From building rural schools while living under apartheid to lecturing around the world on global citizenship, Varkey George has been a trailblazer in international education and community engagement for more than four decades.

George is one of the leading practitioners of social entrepreneurship, a business model that strives to positively impact social, cultural, or environmental issues. The founder of Oshun South Africa, he is known for his public scholarship, study abroad advocacy, and community development across South Africa and around the world.

As a Global Fellow in Residence at Mozaiko, Virginia Tech’s global living-learning community, he spent two weeks on the Blacksburg campus sharing his experiences with students and faculty members. His visit is just one of the ways that, as a leading global land-grant university, Virginia Tech is convening top talent and engaging in partnerships around the world to achieve its tripartite mission.

Theresa Johansson, director of the Global Education Office, organized his visit. “I cannot think of anyone whose life experiences and professional endeavors showcase service and global engagement more,” she said. “His visit was about giving our faculty and students the tools to engage in Ut Prosim wherever they are.”

A threefold purpose

George held intimate conversations with students and faculty in a variety of settings across campus. He also presented at the university’s first Rebuilding Interest in Africa Conference, during which attendees from Virginia Tech and nearby schools workshopped ways to engage effectively in Africa.

In each of his talks, George focused on three overarching themes:

  • Global citizenship
  • Reciprocal and entrepreneurial service to communities
  • Deepening relationships in Africa

“For a university to be globally relevant, it must be globally competent and actually solving issues of the world. Otherwise, why should we have a university?” George said. “Over and above the attributes that we are now striving to develop in our students, let us add on creating global citizens and socially responsible people. Social entrepreneurship combined with internationalization opens up the world.”

Guru Ghosh, vice president for outreach and international affairs, noted the importance of George’s three themes during opening remarks at the conference.

  • On developing partnerships in Africa, Ghosh said, “Three of the world’s fastest-growing countries are in Africa and have a burgeoning, talented youth population that Virginia Tech must engage with. If we are going to succeed in the 21st century, our journey must cross through the African continent.”
  • On community engagement and service learning: “It is important that as a global university with a vision of global distinction on our minds, we are engaging for the benefit of all the communities that Hokies find themselves in.”
  • On global citizenship: “As a country, the United States has a long way to go in investing in our youth so they make the transition from global literacy to global competency to global collaboration. We must think on a people-to-people level so we can appreciate and understand one another and build our dreams collectively.”

Engagement across campus

George’s presence catalyzed conversations across departments and organizations as diverse as the Center for Rural Education, the Department of Computer Science, Pamplin College of Business’ International Business Fraternity, and the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials.

  • The Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation hosted a roundtable conversation with George that attracted over 40 participants from across the university and local community. Director Kim Niewolny said it illustrated “the potential of global partnerships to foster student and faculty service initiatives focused on sustainable development through excellence across our research, teaching, and engagement aims.”
  • The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is already strongly engaged with George’s service and internationalization efforts in South Africa. “Last year, we established a project with the college that has already moved from collegiality to friendship,” George said. This study abroad program, embedded in the global food security and health minor, engages students in service learning in Cape Town, South Africa.
  • Supporters of Elimisha Kakuma — a university-access program in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya that partners with the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies (CRMDS) — also spoke with George. Deirdre Hand, community engagement specialist with CRMDS and the Center for Rural Education, and a co-founder of Elimisha Kakuma, said she found in him a “shared passion for providing educational access to students facing barriers.” His work “resonated deeply with us since it is closely related to our mission at Elimisha Kakuma. George’s determination and innovative approach as well as his insights into social entrepreneurship have inspired us.”

From collaborative online learning opportunities to additional study abroad programs, George said he was exploring partnerships with departments across Virginia Tech. “My interaction with this university is set to be long term,” he said.

Impact on students

In various classes, George’s lectures urged students to become global citizens and changemakers. By sharing his journey as a social entrepreneur and educator, he aimed to inspire Hokies to leverage their skills and knowledge for positive societal impact, both locally and internationally.

  • The Pamplin College of Business hosted two events for students to interact with George. Jennifer Clevenger, director of international programs, said of his visit: “I believe that students now have a better understanding of how one person can make an impact on the lives of others. We want them to become more aware of the growing force that Africa will play in the future. Varkey was able to provide that important information to our students.”
  • At the Cranwell International Center, George mingled with students throughout the two weeks he lived among them in the Mozaiko residence hall. Program director Carey Stewart said, “Varkey’s gift of conversation, wealth of experience, and love for people benefited the Mozaiko community. His journey as a social entrepreneur, leader, and seeker was enlightening.”
  • For one of George’s several guest lectures, he presented on European Union-Africa cooperation for an international studies class taught by Professor Yannis Stivachtis. Grace Esparza, a junior studying international relations, was one of the students who attended the lecture. “His unique perspectives gave us an insight into the power of personal connections throughout different cultures to shape the outcomes of politics. This lecture brought us closer to understanding the challenges our world brings while also teaching us how listening to each other can be the solution to humanity’s greatest challenges,” she said.

Amy Price Azano, director of the Center for Rural Education, summed up the impact George had throughout his residency. “We met as colleagues and departed as friends,” she said. “His visit will have a lasting impact across myriad colleges and centers at Virginia Tech.”

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