Take 5: Hot Topics for 2024

This year, International Educator is bringing back a familiar favorite—our Take 5 column—but with a fresh approach. Each month, we pose a thought-provoking prompt to five members of the NAFSA community. These international educators, who represent a diverse range of voices and perspectives, respond with their insights, recommendations, and personal reflections on the myriad themes and questions that are facing the field.

What do you think will be the hot topic in international education this year?

The Intersection of College Sports and Internationalization

I think this year’s hot topic in international education will be college sports as a vehicle for internationalization—it’s happening. The launch of Big 12 Mexico reflects the curiosity in college sports about global partnerships and expansion. During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes will participate in a mega sporting event dedicated to promoting global peace, cooperation, and understanding. NCAA international college athlete enrollment has increased 25 percent since 2020, a phenomenon that should be studied and leveraged to inform international student recruitment strategies. Organizations like Athlete Futures Abroad are helping facilitate global study experiences for U.S. athletes, while virtual exchange is being incorporated into sport management curriculum and college athlete development programming.

There is energy, excitement, and inertia at the intersection of international education and college sports. It’s critical that these two communities come together to devise a plan that equitably supports international college athletes while also remaining committed to an institution’s internationalization goals.
—Tim Bryson, Walk With TFB

Pressure Points in International Enrollment

South, Central, and East Asia are emerging as strong and diverse markets for student recruitment, increasing competition in international enrollment. Meanwhile, countries around the world are implementing tougher visa rules.

It’s also time for a reality check on test-optional policies versus the traditional standardized testing that has historically provided universities with benchmarks for assessing students across diverse educational backgrounds, institutions, and curricula.
—Meenakshi Kachroo Chatta, College Board

Openness and Collaboration

Tough question! One thing I love about this field is the community of people working toward common goals. The people, those connections, and a never-ending willingness to share and collaborate in a space full of complexity and opportunity are (to me) always hot topics. Adding and cultivating new voices and diverse talent to that network is essential as we continue our work.
—Nick Seamons, University of Chicago

Engagement

I think the hot topic in international education this year will be engagement. Engaging more with others that you do not know, whether it’s students, campus partners, faculty, or the staff that you encounter day-to-day.

Engaging more will allow you to be authentic, build strategic relationships, and transform yourself. Engaging will open communication and have a significant impact on your life and mental health. As international educators, it is crucial to expand our outreach to bring students of all backgrounds into an engaging sphere of communication.
—Ida Thompson, University of Houston

Advocacy for International Education

Increased geopolitical turmoil and uncertainty makes campus commitment to international education more significant than ever before. With the continuing trend of transitions in senior leadership roles and increased budgetary constraints, this endeavor has become even more challenging. But as we begin 2024, we must ensure that international education continues to be a priority on each of our campuses.

Change can be unsettling, but it also provides opportunities to recalibrate and refocus. To that end, we need an intentional strategy to close equity gaps—not only to diversify international student recruitment but also in access to study abroad and global learning opportunities. We also need to speak up about the importance of weaving the global and intercultural into the local when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
—Parinaz Zartoshty, San Jose State University

Interested in joining the conversation? We’re always looking for new voices. Email us at [email protected] and we’ll contact you about sharing your perspective in an upcoming issue of International Educator.