On September 29, ACE hosted an International
Education Roundtable discussion to preview a new ACE initiative
involving the United States and seven partner countries or regions.
Education representatives from the embassies of Australia, Canada,
Colombia, Germany, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the Delegation of the
European Union were invited to attend to learn more about the Alliance for Global Innovation in Tertiary Education and how their countries or regions will be involved.
The Alliance comprises a network of senior
practitioners, thought leaders, policymakers, and private sector
employers, who will come together to identify flexible, student-centered
strategies that enable diverse student populations to move through
postsecondary education systems and achieve more equitable outcomes.
This two-year initiative is coordinated by ACE’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement with funding from Lumina Foundation.
The embassy representatives quickly
identified areas of overlapping interest, such as a shared focus on
indigenous student populations across Australia, Canada, Colombia,
Mexico, and the United States. Representatives from the United Kingdom
and Germany spoke about pressures in Europe to integrate refugee
students into higher education systems. The group also discussed
challenges concerning credit transferability and recognition of prior
learning; improving student outcomes by enhancing support mechanisms;
and shared interests in the exchange of good practice and lessons
learned.
In February 2018, ACE will convene the
inaugural global meeting of the Alliance in Washington, DC.
Representatives and a group of expert advisors will discuss specific
examples of strategies that increase postsecondary degree attainment for
underserved students in their countries.
ACE is partnering with the following associations to form the Alliance:
ACE will share early results of the first Alliance meeting at ACE2018, ACE’s 100th Annual Meeting, March 10-13, 2018, in Washington, DC.