The University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture and Life Sciences hosted their annual Global Day Feb. 27. The event demonstrated the influence of UW’s expertise on the international community and the university’s commitment to addressing global challenges, according to the website.

The event offers networking opportunities for those interested in global engagement or education, Global Research Partnerships Coordinator Julia Frangul said. The CALS Global office hosted Global Day for the first time last year, and this year the panels focused on study abroad and global career opportunities, Frangul said.

“There’s so many different international entities on campus and there’s nothing that brings them all together,” Frangul said.

Global Day speakers described the global connections that link Wisconsin to the rest of the world. Today, Wisconsin is the hub of ginseng production, a plant used traditionally in Chinese medicine, Chair of the Budgeting and People committee at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, Will Hsu said.

Ginseng is the state herb of Wisconsin and the annual impact on the local economy is $25 million to $75 million depending on the price, Hsu said. The plant is so highly prized by Chinese consumers that Chinese medicine companies have produced ginseng agriculture in Wisconsin.

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“The whole idea about Wisconsin in the world, it’s about intelligent innovation,” Hsu said. “It’s about advancing the industry … as the competition changes locally, as the consumer changes globally.”

The event’s panel discussions and roundtables provided opportunities to learn more about how UW research is transcending disciplinary boundaries, Dean of International Division Frances Vavrus said. The research conducted through CALS has saved countless lives and continues to address some of the most important global challenges, according to Vavrus.

The International Division works closely with all UW’s schools to advance international education, promote global research partnerships and build an inclusive community of scholars, Vavrus said. The division also offers more than 200 study abroad international internships and manages cross cultural international research partnerships.

All of the department firms represented at Global Day are fighting to make the world and Wisconsin a better place, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez said. The event is an excellent opportunity to showcase the impact of service across the globe, Rodriguez said.

“Thank you to everyone here for your dedicated service,” Rodriguez said. “With your help, we are well on our way to building the future that we want to see for ourselves, for our state and the world.”