Heather O’Leary

The Global Anthropology Syllabus Project, led by Dr. Heather O’Leary and funded by The Wenner-Gren Global Initiatives Grant, built a multi-year open online forum to interface anthropology instructors around the world in all 6 of the United Nations languages. AntroRadikoj, or the “roots” of anthropology, leveraged AI and an international network of graduate student assistants to translate global, user-generated insights to anthropology curricula. In practice, this meant that our field’s keenest questions about the ways we train the next generation of anthropologists could be met with international best practices, assignment designs, and most engaging readings—all sourced from our collaborative and open-access global community of practice. This project re-energized faculty and students, who throughout their careers will rely on the subject material of their foundational anthropology coursework and increasingly on networks of international anthropology practitioners in our globalized world. Through this, The Wenner-Gren Foundation contributed to advancing leadership and innovation in higher education by promoting academic excellence, global collaboration, and workforce preparedness. The initiative opened new fora of anthropology curricula to reflect advanced perspectives, to confront new technologies while maintaining rigorous standards, and to ensure students gain skills relevant to a globalized world.