Global Ambassadors Program Helps Students, Faculty and Alumni

Japan’s Forever Buffs Tokyo alumni chapter has an open door for all affiliated with CU Boulder. The chapter provides students, faculty and alumni the opportunity to meet with local alumni or students when they visit. 

“You always have to have a trusted local partner when getting into a foreign market, and there are no better trusted people than local alums,” said Nobunaga Koga (IntlAf’98), who will take over as chapter leader this year. 

The chapter, which has gathered alumni together for decades, is part of a worldwide network of organized groups of alumni sponsored by the CU Boulder Alumni Association who live in cities across the U.S. and overseas and who aim to connect with each other in a specific geographic location. 

In January, the chapter partnered with CU Boulder’s Global Ambassadors Program — which advocates for the university around the world, provides global perspectives and offers current students and faculty experiences with alumni who are living abroad or have an international background — for an event in Tokyo. More than 80 alumni attended, including former CU men’s basketball forward Josh Scott (Soc’16), who now plays basketball for the Yokohama B-Corsairs. 

Alumni with the Global Ambassadors Program, which started in 2016, host events, offer internships, open the doors of their businesses or organizations and connect CU affiliates with people they know in the area. 

“Global ambassadors have been instrumental in hosting events such as in Tokyo and London, establishing student exchange programs in Bremen, Germany, arranging visits for student programs and establishing dual degree programs in places like Mexico City,” said Manuel Laguna, faculty associate for global engagement and MediaOne professor of management science.

Yuka Hasegawa (ChinLang&Lit; MIntlEdu), who graduated in the 1990s, has been involved with hosting Buffs in Japan for more than 20 years and sees the importance of a global network for CU. 

“It has been my dream to be a bridge between the U.S. and Japan since I was a child,” she said. “It is such a rewarding experience for me to not only benefit the Buffs, but it also enriches my life in countless ways. I feel CU in my heart.” 

If you are interested in becoming a global ambassador, visit here. For more information about creating a network for the CU community, visit here.