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2009 ACE Leadership Network Meeting

Building Strategic Alliances to Enhance Internationalization

November 10, 2009

75 presidents, provosts and guests participated in the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Leadership Network for International Education. The November 10 meeting showcased a range of ways to engage in low-cost, high-impact internationalization, and explored avenues for collaboration such as institutional consortia, networks, and government and private partnerships.

Featured speakers included Judith McHale, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, and Daniel Guaglianone, Executive Director for Recruiting and Staffing at Merck & Co. Panelists featured ways to leverage consortia and networks to enhance internationalization, and avenues for building and sustaining external partnerships with business, government, and community groups.

Highlights from the 2009 Meeting

The Policy Perspective: The Case for Internationalization
Judith McHale, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Keynote speaker Judith McHale highlighted the Obama administration's ongoing commitment to international education. The Department of State has a range of programs to support educational exchange and engagement, and in the coming years they hope to grow these programs in partnership with higher education institutions. She underscored the importance of building a network to tackle growing global problems, like climate change and food safety and security. Her presentation concluded with a forthright Q&A session with the participants.

Leveraging Consortia and Networks to Enhance Internationalization
Barbara McFadden Allen, Director, Committee on Institutional Cooperation; Terry King, Provost, Ball State University; Christopher Welna, President, Associated Colleges of the Midwest

Barbara Allen showcased the promises and pitfalls of using consortia to enhance an institution's internationalization agenda. Access her powerpoint presentation here [pdf, 412 KB].

Terry King highlighted Ball State's Global Media Network, which connects students in the U.S. to students around the country using advanced video conferencing technology. They host a variety of events across all discipline types, in partnership with 28 international institutions. Access his handout here [pdf, 31 KB].

Christopher Welna emphasized specific examples of using consortia to enhance internationalization, including jointly owned study abroad sites, faculty development opportunities, and joint grant submissions. Access his powerpoint presentation here [pdf, 1,531 KB].

Building and Sustaining External Partnerships
Charlie Feezel, Education Director, World Cocoa Foundation; Shari Albright, Executive Director of Education, Asia Society; Carolyn Williams, President, Bronx Community College

Charlie Feezel described the interesting partnerships that the World Cocoa Foundation has developed, including a fellows program that supports the exchange of cocoa scientists from the Americas, Southeast Asia and Africa. Access his powerpoint presentation here [pdf, 656 KB].

Shari Albright highlighted the importance of K–12 and higher education partnerships in support of internationalization. The Asia Society works to enhance these partnerships by supporting programs, including the International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) and the Partnership for Global Learning, that connect high school students with international learning competencies and opportunities. Access her handout here [pdf, 77 KB].

Carolyn Williams closed the panel by showcasing the range of partnerships that Bronx Community College has engaged in, including partnerships with foundations, government, and community organizations.

The Importance of Internationalization to the Business Community
Dan Guaglianone, Executive Director, Recruiting and Staffing, Merck & Co.

The meeting concluded with a candid presentation by Dan Guaglianone, who described what employers are looking for in students, and asked the question: are our students ready to work in a globalized world? Some of the competencies he looks for when recruiting new employees are superior functional discipline skills, language skills, appreciation of cultural differences, and an awareness of and ability to control ethnocentric behaviors. Ultimately, students that have studied abroad and internationalized global knowledge, skills, and attitudes are the most desirable candidates for global corporations. Access his powerpoint presentation here [pdf, 53 KB].

Please direct questions about this page to:
international@ace.nche.edu
This page last updated on: 11/18/2009