After a virtual kick-off meeting last fall, dozens of representatives of the 2021-23 ACE Internationalization Lab cohort gathered in Washington, DC, and online last week with ACE staff and lab advisors. This was their first hybrid meeting with the opportunity to gather in-person to discuss issues around data strategy, global affairs and policies, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
This is the second of three milestone meetings for which the cohort will gather as a whole. Participants began the day by giving updates on the status of their internationalization process and caught up with colleagues, expressing excitement to see many of their lab partners face to face.
ACE has been focused on mobilizing synergies between internationalization and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. One presentation featured representatives from Education New Zealand, which is New Zealand’s government agency for building international education. They spoke about the importance of involving different cultures, particularly local cultures, in the work of higher education institutions. One example they gave was New Zealand’s work incorporating the indigenous Māori people in conversations about what they want to see from their institutions.
Later in the day, ACE’s Assistant Vice President of Government Relations and Chief of Staff Sarah Spreitzer spoke about the state of global affairs and its impact on higher education by detailing the crisis in Ukraine and pending U.S. legislation and regulations. Participants then broke up into discussion groups on key topics ranging from international mobility, to navigating leadership changes, to internationalizing curriculum through methods such as virtual exchange/COIL.
Institutions interested in developing their internationalization strategy are encouraged to apply for the 20th cohort of the Internationalization Lab, whose work will launch in September of this year through 2024. For more information, visit the Internationalization Lab webpage.