Promoting global understanding: The rewards and challenges of faculty–student collaborative research

Abstract

Collaborative research is an integral part of interdisciplinary anthropological inquiry. Applied anthropological perspectives and collaborative research are instrumental in gaining greater understanding of cultural beliefs. Students from East Carolina University in the Global Understanding program obtain a broad educational background that emphasizes cultural diversity by completing a collaborative project with a student from a partner university. Collaborative projects on cross‐cultural definitions of success are discussed to demonstrate the strengths and challenges of faculty–student collaborative research. Another program offered at East Carolina that is an example of faculty–student collaborative research is the Peru Study Abroad. Students engage with local community members to gather cultural data on various topics that yielded fascinating results that helped students to understand the Andean worldview. The rewards and the challenges of faculty–student collaborative work will be discussed in terms of student learning outcomes and cultural beliefs. [higher education, collaborative research, cultural beliefs]