Reflections: Renew, Recharge, and Recommit This Summer

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for what you do each day on behalf of your institutions and organizations; students, faculty, and partners; and for the field of international education. The work we do requires head and heart along with a deep commitment to improving the human condition.

In my daily work, I am reminded that the moment we’re in requires that we widen our lens and open our eyes and hearts to the human suffering around us.

Among the crises surrounding us are:

• conflicts and wars resulting in lives lost, dreams deferred, mass displacement, and trauma;
• climate disasters that have engulfed communities around the world and present serious implications for racial, economic, and social justice;
• polarization and extremism fueled by ideologies of hate, bias, and discrimination, compromising our unity, peace, and well-being; and
• upcoming elections that will affect close to half of the world’s population and carry significant implications for students and immigrants.

These myriad forces can create feelings of malaise, deep pessimism, burnout, and indifference. As international educators, we must remain optimistic and undeterred in our belief that education is truly at the center of a better and more just world. Intercultural dialogue and understanding are important antidotes to hate, prejudice, and polarization. We must resist the divisions that threaten to tear us apart and recognize that our world is in desperate need of greater compassion, humility, and recognition of the humanity in each other. Every person, community, and nation deserves dignity, respect, safety, and prosperity.

In response to these challenges and the call to further the values that we share, we at NAFSA have been busy advancing a range of initiatives. I’d like to update you on a few and enlist your support.

• In November 2023, in partnership with several organizations, we launched the U.S. for Success Coalition with the aim of improving policies to make the United States more welcoming to a diverse community of international students. International education scored a major victory with the U.S. State Department’s decision to extend the visa interview waiver policy. However, much more work is needed.
• International students from the Global South who want to study in the United States are facing unpredictable and lengthy visa processing times and a high visa denial rate. Join our efforts on this matter by urging your members of Congress to press the State Department for improvements in visa processing that will allow talented international students to arrive on time for the start of the fall semester.
• Another coalition priority is a focus on student success. It’s not enough to get students to campuses. We have a social responsibility to create the conditions necessary for them to thrive. In that spirit, we’re launching a pledge for institutions to demonstrate their commitment to creating welcoming and inclusive environments in the classroom, on campus, and in the local community.
• In support of our commitment to sustainability, NAFSA has published a new book, Global Goals, Global Education: Advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, coedited by Jolynn Shoemaker and NAFSA Board of Directors member and Vice President for Public Policy and Practice Joanna Regulska. It’s the first publication of its kind, providing institutions with a practical guide to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The book includes authors from 15 countries.
• As part of our ongoing commitment to increase access to the field, NAFSA is proud to launch the International Education Professional Certificate (IEPC) in partnership with Times Higher Education and Common Purpose. The IEPC is suited for professionals at all stages of their career, and we’re excited about what this global program will mean for the overall advancement of the field.
• NAFSA has entered a new chapter in international education philanthropy with the creation of the John and Anne Hudzik Prize for Sustained Leadership and Contribution to Higher Education Internationalization. The Hudzik Prize will be awarded to individuals who have advanced the meaning, practice, and outcomes of internationalization. The inaugural award will be given out at the NAFSA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo in San Diego, California. I want to thank former NAFSA President John Hudzik and his wife, Anne, for their generosity in establishing this prize.

As you begin the summer season, be sure to carve out time to renew, recharge, and recommit to the vital work of international education. Remember that we’re all human and we need to care for ourselves as we care for others. Hold steadfast to the power and promise of international education to change lives and to hope and optimism for the future. Tomorrow isn’t promised—let’s be sure that we do our part during the time we have on this earth. Our efforts matter, whether they’re large or small.