Step inside the Global Portal
What if you could have a face-to-face conversation with someone on the other side of the world without leaving campus?
The Global Portal is a life-sized immersive video installation that connects you live with students, artists, entrepreneurs and community leaders across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and beyond. Through cutting-edge audiovisual technology, it creates the feeling that you're standing in the same room, making global conversations more personal, engaging and meaningful.
Located on Concrete Lawn (University Plaza), the University of Melbourne is proud to host Australia's first Global Portal through a partnership with Shared Studios.
What is the Global Portal?
Housed inside a distinctive gold shipping container, the Global Portal is designed to create genuine human connection across continents.
It isn't a Zoom meeting or a webinar. It's an immersive, shared space where conversations happen naturally, encouraging curiosity, collaboration and cultural exchange.
Whether you're interested in global issues, different cultures or simply meeting people with experiences different from your own, every Portal session offers something unique.
There are in-depth things that you can’t really learn from a teaching course — you can only learn from practice. It’s a literal hands-on scenario that you’re immersed in.
It facilitates a more unfiltered, raw dialogue that, despite being guided, gets us out of our comfort zone.
There are in-depth things that you can’t really learn from a teaching course - you can only learn from practice. It’s a literal hands-on scenario that you’re immersed in.
-Student Ambassador
It facilitates a more unfiltered, raw dialogue that, despite being guided, gets us out of our comfort zone.
-Student Ambassador
What happens during a session?
Each session connects a small group of University of Melbourne students with participants at one of the Global Portal sites around the world.
Sessions are co-delivered by:
- an experienced facilitator at the connecting Portal site overseas, and
- a University of Melbourne Student Ambassador on campus.
With up to 10 participants per session, every connection is interactive, giving everyone the opportunity to contribute, ask questions and build meaningful experiences.
Sessions typically run for 90 - 120 minutes.
What could you experience?
Depending on the session, you might:
- Meet university students and community members from around the world
- Explore different cultures, perspectives and ways of life
- Collaborate on creative activities and real-world challenges
- Discuss global issues with people experiencing them firsthand
- Share stories, ideas and experiences in an open and welcoming environment
No two sessions are the same. Each conversation is shaped by the people in the room.
Explore global topics
Throughout the semester, sessions explore a diverse range of themes, including:
- Student life and culture
- Climate action and sustainability
- Creativity, music and the arts
- Innovation, technology and the future of work
- Health, wellbeing and resilience
- Indigenous knowledges and intercultural dialogue
- Community leadership and social impact
Whether you're looking to broaden your perspective, develop intercultural capability or simply experience something completely different, there's a session for you.
Melbourne Plus accreditation
Participating in a Global Portal session will contribute 2 hours towards the Melbourne Plus Global Citizenship digital credential (10 hours required).
The Global Citizenship credential recognises your ability to communicate across cultures, engage with diverse perspectives and develop an understanding of global issues. Verified by the University of Melbourne, it can be shared on LinkedIn or included on your resume.
Attend multiple Global Portal sessions to build additional hours towards your credential or combine your participation with other eligible global experiences offered through Melbourne Plus.
Learn more about the Melbourne Plus Global Citizenship digital credential.
Register now
Browse the session schedule and secure your place in the Global Portal.
Places are limited to 10 students per session to ensure an interactive experience.
Location: Global Portal, Concrete Lawn (University Plaza)
For staff
Could your subject be a good fit for a Global Portal experience?
Explore new ways to bring global perspectives, cross-cultural exchange and real-world connection into your teaching.
We can work with you and Shared Studios to design bespoke Global Portal experiences that align with your subject content, teaching approach and student learning outcomes. Whether you have a clear idea in mind or are simply curious about what might be possible, we’d love to hear from you.