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AI Lectures: Explore the Future of AI on July 16

Explore how AI is transforming business, higher education and the future of work.

Join SFSU in welcoming visiting scholars from National Taipei University of Business (NTUSB) for two free public lectures on artificial intelligence on Thursday, July 16. Community members, students, faculty and staff are also invited to attend.

Learn how artificial intelligence is changing business, higher education and the future of work through presentations from two AI leaders with experience in industry and research.

Navigating the AI Revolution: Skills, Strategy and Opportunities for the Future of Work

Thursday, July 16
1:30 to 2:30 p.m. PT

Join Anna Zakowska, Ph.D., for a discussion on how AI is reshaping the job market, business strategy and the skills needed for future success. You'll also learn how AI is being applied across industries including Fintech, LegalTech, PropTech, real estate and private equity.

Zakowska is an AI/ML leader, fund manager, founder and investor. She is the managing partner of Dragons & Angels Fund and previously spent five years working on training Google's Gemini model. Her work focuses on AI, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and the future of work.

AI in the Business Environment and Crafting Functional Policy

Thursday, July 16
3 to 4 p.m. PT

Hear from SFSU alumnus Elliot Verduzco about how AI is changing higher education and the workplace. He'll share what he has learned leading AI innovation at AlfaTech, discuss the evolving AI landscape and explain how he envisions the future of work for today's undergraduates. He'll also demonstrate software projects he has been developing.

Verduzco leads AI innovation at AlfaTech, where he helped establish the firm's enterprise AI infrastructure. His work includes AI governance, policy development and cross-functional collaboration. He holds a B.S. in computer science from San Francisco State University.

Attend

Date: Thursday, July 16, 2026
Location: CCSF Chinatown/North Beach Center, 808 Kearny St., Room 605
Cost: Free

RSVP

Lecture: AI in the Business Environment and Crafting Functional Policy

From SFSU computer science undergraduate to AI innovation lead at AlfaTech, Elliot Verduzco has experienced firsthand how AI is changing higher education and the future of work.

In this lecture, he'll share what he has learned since beginning his role at AlfaTech, his observations about the evolving AI landscape and how he envisions the future of work for himself and for today's undergraduates entering an uncertain job market. He'll also demonstrate software projects he has been developing.

Lecture with Elliot Verduzco

Elliot Verduzco leads AI innovation at AlfaTech, an engineering and design firm that designs data center facilities for hyperscaler clients.

As the firm's first full-time software developer, he helped establish its enterprise AI infrastructure. His work includes running data-driven pilot programs, technical AI governance and policy authorship and collaborating across executive leadership, IT and project management.

He holds a B.S. in computer science from San Francisco State University and consults independently on AI tooling for nonprofits and skilled trades businesses.

Lecture: Navigating the AI Revolution

Navigating the AI Revolution: Skills, Strategy and Opportunities for the Future of Work

AI is changing how people work, learn and build careers. In this lecture, you'll explore how AI is reshaping the job market, business strategy and the skills needed for future success. You'll also learn how AI is being applied across industries including Fintech, LegalTech, PropTech, real estate and private equity.

Lecture by Anna Zakowska, Ph.D.

Anna Zakowska, Ph.D., is an AI/ML leader, fund manager, founder and investor with experience building and scaling companies across frontier AI models, Fintech, LegalTech, PropTech, real estate and private equity.

She is the managing partner of Dragons & Angels Fund, a $100 million investment fund focused on high-growth companies, real estate and private credit. Anna became a founder in 2013 and grew her first startup to more than $1 billion in assets under management.

She holds a Ph.D. in data science from Claremont Graduate University and an MBA from Pepperdine University. She spent five years working on training Google's Gemini model.

Her research focuses on creating systems that help young people access credit, grow their businesses and build the financial foundation needed to purchase personal assets such as homes. This work led her to create Darts Credit, a company dedicated to expanding credit access through alternative credit-building tools for people left behind by legacy scoring models.

Anna is also advancing research and investment in neuro-symbolic approaches to improve LLMs and agentic feedback loops. She is the co-founder of Eqwiti, a global platform focused on expanding access to private market investment opportunities for a network of more than 60,000 investors.

Her work sits at the intersection of AI, capital formation, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and the future of work.

Center for Global Engagement Newsletter – July 2026

Off-Campus Events

Fillmore Jazz Festival

Date: Saturday, July 4 to Sunday, July 5
Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Fillmore Street, Jackson to Eddy streets
Cost: Free
Learn more about the Fillmore Jazz Festival

Sunday Streets Festival and Block Party

Date: Sunday, July 19
Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Mission District
Cost: Free
Learn more about Sunday Streets

Ocean Beach Volunteer Cleanup

Date: Saturday, July 25
Time: 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Free
See your email for details.

World Cup Watch Party

Date: Thursday, June 11 to Sunday, July 19
Location: Underdogs Cantina, 128 King St.
Cost: Free
Learn more about the World Cup Watch Party

Important Dates

ALI Dates

  • Thursday, July 2: Session A last day of instruction
  • Friday, July 3: Independence Day. No classes. University closed.
  • Sunday, July 5: Last day for a 100% refund for EAP Session B tuition
  • Monday, July 6: Session B first day of classes
  • Tuesday, July 7: Midterm (Session B) and final evaluation (Session A) distribution
  • Monday, July 27 to Sunday, Aug. 2: Deadline to confirm fall session
  • Friday, July 31: Final TOEFL test

Academic Dates

  • Friday, July 31: Grading option deadline (see your email for details)

Take Economics and Information Systems Courses Through Open University This Summer

This summer, you can take ECON 101, ECON 102 and ISYS 363 through Open University at San Francisco State University. Whether you want to earn credits, stay on track for graduation or build professional skills, Open University gives you flexible ways to learn online and in hybrid formats.

Through Open University, you can enroll in select SFSU undergraduate and graduate courses without formal admission to the University. You may apply up to 24 undergraduate units toward a bachelor’s degree or up to six graduate units toward a master’s degree at SFSU.

Registration is now open for Summer 2026 courses.

Current SFSU students can register through their Student Center. Non-SFSU students can email globaled@sfsu.edu for registration support and more information.

ECON 101.01Z (#2061) – Introduction to Microeconomic Analysis 

  • Hybrid 
  • July 6 to Aug. 7, 2026 

ECON 102.01Z (#2062) – Introduction to Macroeconomic Analysis 

  • Online 
  • July 6 to Aug. 7, 2026 

ISYS 363.03Z (#2088) – Information Systems for Management 

  • Online 
  • June 1 to July 2, 2026 

ISYS 363.04Z (#2089) – Information Systems for Management 

  • Online 
  • July 6 to Aug. 7, 2026

These courses are offered by the College of Professional & Global Education and may not be eligible for financial aid. If you have questions about financial aid, please speak with an advisor at finaid@sfsu.edu.

Open University

San Francisco King Sejong Institute and SFSU Explore Expanded Collaboration

San Francisco State University Center for Global Engagement representatives recently met with the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, the Korean Education Center and the San Francisco King Sejong Institute to discuss expanded collaboration in education, student support and cultural exchange.

The meeting was led by the San Francisco King Sejong Institute, bringing together community organizations, government partners and University leadership to explore shared goals in global education and cross-cultural connection. SFSU is grateful to the San Francisco King Sejong Institute for organizing the meeting and fostering opportunities for collaboration.

Discussions focused on strengthening support for Korean international students at SFSU through mentorship opportunities, career development and expanded Korean language and cultural programming. Representatives also explored new pathways for educational exchange and study opportunities in Korea.

SFSU values partnerships that support international students and create meaningful opportunities for cultural learning and global engagement across the University community.

English for Academic Preparation - Apply Now for Spring 2027

International Students - Study English in San Francisco, California

The English for Academic Preparation (EAP) program gives you an opportunity to study in beautiful San Francisco, California, and learn English in an intensive language program that emphasizes university preparation and academic skills.

Apply Now for Spring - Starts January 19, 2027

  • Prepare to study in an American university.
  • Learn English in an intensive language program that emphasizes university preparation and academic skills.
  • Study on campus at San Francisco State University.
  • Conditional admission to SF State is available.

Find out more about EAP.

NTUB Faculty Visit SFSU to Explore Innovation, A.I. and Business Education

Welcome to San Francisco

The SFSU Center for Global Engagement will welcome 20 business faculty from the National Taipei University of Business (NTUB) for a weeklong program on innovation, artificial intelligence and business education Nov. 3–7, 2025.

Visiting Faculty

The faculty represent departments across NTUB including Finance, Business Administration, Digital Multimedia Design, International Business, Creative Technologies and Product Design and Information Management. During their stay in San Francisco they will connect with faculty from SFSU’s Lam Family College of Business and Bay Area industry leaders to exchange ideas and explore new teaching approaches.

About the Program

Located in the heart of the Bay Area, a global hub for A.I. development and technology innovation, SFSU gives visiting faculty unique access to thought leaders and industry practices. 

The program includes three days of lectures, panel discussions and workshops on artificial intelligence and teaching innovation along with two company site visits. Faculty will visit the AWS Loft on Tuesday and Ripple on Thursday to see how A.I. is driving change in global business.

Lecture topics include:

  • Artificial Intelligence in the Business Ecosystem
  • Failure: The Secret Sauce of Silicon Valley
  • Artificial Intelligence and Business Education Pedagogy
NTUB faculty visit AWS

NTUB faculty visit the AWS GenAI Loft

Workshops and discussions will give participants a chance to share ideas about using A.I. in the classroom, analyze business trends and try out new ways to teach innovation. Faculty will also work together on group projects and take part in cultural experiences such as a Bay cruise and visits to SFMOMA and nearby neighborhoods.

Global Impact

The collaboration between NTUB and SFSU encourages the exchange of new teaching practices and builds connections in business education. When they return to Taiwan, NTUB faculty will apply what they learned in San Francisco to enhance their courses and help students understand how technology shapes today’s global economy.

SFSU looks forward to welcoming the NTUB delegation and sharing both the University community and the spirit of San Francisco with visiting faculty.

The International Student Journey – IEM 2025

As part of International Education Month (IEM), the Center for Global Engagement will host a panel discussion called “The International Student Journey,” with international alumni from SFSU's English for Academic Preparation program, academic certificate programs and University Pathway Program.

You will hear unique student stories and valuable advice on reaching academic and professional goals. Center for Global Engagement program alumni will share insights from their academic and professional journeys focusing on navigating transitions from English language study to university certificate and degree programs to career. The session will be interactive with ample opportunity for Q&A.

Brazilian Higher Education Delegation Visits SFSU

The 7th International Delegation of the Brazilian Association of Higher Education Providers (ABMES) visited San Francisco State University as part of their 2025 U.S. study tour. The visit highlighted SFSU’s strengths in applied learning, internationalization and professional training connected to workforce needs.

During their visit, the delegation learned about SFSU programs offered in partnership with Condensed Curriculum International (CCI) that support professional development in areas such as hospital pharmacy, healthcare and surgical technology. They also met with staff from the American Language Institute (ALI) to learn about academic English and cultural immersion programs for international students, including English for Academic Preparation, San Francisco Discover and customized courses in fields such as business, health and technology.

ABMES CEO Janguiê Diniz praised SFSU for combining technical excellence, inclusion and global experience.

You can read the full story on the ABMES website: ABMES International Delegation Visits San Francisco State University (Portuguese).

Read the Article in English (Google Translate)
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