Fulbright specialist joins ATU to advance global learning and student experience

April 20, 2026

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) welcomed internationally recognised scholar-practitioner Dr Stephanie Doscher as a Fulbright Specialist during April and May 2026. The visit marks a significant milestone in advancing ATU’s strategic commitment to global engagement, curriculum internationalisation, and the development of globally competent graduates.

Dr Doscher is a senior leader in higher education internationalisation in the United States, with expertise in curriculum innovation, academic partnerships and institutional capacity building. She serves as a Senior Fellow with the Global Citizenship Alliance and as an Executive Board member of COIL Connect. Her publications include The Guide to COIL Virtual Exchange (2022) and Making Global Learning Universal: Promoting Inclusion and Success for All Students (2018), and she is the host of the Making Global Learning Universal podcast.

Delivered through a collaboration between ATU Global and the Teaching and Learning Centre, the programme will adopt a structured, multi-layered engagement model designed to strengthen institutional capacity and embed global learning across the University. This initiative will directly support the development and implementation of ATU’s forthcoming Global Engagement Strategy, where global learning is identified as a key priority to ensure all students benefit from a globally connected education.

The programme will be delivered across three levels of engagement:

-Masterclasses, providing strategic insights into global learning and curriculum internationalisation

-Lunch & Learn sessions, encouraging dialogue and shared understanding across the university community

-Programmatic review workshops, supporting academic staff in embedding global and intercultural learning outcomes within their programmes

Together, these engagements will explore key themes including global citizenship education, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and virtual exchange, as well as fostering wellbeing and belonging within diverse learning environments. A central thread throughout the programme will be a critical exploration of what constitutes meaningful global learning in contemporary higher education.

The visit will also follow a three-stage engagement model across ATU campuses. This includes facilitated dialogue sessions with students, staff and community stakeholders to shape a shared vision for global learning and global citizenship; faculty-focused workshops to support curriculum internationalisation; and flexible engagement opportunities such as programme-level consultations and partnership development discussions.

Dr Carina Ginty, Head of Teaching and Learning with responsibility for transformative education, said:
“Stephanie’s visit to ATU is both timely and impactful as we progress programmatic review and apply ATU’s ‘7 Steps to Programme Design’ alongside our Curriculum Framework Toolkit and priority themes, including internationalisation. The series of engagement sessions will support academic teams in integrating international, intercultural and inclusive perspectives into teaching, learning and assessment, aligning closely with institutional priorities such as equality, diversity and inclusion, education for sustainability, and our Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy.”

John Andy Bonar, Vice President for Internationalisation at ATU, said:

We are delighted to welcome Dr Doscher to ATU and to the West and Northwest of Ireland as part of this landmark Fulbright Specialist programme focused on global learning and curriculum internationalisation. This initiative comes at a pivotal time as we finalise our inaugural Global Engagement Strategy. Building on the strong foundations already established through initiatives such as COIL and virtual exchange, this programme will further enhance our capacity and act as a catalyst for advancing global learning across the University.

Dr Dara FitzGerald, Executive Director of the Ireland–United States Commission for Educational Exchange, added:
“The Fulbright Specialist Program supports highly qualified U.S. academics and professionals in sharing expertise and strengthening connections between U.S. and Irish institutions. We are delighted that Dr Stephanie Doscher will collaborate with ATU to support the application of its ‘7 Steps to Programme Design’ and contribute to the development and implementation of its Global Engagement Strategy.”

The Fulbright Specialist Program, administered by the Fulbright Program and the Ireland–United States Commission for Educational Exchange, supports short-term, project-based exchanges that bring international expertise to host institutions. ATU’s participation reflects its growing global profile and its commitment to fostering impactful international partnerships.