School of Education Hosts 2nd Annual UCI-Tübingen Global Research Initiative
By Sam Bersola
February 7, 2025
February 7, 2025
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From January 13-16, 2025, UC Irvine’s School of Education welcomed German scholars from Tübingen University for the 2nd annual convening entitled "Bridging Horizons: UCI-Tübingen Global Research Initiative." The event brought together 12 German scholars and more than 20 UC Irvine faculty and students for a week of collaboration, research exchange, and interdisciplinary discussions on topics such as AI in education, motivation, higher education and teacher professional development. Organized by Professors Nia Nixon and Drew Bailey, with support from Professor Rossella Santagata, the exchange featured research presentations, posters, and individual meetings between scholars from both institutions.
A highlight of the convening was a keynote by Distinguished Professor Mark Warschauer, titled “Researching Generative AI in Writing.” Professors Nixon, Santagata, June Ahn, Jacquelynne Eccles, Hosun Kang, Lindsey Richland and Sandra Simpkins also shared their work. Faculty members from education, engineering, and social sciences participated, reinforcing the interdisciplinary connections between the two universities. |
School of Education faculty and doctoral students, and scholars from Tübingen University at this year's convening
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”Our visit to UCI was an outstanding success, fostering deep academic exchanges and opening new avenues for collaboration that will shape the future of our research,” said Kou Murayama, Professor of Educational Psychology at the Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology at Tübingen University, who led the German contingency.
School of Education alumnus and Tübingen postdoctoral scholar Gabe Orona
Bailey, professor and senior associate dean of Academic Programs at the School of Education, echoed this sentiment: “The meeting was a great opportunity to share and learn about active research projects at both institutions. Combining ideas from different teams with such collaborative approaches is a great recipe for inspiring new, creative projects.”
A key feature of the convening was the ongoing tradition of postdoctoral exchange, exemplified by Ph.D. in Education alumnus Gabriel Orona, now a postdoc at Tübingen. Dr. Orona shared, “Attending this convening felt like coming full circle—having started as a doctoral student at UCI, then expanding my work as a postdoc at Tübingen, continuing collaborations with UCI, and now bringing those experiences into my role at Boston College. Attending this event was a reminder of the people who supported me along the way—mentors, colleagues, and collaborators—whose guidance and encouragement have been instrumental in my growth. It also serves as a prime example of how intellectual communities can foster lasting connections and shape new directions in research and scholarship.”
Distinguished Professor Eccles, who established ties with Tübingen University in 2013, hosted the visiting scholars for a dinner at her home, marking another milestone in this academic partnership. With two years of successful research exchanges, Assistant Professor Nixon shared the next step, “We plan to strengthen ties by signing a Memorandum of Understanding, enabling us to further explore cooperative research and scholarly relations of mutual interest.”
This convening continues to reinforce the global impact of research collaborations between UC Irvine and Tübingen University, creating new opportunities for innovation and academic exchange.
A key feature of the convening was the ongoing tradition of postdoctoral exchange, exemplified by Ph.D. in Education alumnus Gabriel Orona, now a postdoc at Tübingen. Dr. Orona shared, “Attending this convening felt like coming full circle—having started as a doctoral student at UCI, then expanding my work as a postdoc at Tübingen, continuing collaborations with UCI, and now bringing those experiences into my role at Boston College. Attending this event was a reminder of the people who supported me along the way—mentors, colleagues, and collaborators—whose guidance and encouragement have been instrumental in my growth. It also serves as a prime example of how intellectual communities can foster lasting connections and shape new directions in research and scholarship.”
Distinguished Professor Eccles, who established ties with Tübingen University in 2013, hosted the visiting scholars for a dinner at her home, marking another milestone in this academic partnership. With two years of successful research exchanges, Assistant Professor Nixon shared the next step, “We plan to strengthen ties by signing a Memorandum of Understanding, enabling us to further explore cooperative research and scholarly relations of mutual interest.”
This convening continues to reinforce the global impact of research collaborations between UC Irvine and Tübingen University, creating new opportunities for innovation and academic exchange.
