On behalf of NAFSA’s Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship Knowledge Community (TLS KC), we are pleased to present Issue No. 13 of the Global Studies Literature Review (GSLR). The theme of this issue, “Recentering, Reprioritizing, and Reengaging a Sense of Community within International Education,” is an invitation—and a challenge—to interrogate rebuilding efforts as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on ethical practices and inclusiveness of all voices in the international education space.
The contextual themes noted in previous issues continue to frame our work this year: geopolitical crises, global health and economic inequities, climate impacts, increasing political polarization, terrorism, war, and the displacement of communities around the world. As a community of scholars, practitioners, and students, we strive to build bridges across these global fissures, to create the necessary conditions for authentic connection and understanding between people. It is therefore critically important that our community of practice and our communities of impact reflect a diversity of constituent voices and that we are thoughtful about the ethical implications of our work.
Contributors in this issue examine, with an interdisciplinary lens, how we might (re)build and expand our international education community. What does it mean to be an international educator, in the context of the themes above? Who should be included in this community who has not historically been at the table? How and where do we engage communities? Who are the key members of these communities, and how do we ensure that they are cocreators of international education programming? How can leaders prioritize local and global community engagement? How might we encourage student engagement with communities in an ethical and appropriate manner?
These questions challenge us to place community at the center of our rebuilding efforts, while allowing for healing, support, care, and social justice. Through this work, we have an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine the field of international education in a more globally inclusive and resilient way.
We are grateful to Nick Gozik for his extensive knowledge and contributions to the TLS KC and the field, and for his thoughtful stewardship as editor of this publication, which has been reenvisioned with a format focused on the theme of NAFSA’s annual conference. We also thank Blase Scarnati in his roles as TLS KC liaison to the GSLR, leader of the TLS KC Research and Scholarship Connections Network, and chair of the Research and Scholarship Subcommittee. The GSLR would not be possible without Nick’s and Blase’s ongoing support.
We are excited by the new research highlighted in this issue of the GSLR and hope it inspires application in your own field of practice.
- Zachary Frieders, University of California Education Abroad Program, TLS KC chair
- Katherine Punteney, EdD, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, TLS KC past chair
- Meredith Henderson, EdD, Go Global NC, TLS KC chair-elect