Nothing says December like a retrospective look back at the year that was, so here’s the international education edition!
One of NAFSA’s hallmarks is continuing to serve the diverse and evolving needs of its membership, and that was on full display in 2024, including the development of the field’s first certificate program, the new online Leadership Essentials for Comprehensive Internationalization e-Learning course, and new publications such as the Global Goals, Global Education book, which provides higher education with a comprehensive, practical guide on aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
We also celebrated a fantastic NAFSA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo in the remarkable city of New Orleans last spring, returning to the “Crescent City” for the first time in almost 30 years. Attendees from more than 100 countries enjoyed robust programming and networking that our conference is known for, plus a special film screening, new hands-on learning excursions, and two memorable keynote addresses exploring the intersections between international education and social justice, peacebuilding, and language learning. The forecast is sunny for 2025, as we’ve received a record number of proposal submissions for the our next annual conference, to be held in San Diego next May. Be sure to circle the dates on your spring calendar and look for registration to open on February 4!
Our slate of regional conferences this fall was another home run, with nine conferences drawing close to 2,750 attendees, nearly half of them first-timers. Said one participant, “I was very pleasantly surprised at the variety of sessions that were applicable to my field and the opportunities to meet partners and create new connections. The conference was the most organized I have ever attended!” Enough said!
Turning to the policy and advocacy arena, we often say, “advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint.” Case in point: the U.S. Department of Education’s November 2024 decision to formally rescind its February 2023 proposal to redefine “third-party servicer” in such a way that that would have created unnecessary and onerous burdens for international education entities. This reversal was prompted in part by 1,000 comments from stakeholders and remarks by NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Fanta Aw at a virtual public hearing. Success! We will continue to monitor this issue however, as the next administration could still pursue new regulations.
The above example is both a good reminder that advocacy works and that we must sustain our efforts as we head into the uncertain waters of a new Congress and administration. For more on the outcome of the U.S. elections and what they might mean for international education, view a recording of NAFSA’s Postelection Town Hall. With that in mind, here are a few ways to gear up for the year ahead:
- Make sure you sign up to receive NAFSA’s Connecting Our World weekly newsletter to stay informed on all our policy priorities and advocacy campaigns to support them.
- Ask yourself if this is the year you commit to advocacy or redouble your efforts by joining us in person in Washington, D.C., at NAFSA Advocacy Day 2025!?
- And consider if there’s more you could do to ensure your boss and colleagues know about the pressing policy changes needed to support the field and actions that are being taken to advance them. NAFSA members can tap our handy Year-in-Review compilation of international education-related legislative and regulatory policy developments to help them get up to speed!
That’s a wrap for 2024. See you in the advocacy-sphere in 2025!