This September, Freie Universität Berlin will mark a major milestone: the 20th anniversary of its renowned FU-BEST (Freie Universität Berlin European Studies) program. Over the past two decades, FU-BEST has grown into one of Europe’s most respected English-language study abroad programs, offering students from across the globe—including many from Rutgers University—a life-changing academic and cultural experience in the heart of Berlin. Rutgers Global Study Abroad has proudly partnered with FU-BEST for over a decade, sending students to Berlin in the fall and spring since at least 2008. The program remains a student favorite, drawing those interested in European studies, language immersion, and cultural exploration.
Students, faculty, and staff from the Rutgers School of Public Health recently returned from a deeply enriching study abroad experience in Manizales, Colombia. The experience provided students with an immersive opportunity to directly engage with community-based organizations, public health agencies, researchers, educators, and community leaders dedicated to addressing health inequities in Latin American communities. Led by Rafael E. Pérez-Figueroa, Associate Dean for Community Engagement, Population Health, and Public Health Service and associate professor in Rutgers School of Public Health’s Department of Urban-Global Public Health, the study abroad course was hosted in collaboration with the Universidad Autónoma de Manizales (UAM).
As part of Rutgers University’s growing Korea–US engagement strategy in the biomedical and health sciences, Rutgers Global and Rutgers Health co-hosted a Symposium on Korea–US R&D Collaborations and Funding Opportunities on Thursday, June 19, at Richard Weeks Hall on the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus. The symposium was the culmination of several collaborative events between Rutgers and K-BioX, a global bio-health innovation platform that connects Korean and international institutions to advance research partnerships.
A record 20 students across Rutgers University have been awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which empowers students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, fostering mutual understanding between the United States and other countries.
This milestone highlights Rutgers’ growing commitment to global education and access for all students, especially those traditionally underrepresented in study abroad programs.
When Illia Kholiavin fled his war-torn Ukrainian hometown of Mariupol in 2022, he left behind the only life he’d ever known. After relocating first to Poland and then Sparta, N.J., with his mother and grandmother, he committed himself to learning English and finishing school. “What we experienced was brutal. It changed something in us,” he said. “You really understand that life is not infinite. You need to do something in your life before it ends.” On May 16, Kholiavin was inducted into Rutgers University’s prestigious Matthew Leydt Society along with 234 of his peers who ranked in the top 2% of Rutgers University-New Brunswick's and Rutgers Health's graduating Class of 2025.
