We are looking forward to connecting with colleagues at the 2026 AIEA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. In addition to panels and sessions led by IIE experts this year, President & CEO Jason Czyz will moderate a Spotlight Session, International Higher Education & Industry Partnerships: Shaping the Global Workforce. With the partnership and support of the U.S. Embassy Bangkok, the IIE Center for International Partnerships will host a delegation of senior leaders from universities across Thailand; the study tour is part of the ongoing IAPP Thailand initiative.

IIE team members representing the Fulbright Program and EducationUSA will be present in the exhibition hall. Follow us on social media, using the hashtags #AIEA2026 and #IIEatAIEA2026.

The IIE delegation to AIEA includes:

• Jason Czyz, President and CEO
• Julie Baer, Deputy Director, IIE Research, Evaluation, and Learning
• Jamie Bellis, Senior Director, Special Initiatives and Operations
• Lindsay Calvert, Director, IIENetwork and IIE Center for International Opportunities
• Cori Crisfield, Manager, IIE Center for International Partnerships
• Giselle Dubinsky, Regional Manager (REAC), North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, EducationUSA
• Jordanna Enrich, Senior Director, Fulbright Student & Scholar Programs
• Lora Seery, Director, Fulbright U.S. Student Program
• Sylvia Jons, Director, IIE Center for International Partnerships
• Kari Kuja, Senior Director, IIE Europe
• Mirka Martel, Head, IIE Research, Evaluation, and Learning
• Jen Murray, Assistant Director of Outreach and Recruitment, Fulbright Program
• Christy Rozek, Brand Manager, Fulbright Program
• Julie Taylor, Senior Director, Academic Relations, Fulbright Program

IIE Sessions

Monday, February 16

Pre-Conference Workshop: Developing an International Partnership Strategy

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

This workshop explores how your institution can develop a purposeful international partnership strategy that results in an effective portfolio of linkages that advance the institution, engage a wide range of faculty, staff, and students, and can be sustained over time. Experienced practitioners provide research findings, practical knowledge, and models for establishing the goals, criteria, policies, supports, and processes that foster partnership success and bring clarity and intentionality to partnership decision-making. Geared towards international education professionals with several years of experience, especially those who are responsible for partnership building at their institutions, the workshop equips participants with the basics of how to plan, organize, initiate, sustain, and evaluate partnerships between their home institutions and those in other countries.

• Chair: Sylvia Jons, Director, IIE Center for International Partnerships
• Cori Crisfield, Manager, IIE Center for International Partnerships
• Tim Barnes, Executive Director of Partnerships and Research, University of Kentucky
• Stacy Burger, Director of Global Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives, Lehigh University
• Susan Buck Sutton, IIE Fellow for Academic Partnerships and Emerita Associate Vice President of International Affairs, Indiana University

Tuesday, February 17

Advancing International Education Through Global Partnerships

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET

This session showcases how U.S. colleges and universities can utilize EducationUSA resources as a pivotal convener of partnerships between U.S. higher education institutions (HEIs) and foreign governments to attract top talent to the United States. Explore cost-effective recruitment strategies including capitalizing on market intelligence, cutting-edge recruitment tools, strategic communication, and global partnerships to elevate your profile globally. Remain up to date on foreign government-sponsored scholarships and tailored collaboration in over 430 EducationUSA advising centers in 170 countries.

• Robin Lathrop, EducationUSA
• Giselle Dubinsky, Regional Manager (REAC), North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, EducationUSA
• Roberta Cordano, President, Gallaudet University

Building Local Support for Global Learning

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET

This session convenes international education researchers, state-based organizations, and higher education practitioners to share best practices for advancing internationalization within institutions and across local and state contexts. Through case studies and concrete examples, presenters will demonstrate how to leverage data to inform strategy, foster cross-sector collaboration, and build lasting support for international education in local and state communities.

• Julie Baer, Deputy Director of Research, Evaluation & Learning, IIE
• Deneyse Kirkpatrick, President and CEO of the Texas International Education Consortium
• Rachel Page, Deputy Director, Go Global NC
• Michael Pelletier, Executive Director of the Institute for Global Engagement, University of Houston
• Voytek Wloch, SIO, College of Lake County and the Chair of Study Illinois

Growth in a Downturn: Resilient Recruitment Markets in a Shifting Global Landscape

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Hybrid (online and in-person)

This session will explore which international markets continue to see growth in student demand and enrollments to U.S. institutions despite global and geopolitical challenges. Utilizing data from IIE’s Open Doors and IDP demand data, speakers will examine the markets demonstrating the most resilience and the factors driving their growth.

• Elle Butler, IDP Education, Director of Marketing, USA
• Mirka Martel, Head of Research, Evaluation & Learning, IIE
• Martyn Miller, Temple University, Assistant Vice President of Global Engagement
• Cheryl Matherly, Lehigh University, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs

International Higher Education & Industry Partnerships: Shaping the Global Workforce

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. ET

As global industries evolve, the imperative to align higher education with workforce needs has never been stronger. This Spotlight Session brings together international educators for a roundtable discussion on how cross-sector partnerships are shaping the future of workforce training. Drawing on IIE’s global network and expertise in international education strategy, the session will explore innovative collaborations that prepare students and professionals to thrive in a complex, interconnected world. Panelists will examine scalable models that integrate academic learning with real-world skills, and foster global talent pipelines.

• Moderator: Jason Czyz, President & CEO, IIE
• Dr. Sammer Saleh Jones, Director for Global Relations, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Ms. Liz Lund, Senior Medtronic Philanthropy Director, Medtronic Foundation
• Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, President of Siam University, Thailand   

Mexico: The Overlooked Powerhouse — Why It Should Be Central to Your Recruitment Strategy

4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET

Mexico is a top source of international students for the U.S., yet it is often overlooked in recruitment strategies. This session will reveal why Mexico is both a reliable and rapidly evolving market. We will share trends and high-impact recruitment tools, spotlight established and emerging partnership opportunities, and present strategies to create sustainable inbound and outbound mobility programs, equipping participants to boost results and strengthen global engagement.

• Giselle Dubinsky, Regional Manager (REAC), North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, EducationUSA
• Brenda Garcia
• Eduardo Najera

Wednesday, February 18

More Important and More Watched: Survey Data on the Changing World of International Partnerships

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. ET

This session explores the bifurcated higher education landscape described by respondents to IIE’s 2025 International Partnership Survey. Respondents report steady growth in the importance of international partnerships as well as challenges, internal and external to the sector. The result is a complex mix of concerns and motivations, often accompanied by restrictions and funding changes. Survey data provide a springboard for discussion of how to think about and respond to this situation.

• Moderator: Sylvia Jons, Director of IIE Center for International Partnerships
• Cori Crisfield, Manager, IIE Center for International Partnerships
• Mervin Bakker, Executive Director, European Association for International Education (EAIE)
• Susan Buck Sutton, IIE Fellow for Academic Partnerships and Emerita Associate Vice President of International Affairs, Indiana University

Partnership Development as a Tool for Resiliency and Professional Growth: Leveraging Fulbright International Education Administrator Awards

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. ET

The Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) Program offers U.S.-based international
education leaders a high-impact, short-term professional development experience abroad. This session
explores how the program supports career advancement, institutional internationalization, and global
visibility. Panelists will share strategies for preparing a competitive application, securing institutional support,
and maximizing the experience through thoughtful planning. Attendees will gain practical insights into
country-specific program differences and how to align participation with institutional and professional goals.

• Jen Murray, Assistant Director, Fulbright U.S. Scholar Outreach and Recruitment, IIE
• Sarah Olson, University of California-Davis, Director of Global Partnerships
• Amy Conger, North Carolina State University, Vice Provost for Global Engagement
• Chad Hoseth, Colorado State University, Assistant Vice Provost for International Affairs

Building Campus Excellence through a Fulbright Strategy: Insights from Top-Producing Institutions

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. ET

As funding declines, institutions must maximize every opportunity. Fulbright is a strategic platform for global engagement—supporting outbound students and scholars and facilitating inbound talent. This session highlights how top-producing institutions embed Fulbright into campus strategies, support applicants, and celebrate scholars. It also explores how they host foreign faculty for research, teaching, and enhancing language instruction, while attracting international graduate students. Attendees will gain actionable models to elevate their institution’s Fulbright strategy and global impact. Three institutions will present on their engagement strategies, followed by a 30-minute discussion.

• Julie Taylor, Senior Director, Academic Relations, Fulbright
• Tashina Giraud
• Titus Awokuse
• Joanna Kukielka-Blaser

The International Higher Education Advocacy Landscape Today

9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. ET

Advocacy is probably one of the most commonly used terms in international education today; however, it shows up differently in its diverse contexts. This session provides insight into the various types of advocacy efforts happening at the associational, organizational, and institutional levels; the nuances of how advocacy works in these contexts; and, importantly, how all of these efforts can work together to advance international education and exchange.

• Katherine Brodie, Partner, Duane Morris LLP
• Mark Overmann, Executive Director, Alliance for International Exchange
• Michael Hörig, Director, DAAD Brussels Office
• Kari Kurja, Senior Director, IIE Europe

The Future of Education Abroad: Insights for Strategic Leadership

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. ET | Hybrid (online and in-person)

This session offers a strategic lens on the landscape of education abroad, equipping senior international officers with actionable insights to strengthen and expand global learning initiatives. Panelists will explore current mobility trends, study abroad linkages with career readiness, and the realities facing international educators today. The discussion will highlight innovative approaches to capacity-building, program design that reflects student needs, and strategies for navigating financial constraints—all with the goal of expanding education abroad.

• Julie Baer, Deputy Director of Research, Evaluation & Learning, IIE
• Melissa Torres, President and CEO, The Forum on Education Abroad
• Heidi Manley, Chief, USA Study Abroad
• Eddie Contreras, Vice Provost for Global Engagement, Baylor University

Global Internships to Build Strong Employment Pipelines

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. ET | Hybrid (online and in-person)

This session will provide experts perspectives rooted in new research on the types of employers that support global internships and hire alumni of global internship programs, and the skills and perspectives they are looking to hone among internship participants. The panel will explore the benefits of study abroad and global internships to employers, and how the skills that individuals bring ultimately link to their study abroad and internship experiences.  

• Mirka Martel, Head of Research, Evaluation & Learning, IIE
• Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs, Lehigh University
• Lorie Logan-Bennett, Assistant Vice President of Career Services, Towson University