Registration is open for Fall 2026! Find a menu of courses built for future food leaders. 

Open to students from all majors and minors, this opportunity offers a chance to explore local and global food system perspectives throughout your academic journey!

🍽🌎 World on a Plate (GFI 3003, cross listed with SUST 3003)!  
Created by world-renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés, this course explores how food is one of the most powerful forces shaping our world—connecting and dividing us across lines of class, race, geography, and access.

GFI 2002: US Food Production and Agricultural Policy (counts toward Sustainability Minor Pillar II)               
GFI 2033: Global Agriculture, Climate Change, and Gender (counts toward Sustainability Minor Pillar III)                       
GFI 3004: Food Policy Stakeholders (includes an internship)
GFI 3011: GFI: Hands-On Comprehensive Food and Garden Education For Youth (includes hands-on opportunities and community engagement - counts toward Sustainability Minor Pillar IV)

EXNS 2122: Food Systems in Public Health 
GEOG 3275: Sustainable Food Systems 
MAE 6291 / CSA 3901: Food, Flow, and Photography
EXNS 3120: Experiences in Community Nutrition
ITAL 2600: Culture and Conflict in Italian Foodways 
SOC 2181: Food and Workers of the World

Attend a Lunch & Learn hosted by GW Dining and co-sponsored by GW's Global Food Institute. The event will feature a conversation with Kumar Chandran, Policy Director at ReFed, the leading food waste nonprofit driving solutions to reduce food waste. Kumar is also an expert in food and nutrition policy holding senior leadership roles at USDA and nonprofit organizations advancing food security. 

Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Shenkman Dining Hall, Side Room

Food insecurity is a serious concern at home and abroad. Learn more and how to advocate for policy change on Capitol Hill at a two-day hands-on training this summer.

GFI is proud to partner with the Congressional Hunger Center and Food Systems Collaborative to host the 4th Gen Z Food & Hunger Summit on July 14-15, 2026.

GW Students: Don’t miss this opportunity to participate this summer as an ambassador during this Summit. Apply by Thursday, April 30. 

As an ambassador, you’ll 

- gain first-hand advocacy experience, 

- get an in-depth, insider’s look at the current food insecurity landscape, and

- connect with your lawmakers to share your experiences and perspectives. 

No prior advocacy experience is required! You will receive all the training and materials needed to thrive at the Summit—all you need to bring is your enthusiasm and a willingness to learn!

Hear directly from leading investors, innovators, and policymakers as they explore how to unlock capital and scale impact across Africa’s under financed agrifood frontiers. This dynamic panel will spotlight opportunities in regenerative agriculture, post-harvest and cold chain infrastructure, and cutting-edge traceability and agridata platforms—key drivers of resilient and sustainable food systems.

This event is hosted by Graft Africa in partnership with GW's International Development Studies Program, GW's Global Food Institute, the Institute for African Studies at GW, and Twelvenets.

Join a livestream and be part of the dialogue shaping Africa’s food future.

Co-hosted by the REACH Center, Redstone Global Center, and GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future, the 2026 Climate and Health Research Day will showcase research, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and encourage networking. 

📅Friday, April 24

 ⏰1:30-4:30 p.m. 

📍Milken Institute of Public Health Building,
Auditorium and Convening Center
950 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20052

Registration is required. 

The REACH Student Research Fellowship is calling for applications from GW, Howard University, and George Mason University graduate students (any discipline!). 

Fellows will spend about 120 hours in the program, participate in REACH Center seminars and trainings, and present their work at the end of the fellowship. They will receive a $2,000 stipend, along with mentorship from faculty and community partners and opportunities to build their professional network.

The FAO Internship Program offers students and recent graduates a chance to gain practical experience related to their studies while contributing fresh ideas and research to FAO’s work. The program helps participants better understand FAO’s mission and programs, while also supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals including climate action, responsible consumption/production, reduced inequality, affordable clean energy, gender equality, and more. 

Looking for a helpful resource to locate food jobs? Check out this Substack profile Thinking Food Jobs for opportunities in food, sustainability, agriculture, policy, and advocacy. 

Want more opportunities? Check out our student engagement opportunities listed on our website. 

Last week, GFI co‑hosted an inspiring evening with Food Policy Pathways, bringing together nearly 100 students alongside GW alumni working across the food policy space. The strong turnout and thoughtful engagement reinforced our optimism that the next generation is deeply committed to shaping a more just and sustainable food system.

Food Policy Pathways Executive Director Rachel Atcheson was joined by Caitlin Balagula and GW alum Tariq Sheriff, who shared their experiences navigating food policy roles from the local to federal level. Their insights sparked meaningful dialogue with students, joined by food policy professionals from across the greater DMV region.

GFI is grateful for our partnership with Food and Society at the Aspen Institute and for the support of Chef José Andrés’ Longer Tables Fund, which made this event possible. We also thank our collaborators at the GW Center for Career Services, the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, the Animal Legal Education Initiative, and the GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future.

Last week, GW students celebrated Buff & Bloom Week, reimagined this year as Buff & Bloom: For Good—a campus‑wide philanthropic effort supporting World Central Kitchen (WCK), the nonprofit founded by GFI Founder José Andrés that provides fresh meals to communities affected by disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide.

GFI joined A Taste of GW, the kickoff event for the week, to help raise awareness of WCK’s mission and connect with students interested in food leadership. The event brought together food, community, and philanthropy, featuring a cherry blossom‑inspired evening and a one‑night‑only culinary experience led by celebrity chef Angel Barreto.

Last month, GFI and the GW Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship co-hosted, Food for Thought: How Entrepreneurs Are Transforming What We Eat. This event brought together GW students and local business owners to discuss the importance of food entrepreneurship in shaping accessible, sustainable, and community-centered food systems. Featuring Andy's Pizza founder Andy Brown and Falafel Inc. founder Ahmad Ashkar, the discussion traced how bold ideas—starting with $3 falafel sandwiches and late-night pizza in a studio apartment—can grow into businesses that shape communities.

Innovation and entrepreneurship like Brown’s and Ashkar’s are the key to solving today’s most pressing food system challenges. That belief is at the heart of the Food Innovation Track, launched this year in partnership with GW’s New Venture Competition. The response has been global, with students from GW and beyond submitting ideas to reduce food waste, expand food access, and strengthen supply chains—building on a broader culture of food entrepreneurship at GW. 

Join the NVC award ceremony on April 23 at Jack Morton Auditorium, where finalists will pitch their ventures live, with winning teams receiving funding to help bring their ideas to life.

We want to lift up your work and share information about events, and opportunities to collaborate. Email us at globalfoodinstitute@gwu.edu.