Harper College

Worlding.us

a collage of photos of students on study abroad trips

worlding.us

Situating Harper faculty and students in a globalized world.

Worlding is the practice of engaging with the wider world in ways that expand our understanding of ourselves, others, and the communities and spaces we inhabit and traverse. At Harper College, students, faculty, and staff experience worlding through study abroad, field seminars, international collaborations, global learning initiatives, and cross-cultural exchange. These encounters invite new perspectives, challenge familiar ways of thinking, and cultivate the knowledge, empathy, and relationships needed to thrive in an interconnected world. The stories collected in this blog reflect the transformative power of global engagement and the many ways our community learns with, from, and alongside the world.

Faculty member dressed in indigenous clothing

My Amazigh Crown

September 01, 2026

The story of one woman's reconnection with her past through an enriching cross-cultural experience in the desert of Tunisia. Read More

A cat with Latin around it

Cats, Culture, and Compassion: Reflections from Morocco and Tunisia

May 31, 2026

No journey to North Africa would be complete without mentioning the cats that lounge the streets, medinas, and even cafes. As a lifelong cat owner, one of the first things I noticed while traveling through Morocco and Tunisia was the cats Read More

Map of North Africa

From the Foencians to the Phrench: A Brief History of the Empires of the Maghreb

May 30, 2026

When Islamic armies from the Arabian Peninsula swept through North Africa in the 7th century C.E. and eventually conquered the region, their empire encompassed nearly 6 million square miles of land and stretched from modern-day India to Spain. Colloquially, they divided their empire into two regions – in Arabic, the Mashreq (“The Place Where the Sun Rises”) in the East and the Maghreb (“The Place Where the Sun Sets”) in the West. Read More

Street scene in Northern Morocco

Echoes of Al-Andalus: Iberian Influence Across the Strait

May 29, 2026

One of the themes that stayed with me throughout the MENA/SWANA Field Seminar was the enduring presence of Al-Andalus across North Africa. Before this trip, I understood Al-Andalus primarily as a chapter in Spanish history. Read More

Painting on a door in Djerba of a hijabi woman shushing

Maghreb through Art: Living and Breathing Art History

May 28, 2026

The faculty field seminar provided ample opportunities for Harper faculty to experience the art historical past, living craft traditions, and contemporary art scene of the Maghreb. Read More

Inside of El Ghriba Synagogue in Tunisia

Ritual Purifications and Cultural Heritage in North Africa

May 27, 2026

We were able to experience a Hammam in Morrocco, and the experience was unforgettable. Read More

Wall of colorful yarn

Peace Corps Morocco and the Investment in Artisan’s Cooperatives

May 22, 2026

During my recent travels to Morocco, I had the privilege to visit a women’s weaving cooperative that was started by local Moroccans with the help of a former Peace Corps volunteer. Several of my fellow faculty members and I were given a lesson in pile rug weaving. Read More

Harper faculty at the American Legation with a Study Abroad flag

The American Legation in Tangier: An Emblem of Strong Allyship

May 21, 2026

A brief history and walkthrough of the American Legation in Tangier, Morocco and its connection to the long, fascinating history of US-Moroccan relations. Read More

Amir, a Sudanese migrant, photographed in Morocco

Forced From Home

May 20, 2026

We visited Fondation Orient-Occident, a non-profit which serves migrants in Rabat.  We ate a traditional West African meal and then heard from Amir, a migrant from Sudan.  Read More

Group of Harper Faculty with Amir

Here There Are No Survivors - A Sudanese Refugee’s Migration Story

May 20, 2026

On a hot morning in mid-April 2024, Amir Ali woke earlier than usual, anxious about his treatment for a congenital heart condition. Once a month, the 15-year-old from El Fasher, Sudan made the 15-minute walk to the hospital for a painful and exhausting injection. Read More

Rifiza, a Moroccan sweet dish

What the Moroccan Table Tells Us

May 20, 2026

As someone who teaches intercultural communication, I often tell my students that culture speaks long before language does. It speaks through gazes, gestures, silence, music, traditions, and perhaps most engagingly, through food. Read More

Front of Dar al-Hadith al-Hasaniyyah with palm trees and blue sky

Dar al-Hadith al-Hasaniyyah: An Intellectual Bastion of Islamic Thought and Modernity

May 19, 2026

Over tea and a variety of traditional Moroccan sweets, the Harper Field Seminar class participated in a lecture and discussion with faculty and administration at Dar al-Hadith al-Hasaniyyah, a premier higher education and scientific research institution founded in 1964 by King Hassan II in Rabat, Morocco. Dar al-Hadith was born out of a royal vision to train Islamic scientists capable of navigating both classical theological traditions and the rapidly changing socio-political realities of today. Read More

Islamic tower viewed from a hill and surrounded by folliage

First Day In Rabat and Chella - May 18th, 2026

May 18, 2026

Waking up in Rabat our first full day in Morocco was easier than expected. Colleen, the on-the-ground representative of our host organization Amideast, had purposely kept us awake the night before to make sure the jet lag didn’t take us too early. Read More

A Panamanian meal at a resturant in Panama City

June 6th and 16th - A New Culture

June 19, 2019

Our Panama journey started on June 6th at O’Hare airport. At 6:30 in the morning, we all arrived ready to start our adventure. Read More

A large ship in the Panama Canal

June 15, 2019: Behind the Scenes of Panama

June 15, 2019

June 15, 2019, the last full day we spent in Panama. It was a rough morning, having to be ready for the day at 6:45am sharp. We grabbed breakfast around the corner at a place called Tantalo. Read More

Last Updated: 9/9/26