SESSION 4:
Advancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Higher Education through International Education
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 | 9:30 - 10:30AM (JST)
(Tuesday, October 11, 2022 | 8:30 - 9:30PM EDT)
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Format: Webinar
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: FREE
Language: English
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This webinar will introduce the participants to the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts in international education through three lenses: At the institutional level (Temple University Japan), historical context and through specialized focus (Diversity Abroad), and at the national and global level through the largest association of international educators (NAFSA). The three presenters each have decades of experience and scholarship advancing the importance of inclusion in international education.
International education has enabled millions of participants to leave their home country to pursue studies abroad, resulting in new learning opportunities, new networks, new skills, which become critical to their career and personal success. For decades, international education professionals and educators have espoused the importance of international learning for both personal and societal benefits. Living, learning, and working with others from different cultures and contexts can provide the structure and exposure for individual growth and to forge bonds of friendship that in turn support broader goals of developing citizens who are able to navigate the interconnectedness of the modern era. If we are to assume that these are worthy goals for educators and learners, in order to create a better world, we must also take a critical lens through which we examine access to such experiences.
Historically, international education has been, at first, an experience only affordable by the elite and as the numbers of participants have grown, there are still significant segments of the higher education population who are unable to participate. This webinar will focus on efforts by institutions of higher education, and two prominent associations, to encourage, remove barriers, and implement policies and processes to enable more diverse cohorts of higher education students to benefit from such a compelling learning opportunities. The presenters will focus on the shortcomings of the field of international education to address inequality and lack of access, while highlighting best practices and the evolution of the field to broaden access and to identify intersections for international education and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within higher education.
Speakers
LaNitra Berger
LaNitra Berger, Ph.D.,is an award-winning scholar, educator, and social justice advocate working towards making higher education accessible to low-income, first-generation, and minority students. Her scholarly interests are in art and social activism in the African and Jewish diasporas. For over 17 years, her work as an educator focuses on creating and expanding education abroad opportunities for underrepresented students, particularly in international education. LaNitra is the author of Exploring Education Abroad: A Guide for Racial and Ethnic Minority Participants (NAFSA, 2016) and the monograph, Irma Stern and the Racial Paradox of South African Modern Art: Audacities of Color (Bloomsbury, 2020). She is also the editor of Social Justice and International Education: Research, Practice, and Perspectives (NAFSA, 2020).
Andrew Gordon
Andrew Gordon is a social entrepreneur and CEO & Founder of Diversity Abroad. With a passion for student success, global engagement, and technology, he founded Diversity Abroad in 2006. His vision was simple, that the next generation of young people have equitable access to the opportunities that will equip them with the skills, knowledge, and networks to thrive in the 21st century interconnected and globally diverse society. As an advocate for inclusive student success, Andrew consults colleges & universities, non-profits, companies, and government agencies on developing, implementing, and monitoring inclusive practices, policies, and strategies in their global and technology operations. Andrew is fluent in Spanish & proficient in Portuguese. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and has studied, worked, and traveled in over 60 countries.
Teppei Hayashi
Teppei Hayashi spent most of his life in the US and Japan. Majoring in Spanish, French and International Studies at Oregon State University led him to study abroad in Ecuador and France, and an internship in Mexico. He earned his M.S.Ed. in Intercultural Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and also completed several workshops at the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication. Over the years, Teppei worked with thousands of students, mostly in the field of international education in Oregon and Tokyo. His latest project is to coordinate the invitation of a group of Ukrainian students to Temple University, Japan Campus.
Facilitators
Amir Reza
Amir Reza, Ph.D. is an affiliate with Gateway International Group. He is also Dean of Babson Academy for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurial Learning & Dean of Global Education at Babson College. He has served on leadership boards for AIEA, IFSA, NAFSA, University of Maine and several institutions abroad. He has presented at numerous national and international conferences on international education. Reza is an influential, dedicated, engaging and result-oriented professional with 20+ years of progressive, practical, and transferable experience providing guidance and leadership in actions that advance internationalization with a commitment to principles of collaboration, diversity, inclusion, and equality. He holds a B.A. and M.Ed. from the University of Maine, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College’s Center for International Higher Education.