Together to Talk about Diversity, Inclusion

Understanding each other’s differences and learning from them was the focus of a recent forum that brought student leaders together with University officials for conversations to deepen their appreciation of the viewpoints of others.

Published January 24, 2017

Abington and Brandywine campuses unite in fight against racism

On Martin Luther King Day, faculty and staff from Penn State Abington and Penn State Brandywine came together for “Beyond ‘All In’: A Retreat on Racism.”

Published January 23, 2017

Two WPSU Penn State productions earn prestigious Mid-Atlantic Emmys

Two WPSU Penn State productions have been honored with prestigious Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards. The regional Emmys were presented Saturday, Sept. 24 in Philadelphia during the 34th annual awards ceremony of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Mid-Atlantic chapter.

Published September 26, 2016

Trigger warnings: A campus code of decency or an overused guise to censor?

Few universities have adopted formal policies on trigger warnings, but these days, at the discretion of professors, the range of topics that warrant alerts have broadened to include, the U.S. Constitution, Black Lives Matter on down to Pokemon Go and discussions on police.

Published September 14, 2016

¿Para qué sirve entender las motivaciones de un guerrillero o un paramilitar?

Dos sociólogos estadounidenses nos hablaron de la importancia de la empatía a la hora de resolver conflictos.

Published May 17, 2016

State of State conference explores the glory at annual conference

State of State’s 2016 conference ignited thoughtful discussion in Alumni Hall of the HUB-Robeson Center on Saturday, with a total of 17 speakers who spoke on a broad range of topics that affect the Penn State community.

Published February 14, 2016

Race and religion-based violence cannot be tolerated

The Daily Collegian’s editorial opinion is determined by its Board of Opinion, which is made up of members of its Board of Editors, and written by its opinions editor, with the editor in chief holding final responsibility for content.

Published December 9, 2015

World in Conversation builds partnerships in Wuhan, China

The World in Conversation Center (WinC) staff members Trent Hall, Jenny Beben and Shannon Howley recently met with students, faculty and staff of the Wuhan Institute of Technology (WIT) in China. The relationships fostered by the trip will increase the number of meaningful virtual dialogues to transpire between Penn State and WIT students, as the center continues to expand the scope of its global dialogue.

Published May 5, 2015

Seballos to receive Robinson Equal Opportunity Award

Danna Jayne Seballos, administrative support coordinator 4 and assistant director for the World in Conversation Center, has been selected to receive the 2015 Dr. James Robinson Equal Opportunity Award.

Published April 9, 2015

World in Conversation to study impact of dialogues with NATO cadets, civilians

“WinC anticipates a very fruitful collaboration, and believes that the partnership with the Afghanistan Independent Bar Association will be a model for others like it that are sure to follow,” Laurie Mulvey

Published February 3, 2015

Biobehavioral health students share insight, work at Engaged Scholarship Expo

Eden Araya, a junior BBH student, presented “Conversations that Matter,” about her work at World in Conversation (WinC) at Penn State, where she is a facilitator on the global dialogues team connecting people in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Poland, the Netherlands, China and other places.

Published November 21, 2014

World in Conversation faculty highlight cultural dialogues at global summit

The World in Conversation Center’s contribution to WISE was to showcase the innovative use of cross-cultural video dialogue as a powerful pedagogical tool for deepening a student’s understanding of the world and themselves

Published November 12, 2014

Sociology class examines Israel-Palestine conflict through virtual conversation

Throughout the semester, students use videoconferencing technologies to connect with people who live in the conflict zone or who have experienced conflict in another part of the world. This fall, they’ve spoken with individuals living in Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem and Northern Ireland.

Published November 10, 2014

Sam Richards and Laurie Mulvey to Speak at Qatar Education Summit

Two of Penn State’s most prominent thought leaders will be speaking at the three-day World Innovation Summit for Education — referred to rather cheekily as WISE — beginning on Nov. 4 in Doha, Qatar.

Published October 30, 2014

Team from World in Conversation Project to participate in UN forum

Penn State’s Sam Richards, senior lecturer in sociology, and Laurie Mulvey, lecturer in sociology, along with a contingent from their World In Conversation Project (WinC), will travel to Doha, Qatar, to participate in the UN Alliance of Civilization’s Youth Day forum on Dec. 10. The event is expected to attract more than 250 youth from around the world.

Published December 8, 2011

DNA Test unearths students’ family roots

Thanks to a cooperation between Sam Richards, senior lecturer in sociology, and Mark Shriver, associate professor of anthropology and genetics, Dobbins (senior-sociology) took a DNA test that showed his genetic racial breakdown.

Published December 5, 2005

Dr. Laurie Mulvey Delivers Keynote Speech at NATO Conference in London

Looking back on our global conference, “Beyond Borders: An International Collaboration to Advance Public Diplomacy”

Dr. Laurie Mulvey speaks internationally at Democracy Summit DemocracyXChange

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