The Forum was hosted by ACE’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement
Presidents,
chief academic officers, and senior international officers gathered
last week in Washington, DC, to address “Bridging the Local and the
Global” at ACE’s 2017 Executive Forum for Leading Internationalization.
Brad Farnsworth, vice president for internationalization and global engagement,
opened the meeting highlighting efforts by ACE and the Association of
International Education Administrators (AIEA) to help members of both
associations advocate in favor of international education, particularly
in a national political climate that seems increasingly skeptical about
the benefits of globalization. AIEA immediate past president and
associate vice chancellor for international affairs at Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis Gil Latz shared insights about
the need for greater advocacy at the local level in order to reach and
empower citizens beyond the international education arena.
A key theme throughout the day was how
internationalization plans should be rooted in a local context in order
to build cooperation and trust with local stakeholders. Several examples
of inclusive participation between the local and international
community and business groups were shared.
The day’s first panel, moderated by Latz,
discussed how internationalization can act as a driver for regional
economic growth. Speakers discussed the potential for students and
faculty to gain international experience through partnerships with
locally based corporations. Few institutions prepare economic impact
statements, though such statements can be helpful for measuring the
contribution of institutions’ international activities to local economic
development.
The second panel focused on student learning
and emphasized the importance of collaboration between institutions’
local community relations and civic engagement offices and international
programs offices—for the benefit of both U.S. and international
students.
The Forum concluded with a conversation
between Sue Henderson, president of New Jersey City University, and
Paaige K. Turner, principal associate, Communication Resource
Associates, LLC, and adjunct professor at Webster University (MO).
Henderson kicked off the conversation by asking, “How do we incorporate
international students into the local culture but also incorporate
ourselves into their lives?”
Turner discussed the importance of framing
different communications for different audiences, and of including the
United States as a key part of internationalization and global
engagement, noting: “Global is all of us at the same time.”
For more information about the Executive Forum for Leading Internationalization, please email cige@acenet.edu.