The 2019-21 cohort of the ACE Internationalization Laboratory met this month in Washington for their mid-term meeting. Representatives from the 18 institutions in this largest ever cohort discussed how their internationalization plans were coming together and how to face the challenges yet to come.
When discussing their successes so far, representatives from Sinclair Community College expressed excitement that colleagues from all across the college who may not have known each other before were working together on the college's internationalization committee. A combination of experience and new blood among the committee members was giving rise to a good diversity of perspectives. “One of the major benefits of the Lab is that people on campus that have never communicated before are now talking to each other," added Kara Godwin, director for internationalization at ACE.
Another highlight of the meeting was a presentation by Robin Helms, deputy chief innovation officer and principal internationalization strategist at ACE, on using data to inform strategy and planning. She gave an overview of national-level data available, such as ACE's Mapping Internationalization on U.S. Campuses report, and advice on how to collect institution-level data.
The Lab process itself, in addition to the institutions that comprise it, is becoming more internationalized over the years. This cohort includes three Brazilian institutions sponsored by CAPES, a foundation within Brazil's Ministry of Education. Patricio Marinho, coordinator for strategic partnerships at the Directorate of International Affairs at CAPES, delivered a presentation during this mid-term meeting about the higher education landscape in Brazil and opportunities for relationship-building between U.S. and Brazilian institutions. In April, Helms and Godwin of ACE along with Lab advisors and the current Brazilian participants will hold a workshop in Brazil in partnership with CAPES to share information about the internationalization process with Brazilian institutions not currently in the Lab.
Also attending the mid-term meeting were representatives from Diku, the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education, who were interested in learning more about the program.
Institutions who aspire to develop their internationalization strategy are encouraged to apply for the 18th cohort of the Internationalization Lab, whose work will take place from August of this year through 2022. For more information, visit the Internationalization Lab webpage or contact Kara Godwin.