Presentations from the 2019 CIEE Annual Conference Available Online
Authored By:
By Alexandra Wood
The 2019 CIEE Annual Conference on the theme Opening Doors to Increase Diversity in Study Abroad, was a wonderful opportunity for the international education community to engage in constructive discussions on how we can create programs and provide support services that encourage a greater diversity of students to pursue study abroad.
In case you did not have the opportunity to join us in Brooklyn, I invite you to check out the presentations from many sessions and workshops that are now available online.
To align with the conference theme, pre-conference workshops included a sold-out session on Intercultural Intersections: Diversity and Inclusion as an Integral Part of Intercultural Development Workshop led by Keshia Abraham, Ph.D., Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion; Quinton Redcliffe; Director of Diversity and Inclusion; Brittani Smit, Manager of Student Life, CIEE Global Institute – Cape Town; and Marion Tizon; Center Director, CIEE Cusco, Peru. The session leaders created a toolkit of resources pertaining to the topic that can be found here. In addition, there were also two pre-conference workshops led by our Health, Safety, and Security team: Health, Safety, and Security 101 (Basic Training) and Advanced Training: The Stress Test on Preparedness.
Wednesday’s Welcome Breakfast and Opening Plenary featured leadership and inclusion specialist, Ritu Bhasin. Ritu set a wonderful tone encouraging attendees to unveil their “authentic selves” and how this is the key that empowers us to build a world that celebrates diversity and inclusivity. The day continued with powerful presentations such as the standing room only session, Socio-Economics, Inclusion, and Study Abroad and Equal Opportunities and Unique Experiences: Navigating Identities of Disability, Race, Gender, and Sexuality While Traveling Abroad. Wednesday concluded with the popular Meet CIEE reception , where attendees had the opportunity to speak with CIEE Directors from around the world while enjoying the stunning view of the Manhattan skyline.
Thursday continued the exploration of the conference theme with presentations such as Global Learning and Career Readiness: Enhancing Education Abroad Access for HBCU Students and Designing with Identity in Mind: A Case Study on Two Deaf-centric Programs in Madrid and Cape Town. During the Annual Luncheon, filmmaker and educator, André Robert Lee explored the intersections of race and class in America with his personal life experiences.The day was capped by a ferry ride to Ellis Island, which was open to attendees to visit the exhibits that document the experiences of 12 million immigrants who passed through the island’s historic buildings between 1892 to 1954.
The last day of the conference kicked off with the CIEE Breakfast, which included an update on the Academic Consortium Board’s recent program approvals and site evaluations by ACB Chair Woody Pelton, Dean of International Programs at Elon University. Student presentations, the highlight of the conference for many attendees, included reflections by alumni from the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, Entrepreneur Lab, Global Internship Program, and a CIEE semester program on the transformational effect of international education on their personal and academic lives.
I hope you will join us November 3-5, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea, for the 2020 CIEE Annual Conference on the theme Pathways for Peace: International Education's Role in Harmonizing International Relations.
Our call for proposals is now open! Submit a proposal and join us to discuss international education's role in creating a more peaceful world. Visit our website for full theme and proposal criteria.