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Emory Intercultural Leadership Program fosters connections, deepens understanding
Group of students

The Emory Intercultural Leadership Program helps cohort members develop valuable communication and leadership skills so they can engage meaningfully with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

The 2024-25 academic year marks another enriching year of the Emory Intercultural Leadership Program (EILP), launched by the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

Open to both international and domestic students across Emory’s undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, the program provides participants with a versatile toolkit that includes global leadership skills, intercultural communication strategies and service-learning experiences.

“At its core, the EILP emphasizes inclusivity, collaboration and personal leadership, equipping students with the skills to engage meaningfully with individuals from diverse backgrounds,” says Shinn Ko, assistant vice provost of ISSS.

The transformative nature of the EILP is evident in the impact it has on participants and the Emory community. Through monthly seminars, students sharpen their emotional intelligence and intercultural competencies while engaging in thoughtful exchanges of perspectives.

“I have spent most of my life in Montana, a fairly homogenous state with little diversity,” says Emory College student Will Carraway. “I applied to EILP to develop skills in leadership, cooperation and intercultural communication through healthy discourse and challenging my own opinions. This program offers an invaluable opportunity to learn from diverse worldviews, fostering a more complete understanding of the world we live in.”

In October, participants embarked on a powerful journey of self-discovery during the EILP leadership retreat, which encouraged reflection on identity, culture and values.

“The EILP leadership retreat was an invaluable experience because it brought together students from different cultural backgrounds, with intellectually diverse interests, and at varying stages of their academic careers,” says Preksha Kukreja, a third-year medical student. “It created a forum for rich discussions in which we learned more about each other, but also about ourselves.” 

Looking ahead to the spring semester, EILP participants will collaborate with the Emory International Council on a meaningful service-learning project, allowing them to apply their skills in a real-world setting.

To learn more about the program, visit the ISSS EILP page and follow ISSS on Instagram for participant spotlights and updates on the program.


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