Aidan Christopher Chiang, a current second-year student, hit the ground running with his global involvement during his first year at UC Davis. Driven by his passion for understanding world cultures and creating global connections, Aidan was involved in a multitude of opportunities, from being a part of the on-campus global living and learning community and his involvement with the International Relations Student Association to taking part in the study program abroad in Malaysia this past summer. This year, Aidan will continue pursuing his major in International Relations and minor in music while also participating in the university’s honor program.

“Make sure to keep an open mind because you’ll never know what you’ll learn.” - Aidan Christopher Chiang

Cultivating Community

During his first year at UC Davis, Aidan was a part of the Global Engagement Opportunity Living Learning Community (GEO-LLC). The GEO-LLC program is for incoming first-years looking to engage in cross-cultural friendships and build cultural competency. Through the program, Aidan had the chance to dorm on a floor full of students interested in expanding their cultural learning. Aidan was drawn to participating in the LLC due to his International Relations major and his goal to pursue a career that allows him to engage with different cultures to help improve our global challenges. Towards the end of his first year, Aidan and his friends received a Global Kitchen mini-grant to cook pancit canton, a noodle dish from the Philippines, for fellow residents in the LLC. Through the event, Aidan and his friends cultivated community by bringing their floormates together to enjoy a meal and partake in karaoke singing, a great way to celebrate the end of their first year.

When recalling his time in the GEO-LLC, Aidan states, “Living in the dorms for me was a once in a lifetime opportunity…I chose to play Wii with people in our game room, engage in simultaneous Duolingo sessions in our lounge, and go for walks as a small group through the arboretum.”

Branching Out

Two experiences that Aidan aimed to challenge himself in were his First Year Aggie Connections group and participating in the Pal program.

First Year Aggie Connections is a program for incoming students to connect with a group of their peers based on a shared purpose throughout one quarter of the academic term. Aidan participated in the “Global Pathfinder First Year Aggie Connections Group: Charting a Path to Global Learning,” which challenged him to learn more in-depth about what it means to be a global citizen. Some of his main takeaways were how to take steps towards cultural learning, engage with the world, and succeed in his future career goals and aspirations.

The Pal Program creates an opportunity for students to be paired with a peer to increase their intercultural awareness. Students meet with their partner once a week through one quarter of the academic term and can use the sessions to increase cultural understanding, practice languages, and more. Aidan appreciated being able to practice his language skills in both Spanish and Mandarin. He thoroughly enjoyed being able to meet and interact with international students and felt that he was able to extend his language skills.

A Sustainable Future

As he works towards a career on the global scale, Aidan has already begun engaging in hands-on experience on global issues with two internships. This past school year, Aidan was a Global Affairs Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) intern, a program focusing on building awareness around SDG presence on the UC Davis campus and beyond. As an SDG intern, his main tasks focused on blogging about the organization’s efforts in the AIEA Thematic Forum 2024 (an event focusing on the implementation of SDGs on college campuses), the GEO-LLC, and UC Davis’s own Whole Earth Festival. 

Aidan also had the chance to participate in U21’s Micro Internship Program, which tasks students with working together to solve SDG-related challenges. Over a two-week period, Aidan collaborated with seven individuals around the world to develop a solution to housing inequality in Auckland, New Zealand.

Adventures Abroad

This past summer, Aidan participated in Study Abroad in Malaysia with an SDG-focused program with the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), where his curriculum centered on mental health and wellbeing. Aidan took a variety of classes focused on cultural competency, health literacy, and multiculturalism. At the end of the term, Aidan and his classmates culminated their experiences via poster presentations in their program teams, presenting on their favorite classes and their main takeaways from the program. 
Outside of academics, Aidan also engaged in extracurricular activities such as kayaking and tai chi along with exploring Kuala Lumpur with his classmates. Additionally, Aidan and one of his classmates, Raphael, bonded during their time abroad over their shared interest in the United Nations (UN) and have begun planning the creation of a UN Student Association here at UC Davis. 

When talking about studying abroad, Aidan states, “I was just expecting to take in different lectures in Malaysia, but I didn’t expect the camaraderie that would come because we had local contacts who helped us integrate into the program. But also with other participants, I was able to develop really good friendships.”

A Global Future

Aidan’s future aspirations revolve around his major in International Relations and his love for global learning. He wants to pursue a career in public diplomacy or a position as a foreign service officer with the Department of State in hopes of bettering relations among international entities. As he continues his time at UC Davis and beyond, Aidan has equipped himself with the knowledge, friendships, and experiences to prepare him for his next global adventure!

About the Global Learning Hub at UC Davis

As a part of Global Affairs, the Global Learning Hub aims to inspire and advance global curiosity, understanding, and engagement.

Through the Global Learning Hub, every UC Davis student can find global learning opportunities available on campus, in the region, virtually, and internationally. The Hub offers global learning programs, workshops, and resources that enhance all UC Davis students’ academic and career pursuits through four broad areas of opportunities: Community Engagement; Global Skills and Leadership; Internships and Research; and Study Abroad. UC Davis is committed to preparing the next generation of global problem solvers and change makers. As such, we aim to prepare our undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to solve global challenges collaboratively, equitably, and sustainably.