International faculty mentoring partnership with international undergraduate student and community organizations in a local and a global context: lessons learned

ABSTRACT The authors of this perspectives-based paper analyze the research process and results of an undergraduate research (UR) partnership that involved both of us – an undergraduate student and a faculty member with international backgrounds–, a local non-profit organization in North Carolina that connected the authors with research participants who are refugees from diverse origins in Africa and South Asia, and a foreign non-profit organization that connected the authors with Nepali research participants in Nepal. Learning about how this research partnership worked, its challenges and successes is important to better understand how faculty members of diverse origins can effectively mentor undergraduate students of diverse origins in both local and global contexts. Recommendations and lessons learned are offered.