Notre Dame Global in Photos: December 2025 | News | Notre Dame Dublin

December offered opportunities for Notre Dame students, faculty, alumni, and staff to collaborate, explore, and reflect on the year’s accomplishments. From the premiere of Daniel O’Connell: The Emancipator and a new partnership with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, to graduate research presentations in Rome, hands-on healthcare learning in Mexico, dialogue-centered convenings in Jerusalem, and the renewal of a longstanding academic partnership in London, the University’s global community was fully engaged across disciplines and cultures. Mentorship celebrations on campus and alumni gatherings in Nairobi, Mumbai, and Hong Kong further underscored the ways Notre Dame connects people and ideas worldwide. Together, these stories reflect the curiosity, collaboration, and meaningful engagement that define Notre Dame’s work in and around the world.

This photo gallery highlights some of the valuable interactions and experiences Notre Dame faculty, staff, and students have taken part in over the past month.

The selection was curated by Notre Dame Global staff working on campus and in the University's 12 global locations.

Dublin

Notre Dame Dublin welcomed over 280 guests for the Gala Premiere of Daniel O’Connell: The Emancipator, a landmark documentary celebrating the 250th anniversary of O’Connell’s birth and launching a three-year series of academic events in the lead up to the bicentenary of Catholic Emancipation in 2029. Directed by Ruán Magan and narrated by Domhnall Gleeson, the film is a Create One production in association with the University of Notre Dame, University College Cork, and RTÉ, with support from the Government of Ireland. It will be included in school curricula across the island, as outlined in the 2025 Programme for Government, to highlight “how Irish identity was, and remains a European identity, while showcasing O’Connell’s contribution to intellectual and political thought on a global scale.”

Mexico

A group of smiling students and medical professionals, many wearing blue scrubs, stands in front of a bright blue building. White text on the building reads "Clínica Cristiana de Carpio."

As part of Notre Dame Mexico's semester program in Puebla, Mexico, 10 pre-med students traveled to Costa Rica for a week of service, learning, and cultural connection. Accompanied by a physician throughout the program, the students supported community medical consultations by taking vital signs and assisting in the care of common respiratory, gastrointestinal, and allergic conditions. Hosted by the Praxis Center, the group also participated in a session on women’s reproductive health led by Dr. Rebecca Turecky, co-founder of Mamasol Costa Rica, deepening their understanding of community-centered and dignified approaches to care.

Kylemore

Twelve people smile in a warm room decorated for Christmas. Three men sit in front, including an older man in a wheelchair holding a glass. Behind them stand nine people, among them a priest in a black clerical shirt. A large Christmas tree with gold and white ornaments is visible.

Notre Dame Kylemore and the Abbey Theatre signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Dublin establishing a formal partnership centering on two major initiatives: the Abbey Theatre's curation of theatrical content for Notre Dame's Threshold Festival at Kylemore Abbey, and the development of innovative theatre education programs combining hands-on learning at Kylemore with professional experiences at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.

Jerusalem

H.B Cardinal Pizzaballa in clerical attire looks right. Clemens Sedmak, wearing a white shirt and green striped tie, looks forward with a serious expression, hands clasped at a conference table.

Notre Dame Jerusalem deepened its partnership with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa through a workshop in Cyprus that explored the role of language in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Participants engaged with a series of essays developed between the March and December gatherings, advancing dialogue, reflection, and shared understanding. Pictured alongside Pizzaballa is Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies and professor of social ethics within the Keough School of Global Affairs.

Rome

Graduate students Diego Felipe López Aguirre (Ph.D. candidate, Spanish), Nicholas Slusher (Ph.D. candidate, Aerospace Engineering), and Ella Hadacek (Ph.D. candidate, History) delivered their final research presentations, marking the conclusion of their Notre Dame Rome Graduate Research Residential Fellowships.

Beijing

At the 2025 Tsinghua University Study Abroad Program Opening Day, Aimee Cheng, Program Coordinator at Notre Dame Beijing, represented the University of Notre Dame and introduced Notre Dame Global’s iSURE program. The information session brought together over 100 students, with guest universities like Notre Dame, Columbia University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Melbourne. Following the presentation, students were able to engage in follow-up discussions with Cheng to learn more about the program and the University of Notre Dame.

London

A man with gray hair and glasses, wearing a dark blazer, smiles while signing a document on the left. A blonde woman with glasses, wearing a red blazer, smiles at the viewer as she signs a document on the right. They are at a reflective wooden table with a garland-decorated fireplace behind them.

The University of Notre Dame and Durham University reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening collaborative research and academic initiatives. This renewed relationship was formalized at Notre Dame London, where Notre Dame Global’s Vice President and Associate Provost for Internationalization, Michael Pippenger, and Durham’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global), Claire O’Malley, signed a Memorandum of Understanding extending the universities’ longstanding partnership. With several initiatives on the horizon, this partnership is set to strengthen further in 2026 with a call for applications currently open for a joint seed-corn research grant, and a collaborative undergraduate course in sustainability leadership to commence in the spring.

Nairobi

Notre Dame Nairobi and the Notre Dame Club of East Africa gathered in Nairobi for their annual end-of-year meeting, hosted by ND alumnus John Cowan. Group members came together to celebrate the year, reconnect with fellow alumni, and enjoy an evening of community and camaraderie.

Mumbai

Notre Dame alumni and their families in India came together to celebrate Christmas and the Notre Dame spirit at the annual Alumni Holiday Dinner, hosted by Notre Dame Mumbai at BayView Café in Mumbai.

Hong Kong

Five people of various ages are seated at a white table in a restaurant, smiling at the camera. A man holds up a gold and blue University of Notre Dame pennant, while a young girl in the background gives two thumbs-up. Desserts and bowls are on the table.

Catherine Leung, director of Notre Dame Hong Kong, celebrated a successful year of research and partnership with Hsueh-Chia Chang, Bayer Corporation Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, alongside leaders of the Notre Dame Club of Hong Kong.

São Paulo

Three smiling women of varying ages sit at a wooden table in a plant-filled restaurant. The woman on the left wears white and blue paisley; the middle woman wears a white shirt over black, next to a meal in a skillet; the woman on the right wears a red top.

The Notre Dame São Paulo team shared a farewell lunch with study abroad student Jocelyn Mendoza, reflecting on her semester and the growth she experienced while navigating, exploring, and building connections in South America's most populous city. Mendoza completed courses at Fundação Getulio Vargas, one of the most prestigious business schools in the world, gaining a rigorous academic experience while deepening her cultural understanding of Brazil.

International Student and Scholar Affairs

Smiling students balance red plastic cups on their heads during a lively game at a festive Notre Dame event. A lit Christmas tree and red cup tower are in the decorated room.

Thirty students gathered at Remick Commons for the annual Academic Peer Mentorship Celebration Dinner, led by the International Student and Scholar Affairs team. The event brought together 15 first-year mentees representing more than 10 countries and 15 upperclassmen mentors from across the United States. The mentees and mentors participated in pre-dinner team-building games before sharing a meal and celebrating a semester of academic support, mentorship, and community.

Study Abroad

A young woman with glasses and dark hair in a bun, wearing a light blue shirt, gently feeds several small dark-furred monkeys hanging from ropes in an enclosure. One monkey looks toward her.

Angel Parham, a junior majoring in psychology and pre-health, gained hands-on experience through clinical rotations at local hospitals and Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP) clinics. As part of the Puebla semester program, Parham and her classmates honed their lab skills while researching spider monkey gut microbiota. In addition to helping students strengthen their Spanish skills, the program was designed to expand the group's understanding of global healthcare and provide opportunities to meaningfully engage with local communities.

Global Engagement Programs

Four smiling students at Notre Dame decorate gingerbread items at green tables during a holiday event. One wears a yellow Grinch onesie, another builds a gingerbread house, with a lit Christmas tree in the background.

Anthony Gomez, Global Engagement Programs intern from Guatemala, dressed up as the Grinch and supported Notre Dame's Brazilian students (Gabriela and Joana from Fundação Getulio Vargas and Enrico from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo) in building gingerbread houses at the visiting international semester student farewell dinner and Christmas event.

Originally published by Cory Hankins at global.nd.edu on December 16, 2025.