The CUNY Humanities Alliance had the first internal research forum on Friday, November 12. After Sujung Kim, a senior research specialist of the Futures Initiative and CUNY Humanities Alliance, shared her research design for the CUNY Humanities Alliance, the participants from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, Guttman Community College, LaGuardia Community College and the Graduate Center of CUNY had further discussions on their research topics related to CUNY Humanities Alliance programs, critical pedagogy and innovative learning and teaching, and/or community colleges in general. Overall, this international research forum was invaluable time and space for the participants including doctoral students, and administrators, faculty members and researchers from the community colleges and the Graduate Center to build a research-learning community. At the forum, the participants shared the idea of continuing to have research-learning group meetings and to proceed collaboratively with a goal of being conference co-presentations and perhaps collaborating on a writing project. The research forum was the first step to building an empowering partnership between the CUNY community colleges and the Graduate Center through which we share our promising practices and knowledge  toward better education and support for CUNY students.