Blogs

📣 Volunteer Opportunity: Apply for NAFSA Region X Leadership Positions!

By Robert Sanford posted 19 days ago
We're reaching out to invite you to consider a rewarding opportunity to get more involved in the NAFSA Region X leadership team! Volunteering with your regional leadership offers a unique chance to shape professional development, network with colleagues, and contribute meaningfully to the field of international education across New Jersey and New York . We currently have several key leadership positions open for the upcoming term. This is your chance to expand your skills, increase your visibility in the region, and help guide our community's strategic initiatives. Open Leadership Positions We encourage you to review the details for ...

Saying Yes to Serendipity: My Pathway to International Education Leadership - Gillian Ice, IEL KC Resources and Networking Subcommittee

By Madeline Wiltse posted 10-08-2025
To highlight the variety of career paths for leadership in international education, the IEL KC team has invited current and past volunteer leaders to share some reflections. Featured here is Gillian Ice, Professor of Social Medicine and past Interim Associate Provost of Global Affairs at Ohio University . Gillian is a previous participant in the e-Institute and current volunteer leader with NAFSA, serving as part of the IEL KC's Resources and Networking Subcommittee. As a child, I was inspired by the “Trimates”—Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas—the pioneering women who transformed our understanding of great apes. Their passion drew me ...

Upcoming Events | NAFSA China MIG

By Jason Xin Yang posted 09-29-2025
Upcoming Events | NAFSA China MIG Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to share two upcoming events highlighting innovation and partnership opportunities in U.S.–China higher education. Please see details below and register using the provided links. Event 1: Advancing Innovation in Graduate Education: U.S.–China Perspectives Date & Time: Thursday, October 16 | 8:00–9:30 PM ET Description: This session will explore the rapidly evolving landscape of graduate education in China, highlighting case studies and current trends. Our speakers will introduce innovative certificate programs currently in development and discuss how these ...

AI and EA Visa Advising - Proceed with Caution

By Virginia Ward posted 09-23-2025
Written by the 2025 NAFSA Consular Affairs Liaisons (CAL) Virginia Ward - CAL World-at-Large Country Coordinator Lauryl Cookson - CAL Italy Country Coordinator Naomi Ziegler - CAL France Country Coordinator Katie Wiggins-Gawlik - CAL Spain Country Coordinator Daniel Solomon - CAL UK Country Coordinator Jason Sanderson - Chair, CAL Subcommittee Note about CAL: CAL member leaders serve as vital connectors between the international education community and foreign consulates across the United States. These dedicated volunteers work to facilitate communication, share updates on visa procedures, and ...

Help Wanted: Considering Racial-Identity and Positionality in Faculty-Led Programs

By Shanna Saubert posted 07-25-2025
by @Courtney Kroll (McGill University) It should not be news to those of us working in international education that faculty-led programs (FLPs) are becoming the most popular education abroad option for students (Bowman and Toner 2023). FLPs can be directed by varied higher education professionals including professors, instructors, and academic or administrative staff (referred to here as “faculty”). The accessible nature of FLPs allow students to participate in shorter, often more cost-effective programs in which they are supported by faculty whom they already know. On paper, this seems ideal. However, FLPs do have their flaws. For one thing, faculty are ...

Animating Cultural Understanding: Teaching Japanese Anime and Manga as a Lens for Intercultural Communication

By Shanna Saubert posted 07-09-2025
by @Takeo Suzuki , EdD (University of Tennessee - Chattanooga) This past semester, I had the opportunity to teach one of the most engaging and thought-provoking courses I’ve offered at the university— Japanese Anime and Manga in the Global Context . This was not my first time teaching the class. Still, each semester brings something new, especially because the students bring fresh perspectives, interpretations, and questions that continuously deepen the learning experience. While anime and manga are widely recognized for their entertainment value, in this course, we explore them as powerful cultural texts—ones that provide unique insight into not only ...

2025 Education Abroad Award Winner Interview -- Jennifer Engel

By Carolina Robinson posted 06-13-2025
2025 Education Abroad Award Winner Interview -- Jennifer Engel Bio: Jenn ifer Engel , Ph.D. is the Associate Vice President for Education Abroad at Indiana University, providing strategic leadership for education abroad initiatives across the Indiana University system. Prior to coming to IU, Jenn ifer was the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Experiential Learning at CIS Abroad, providing leadership in the areas of student learning and assessment; curricular and programmatic development; and innovation in education abroad. Jenn ifer has served as the Executive Director of the Office of International Programs (SIO) at Loyola University ...

2025 Lily von Klemperer Award Interview -- Katie Wiggins-Gawlik

By Carolina Robinson posted 06-13-2025
2025 Lily von Klemperer Award Winner -- Katie Wiggins-Gawlik Interview Katie Wiggins-Gawlik is the Assistant Director of Member Relations for US Exchanges at ISEP Study Abroad. She also volunteers as the Spain Country Coordinator on NAFSA’s EARP Consular Affairs Liaison Subcommittee, liaising to the Spanish Consulate in Chicago and the Italian Consulate in Detroit. Katie holds a master’s degree in counseling for student development administration and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish for secondary education. She is particularly interested in the effect of education abroad on the intersectionality of student identities and the role of intercultural ...

No Time to Waste: Delivering on the UN SDGs in International Higher Education

By Katherine Hellmann posted 10-02-2024
As the deadline for the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development approaches, international educators are actively looking for ways to implement and assess progress on United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For senior international officers and scholar-practitioners in the areas of International Education Leadership or Education Abroad, the SDGs have become far more than a buzzword. Created in 2015, the 17 SDGs are interconnected, especially as they relate to people, the planet, and prosperity. As we all work to promote SDG 4, Quality Education, it is worth considering how the SDGs may be used beyond the scope of executive ...

Wrestling with the Complexities of Inclusion

By Iuliia Hoban posted 09-18-2023
Wrestling with the Complexities of Inclusion by Brian Seilstad, Ph.D. Context Althea Gordon’s previous blog in this series resonated with me and the experience of international students at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco (AUI), where I am the Director of the Office of International Programs (OIP) and oversee similar efforts to engender a sense of belonging for international students on our campus. These efforts include a robust orientation program, integrated residential facilities, and full inclusion in campus life from classes to clubs. At AUI, we have had these features in place for many years and, by and large, international students ...

Education Abroad Leadership, Management and Professional Development

By Erica Jorgenson posted 07-12-2023
By: Erica Jorgenson & Jessica Fetridge Dear Colleagues, As we make our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic with growing numbers of students studying abroad and education abroad offices slowly bouncing back after years of burnout, turnover, and budget cuts, the need for effective leadership and support for staff is at an all time high. During the annual conference in DC, we hosted a lively and thought-provoking roundtable discussing leadership, management, and professional development in education abroad. The discussion centered around 3 main topics: Professional Development and Resources, Management, and Leadership. We asked a ...

Learning from Our Leaders: Dr. Amanda Kelso, 2016 EAKC Chair

By Bradley Titus posted 06-07-2023
Tell us a little about your journey in education abroad. I was the kid who collected stamps and coins and corresponded with a dozen pen pals worldwide. My international interests led me to study in Spain for a year and pursue two degrees in Spanish literature. In graduate school, I was hired to do administrative work for a study abroad program and fell in love with helping students through the experience. After graduation, what started as a part-time position turned full-time when I was hired as the program’s first non-faculty resident director. I learned a lot during my tenure onsite with students, all of which gave me a strong foundation for a career in ...

Learning from Our Leaders: Cynthia Banks 2010 EAKC Chair

By Bradley Titus posted 05-01-2023
Tell us a little about your journey in education abroad. Like so many of us, I found myself in global education not by design, but rather by circumstance. In 1989, I graduated with my undergraduate degree and was asked to be the graduate assistant with a study abroad group headed to Australia. It was an exhilarating time to be there as the higher education landscape was not yet fully aware of Australia as a study abroad destination. We had a wonderful experience and I was asked by our host university to come back to the USA and complete a research project about “study abroad”. After the exploration, we could see the opportunity to help more student ...

Belongingness and Inclusion in International Education

By Shanna Saubert posted 03-01-2023
Engendering a Sense of Belonging: The Case of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus By Althea Gordon Carol Goodenow (1993) defines the sense of belonging as, “being accepted, valued, included, and encouraged by others (teachers and peers) in the academic classroom and of feeling oneself to be an important part of the life and activity of the class. Students’ sense of belonging has been identified as a potential lever to promote success, engagement, and well-being in college.” The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus (UWI Mona) in Jamaica prides itself on being a community of learners from diverse backgrounds. With a population ...

ISSS Updates from the Region VI and VIII Bi-Regional Conference

By Danielle Davis posted 12-09-2022
Region VI and VIII attendees on their way to the Pittsburgh Port of Entry Tour. Department of State Exchange Visitor Program Update Electronic DS-2019s may be on the way! BridgeUSA says that they are at the final clearance for electronic signatures on DS-2019s and permitting AROs to send via email. Once approved, it will go into effect immediately. The Office of Designation continues to work with our sponsors in giving the flexibility to extend programs beyond maximum duration or change the exchange visitor’s category for those participants affected by the war in Ukraine. STEM Academic Training Extension is now available to eligible exchange visitors ...

International Education: A Catalyst for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

By Dale LaFleur posted 10-06-2022
International Education: A Catalyst for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals By Kate Hellmann, PhD, Coordinator, Programs and Resources, NAFSA Teaching, Learning and Scholarship Knowledge Community, and Director, International Student and Scholar Services, Washington State University As the field of international education adapts to innovate at institutions of higher education across the world, the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) continue to emerge as interconnected to campus internationalization; diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; education abroad; teaching; learning; scholarship; and everything in between. ...

Online Study Abroad: Using Mobile Technology to Reinvent Student Options for International Engagement

By Shanna Saubert posted 03-16-2022
Online Study Abroad: Using Mobile Technology to Reinvent Student Options for International Engagement By: Oliver McSurley, MEd; Wendy Howard, EdD; Anne Prucha, MA; and Kacie Tartt, MA (University of Central Florida) When we mention “online study abroad” people sometimes do a double take. Is it even possible? The answer is “yes.” Don’t you have to go to another country to do study abroad? The answer is “no.” The traditional study abroad experience is still an option of course and remains an excellent way to foster authentic engagement with host communities abroad. But not all students are able to participate in study abroad in the traditional ...

Women and Leadership in International Education – Engage, Empower, Advance

By Angela Miller posted 03-10-2022
Women and Leadership in International Education – ENGAGE, EMPOWER, ADVANCE! By Chasity Drew, Jennifer Fullick, and Angela Miller NAFSA’s member interest group: Women and Leadership in International Education (WLIE) has gained over one thousand members as it hits its five-year anniversary! What was the impetus for starting this MIG, and what do we envision in the future? As leaders of this MIG, our goal is to ensure this member group continues its journey to realize its core mission: to engage, empower and advance women in the field of international education. Started by Dr, Mindy Hansen, we continue this same mission in its fifth year to empower women ...

Institutional Strategies for Virtual Transatlantic Academic Exchange

By Shanna Saubert posted 01-31-2022
Institutional Strategies for Virtual Transatlantic Academic Exchange By: Priya S. Nayar, MA (Leitung Studienzentrum Hochschule Fresenius New York) The digital era has introduced many new tools and opportunities to advance teaching and learning in higher education. Institutions seeking innovative and entrepreneurial internationalization strategies have taken advantage of these trends and conceived of new ways to internationalization their academic programs. One example of this is the Trans-Atlantic Virtual Exchange and Collaboration Project (TAVEC), a cooperation between the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences in Germany and Adelphi University in the ...

Notes from the EARP Federal Financial Aid Subcommittee

By Katherine Mary Meyer posted 12-08-2021
In the past few years a lot has changed in our world: COVID-19’s ripple effects, new people in the White House, new university modalities, office turnover, etc. One thing that should be considered a constant is NAFSA and the Education Abroad Regulatory Practice (EARP) mission to help keep the field on top of the changes to federal policies from Washington, D.C.. As the chair of the EARP’s Federal Financial Aid Subcommittee, I’ve worked with a team of amazing professionals around the nation to create and update existing resources for the field. I have no doubt this record will continue for many years to come because this group and our partners are ...