Elon University is a partner in the new global engagement snapshot from the N.C. Coalition of Global Competitiveness.
A new tool to quantify and visualize how much North Carolina is engaging with the rest of the world is now live, thanks to the assistance of Elon University’s Center for Organizational Analytics.
The N.C. Global Engagement Snapshot is a project of the N.C. Coalition for Global Competitiveness, a public-private group founded in 2013 and chaired by former N.C. Commerce Secretary Jim Fain. The new snapshot tool comes a year after the release of the first Blueprint for Global Engagement by the coalition, which is made up of about 40 N.C. business, education and government leaders.
The snapshot presents 63 data points that help quantify the engagement of North Carolina with the world across education, business, government and community sectors. It includes an online dashboard to help visualize the connection between North Carolina and the rest of the world and set benchmarks for engagement.
The snapshot tracks and monitors baseline global indicators across North Carolina such as:
- Number of non-stop international flights – 35
- Number of K-12 students studying foreign languages – 380,000+ (more)
- Value of agricultural exports — $2.3 billion
- Economic contribution of international students studying in N.C. — $458 million
The release of the N.C. Global Engagement Snapshot follows a year-long data collection and analysis effort by Go Global NC, Elon University and RTI International. A team of student interns from Elon’s Center for Organizational Analytics led by Haya Ajjan, assistant professor of management information systems, was instrumental in the development of the online dashboard.
“It was a pleasure for Elon to be part of an initiative that is a first-of-its-kind in the nation. This collaboration has benefited our talented students who have gained insights into global indicators and visualization techniques, while adding value to our partnership with Go Global NC and RTI International,” Ajjan said. “We have together created a global engagement reference that is valuable and useful for decision-makers supporting our North Carolina community.”
Find out more about the Global Engagement Snapshot from Go Global NC, a program of the UNC General Administration that coordinates the N.C. Coalition for Global Competitiveness, here.