Lokesh Addagiri

Global Learning Experience

An interdisciplinary first-year seminar exploring global citizenship, intercultural communication, globalization, cultural identity, and ethical problem-solving through collaborative international research.

Global CitizenshipIntercultural CommunicationResearchCross-Cultural AnalysisGlobalizationPublic Speaking

About

Developing a global perspective.

GBST 1012 approached global issues not as distant headlines, but as lived realities shaped by culture, economics, history, and power. The seminar built a foundation in global citizenship — understanding how individual choices connect to international systems — while examining how globalization accelerates the exchange of ideas, capital, and people across borders.

Through intercultural communication frameworks, including Hofstede's cultural dimensions and Hall's high- and low-context theory, I learned to read cultural identity as something dynamic rather than fixed. Intercultural praxis pushed that theory into practice: reflecting on my own assumptions, listening across difference, and collaborating on interdisciplinary research that addressed real global problems — from overtourism to social justice — with the rigor and empathy the subject demands.

Skills

Core competencies from this course.

Global Citizenship

Cultural Identity

Globalization

Intercultural Communication

Hofstede Framework

Hall's Context Theory

Intercultural Praxis

Stakeholder Analysis

Global Research

Presentation Design

Team Collaboration

Public Speaking

Featured Project

Tourism, norms, and perception across two global cities.

Global Learning Final Research Project

Comparing Tourism in Seoul and New York City

Our group investigated a central research question: How do social norms affect locals' perception of tourists in Seoul vs. New York City? Drawing on overtourism, globalization, stakeholder analysis, social justice, economics, history, and intercultural communication, we compared how two major global cities navigate the tension between welcoming visitors and preserving local quality of life — analyzing resident attitudes, policy responses, and the cultural norms that shape everyday interactions between hosts and guests.

Research Paper Presentation

Project Preview

Research deliverables at a glance.

Research Paper

Final interdisciplinary paper comparing how social norms shape local perceptions of tourists in Seoul and New York City.

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Presentation

Group presentation summarizing stakeholder analysis, comparative findings, and intercultural communication insights.

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Learning Outcomes

What this course taught me to do.

Global Citizenship

Understanding responsibilities and ethical engagement in an interconnected world.

Intercultural Communication

Navigating cultural differences through frameworks like Hofstede and Hall's context theory.

Globalization

Analyzing how economic integration and cultural exchange reshape local communities.

Cultural Identity

Examining how heritage, norms, and belonging shape individual and collective perspectives.

Research

Designing and executing interdisciplinary research on comparative global issues.

Stakeholder Analysis

Identifying and evaluating the interests of residents, businesses, governments, and visitors.

Historical Analysis

Connecting past events and policy decisions to present-day global challenges.

Ethical Decision Making

Weighing social justice, equity, and fairness in complex international contexts.

Presentation Skills

Communicating research findings clearly to diverse academic and public audiences.

Global Collaboration

Working effectively across backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives in team settings.

Critical Thinking

Questioning assumptions and synthesizing evidence from multiple disciplinary lenses.

Intercultural Praxis

Applying theory to real-world intercultural situations through reflection and dialogue.

Reflection

Seeing global issues through multiple perspectives.

GBST 1012 changed how I approach complex problems. Rather than relying on a single disciplinary lens, I learned to combine history and economics, culture and ethics, to understand global issues from multiple angles. Working in an interdisciplinary team on the Seoul–New York tourism project required analyzing stakeholder perspectives with care — residents, businesses, policymakers, and visitors each hold legitimate but competing interests.

The course strengthened my research and presentation skills while giving me practical frameworks — Hofstede, Hall, intercultural praxis — I still use when communicating across difference. That combination of analytical rigor and cultural awareness is preparing me for future work in business and data science, where understanding people, context, and global systems is just as important as the numbers.