Bath academic successful with Fulbright Global Challenge Teaching Award

Dr Peter Manning, Social & Policy Sciences, has been matched with Elon University, North Carolina, to co-develop a virtual learning experience.

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Published on Tuesday 9 September 2025
Last updated on Tuesday 9 September 2025
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Elon University North Carolina building with fountain in front of it. Photo: Kevin Oliver https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ — Elon University, North Carolina, Photo: Kevin Oliver https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

The Global Challenges Teaching Awards support pairs of teaching faculty—one at a US higher education institution (HEI) and one at a UK HEI—in co-delivering virtual exchange programs for undergraduates that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Successful applicants were paired with a course from the US that also addresses one of the global challenges of climate change and climate action, disinformation and misinformation, heath inequality, or peace and justice. Dr Manning was successful with a bid in the peace and justice category, and was paired with Dr Sandy Marshall of Elon University. Dr Marshall is a Human Geographer who works with migrant and refugee children and youth on issues related to conflict and humanitarian aid.

Through their receipt of a Global Challenges Teaching Award (GCTA), both Dr Manning and Dr Marshall will implement joint projects to provide opportunities for themselves, their students, staff, and institutions to increase their understanding of others, sharpen their cultural competency skills, and become better prepared to address today’s global challenges as part of the 21st-century workforce.

All grantees take part in a professional development programme supported by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Virtual Exchange/COIL Institute. This programme includes intensive online courses for faculty instructors and academic/international education administrators, customized mentored guidance, and online campus check-ins leading up to the virtual exchange course implementation.

On receiving the notification, Dr Manning said:

I’m honoured to receive such a prestigious award. This is a really exciting opportunity for students in SPS – and their counterparts at Elon – to work together to better understand and tackle global challenges around conflict, peace, and justice. I’m delighted to be working with Dr Marshall on the project.

Professor Deborah Wilson, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences added:

Many congratulations to Peter on winning this prestigious award. This is a significant achievement that will create a new partnership with Elon University and a range of exciting opportunities for our students. Working together, we will be able to develop pedagogically innovative approaches that enable our students to employ their disciplinary knowledge to address significant global challenges.