NAFSA's International Educator

We're back! This episode of the International Educator podcast is the first in a mini series about innovation and technology. We spoke with Ben Nelson, founder and CEO of Minerva Project and a founder of Minerva University. In a time when many people and institutions claim to be innovators, Ben is a true disruptor and innovator in the higher education space, challenging the existing paradigm....

This month, longtime member and previous NAFSA president Fanta Aw assumes the role of NAFSA’s CEO and Executive Director. Originally from Mali, Aw came to the United States as an international student at American University, where she spent both her academic and professional careers to this point. Most recently, she was vice president of undergraduate enrollment, student life, and inclusive excell...

This episode of the IE  podcast brings you insight from four professionals in the field who are working to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in international education. You'll hear from: Jewell Winn, Tennessee State University Lysette Davi, Arizona State University Marcus King, Prairie View A&M University Adriana Smith, AIFS Abroad They share their motivations, how they support stu...

NAFSA liaises with many different government agencies on behalf of, and in the interest of, its members and the students they serve. In addition, NAFSA advocates and works with Congress and the White House on a number of policy priorities.   At the midpoint of the Biden administration, how are those government agencies and policymakers faring? In this episode of the IE Podcast, NAFSA's Steve...

To mark Hispanic Heritage Month, this episode of the IE podcast is a conversation with Lysette Davi at University of Arizona and Frances Santiago of University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. They share their career journeys in international education, perspectives on diversifying the profession, challenges and successes in serving the Hispanic student population on their campuses, what international edu...

In this episode of the IE Podcast, we're going behind the scenes of the newly refreshed International Education Competencies 2.0 (IE Competencies 2.0) with Holly Hudson and Marcel Bolintiam. Holly and Marcel are two members of the Competencies Commission, the group of NAFSA members and leaders who were nominated by their peers to create the new edition of the IE Competencies. They give a glim...

Conversations around sustainability in international education have increased in recent years, and there is a growing contingent of international educators who are mobilizing for action to address the climate crisis. One key voice is Ailsa Lamont, who is the director of Pomegranate Global , an international education consulting group that offers a range of climate action services. Based in Austral...

This month on the International Educator podcast is a two-part episode featuring conversations with contributors to NAFSA’s recent book, Engaging International Alumni as Strategic Partners , and other experts on this topic. In Part 2 of the episode, Maria Gallo and Kevin Fleming discuss the intersection of transformational philanthropy and international alumni engagement. Maria and Kevin co-author...

This month on the International Educator podcast is a two-part episode featuring conversations with contributors to NAFSA’s recent book, Engaging International Alumni as Strategic Partners , and other experts on this topic. In Part 1 of the episode, Gretchen Dobson, who is one of the co-authors of the book, talks with Serge Sych from Central European University about partnering with international...

This episode is a conversation with Margaret Wiedenhoeft and Corrine Henke, the two co-editors of the forthcoming book NAFSA's Guide to Education Abroad, Fifth Edition . Given the changes in the field since the last edition came out in 2014, they discuss how those changes informed the contents of the new book, trends in education abroad, the chapters they think every international educator sh...

There is growing momentum in international education around advancing social justice, and these issues are rightly at the forefront of the important discussions happening across the field. Longtime NAFSA member LaNitra Berger, PhD , edited the book on it: Social Justice and International Education . In this episode of the IE podcast, Berger discusses  how advancing social justice in international...

This episode of the IE podcast is a conversation with Bertha Anderson , who is the Chief of Public Engagement for the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman).  Many international educators in the United States are familiar with the CIS Ombudsman's office, and NAFSA regularly liaises with this and other government agencies on behalf of advisers who facilita...

In November, during International Education Week, NAFSA released its annual analysis of the economic contributions of international students and their families to the U.S. economy. This year’s analysis showed that the nearly one million international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contributed  28.4 billion dollars to the country’s economy and supported more than 300,000 jobs. ...

Efforts to diversify the field of international education have accelerated over the past few years, and Ogonna Owu, MA, and Gretchen Cook-Anderson, MA, have had front-row seats to the changes and challenges. In this episode of the IE podcast, Owu and Cook-Anderson discuss positive changes in the field in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion; the areas still in need of improvement; how emp...

In this episode of the International Educator podcast, we talk with David Di Maria, EdD, author of the recent NAFSA publication Achieving More With Less: Lean Management in the International Student Office . Di Maria discusses the eight most common types of waste found in most international offices; how to identify and eliminate waste; challenges to implementing new processes; how to know when the...

Like so many around the world, NAFSA has been watching events unfold in Afghanistan over recent months and weeks, as the United States has withdrawn from the country. This episode of the IE podcast features a conversation with a scholar from Afghanistan who is pursuing a master's degree at a university in the United States.  He shares his experience of watching developments in the situation i...

In this episode of the IE podcast, Sandra Rincón, MSc, and Gretchen Dobson, EdD, co-authors of Engaging International Alumni as Strategic Partners , give a primer on how international educators can include international alumni as key stakeholders in internationalization efforts. As higher education institutions around the world continue to reimagine their internationalization strategies, internati...

In this episode of the IE podcast, NAFSA's Director, Regulatory Practice Liaison Steve Springer breaks down the 2021 Spring Regulatory Agenda . In addition to giving important context for this edition of the agenda, we discuss five key takeaways, including the withdrawal of proposed changes to duration of status, SEVP fees, reforms to practical training, and more.  Overall, this edition turns...

Networking, mentoring, and learning from peers are hallmarks of the field of international education. These elements also play an important role in career development and professional growth. Hear from two pairs of NAFSA members—one a mentor-mentee relationship, the other a peer-peer connection—about how the personal side of professional development has made a difference in their lives. Read more...

As the Biden administration marked 100 days in office on April 30, the milestone took place during a whirlwind week for U.S. State Department announcements, travel advisories, and other updates and happenings that affect international students and scholars in the United States. In this episode of the International Educator podcast, Dan Berger, an immigration attorney based in Massachusetts, gives...

International Educator spoke with two medical professionals—one from China via Canada, the other from Brazil—who are working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear their stories of professional and personal challenges and what it's been like to work in medicine during this historic time. (Read the stories of six other international students and scholars at nafsa.org/ie .)

Amid a year of budget tightening, revenue shortfalls, and staff stretched thin, international offices are feeling the effects of decreased international student enrollment and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this environment, understanding the budget workings and processes on campus can help international educators get a realistic picture of their financial footing. International Educator spoke with Lyn...

Following a challenging 4 years for international education in the United States and a contentious election season, many professionals in the field were relieved when Joe Biden was sworn in as president. In his first few weeks in office, there has been a steady stream of executive orders and other actions from the White House. What do they mean for international education? And what else does NAFSA...

There is no one-size-fits-all pathway to leadership, and that is especially true across the field of international education. International Educator asked nine leaders in the field about their leadership journey, turning points in their careers, qualities they think good leaders should cultivate, and skills that will be critical as international educators and institutions emerge from the COVID-19...

Ravi Shankar has served as the president and chair of NAFSA’s board of directors since January 2019, the culmination of decades of involvement as a NAFSA member and member-leader. Bringing his deep experience in international education, Shankar reflects on 2020 and what’s in store for the field for 2021 and beyond—including how NAFSA’s revised Strategic Plan frames the organization’s vision for th...