Written by Colin McEvoy | February 20, 2025 | SHARE
Lehigh University’s Office of International Affairs will host an AIEA Thematic Forum in April, bringing international education leaders together to explore how coaching can enhance intercultural learning and global education
Lehigh University’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) is set to host an event in April sponsored by the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), which will explore the powerful role of coaching in advancing intercultural learning and global education.
The event, to be held on April 8 and 9, will be called “Coaching and Critical Intercultural Learning: Towards a New Approach for Global Education.” It is part of the distinguished AIEA Thematic Forums series.
“Universities are deeply invested in understanding how students learn in global contexts, ensuring that international education fosters meaningful personal and professional growth,” said Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs at Lehigh University.
“This forum is highly relevant for individuals leading internationalization who are committed to making global learning an opportunity for students to develop in service of themselves, others, and the world,” Matherly said.
AIEA is the nation’s only association dedicated exclusively to senior leaders in the field of international education. The AIEA Thematic Forums provide opportunities for international education leaders from around the country to meet and engage with salient issues for those leading internationalization.
The Lehigh event will take a deep dive into how coaching can further our commitments to intercultural learning, offering higher education professionals an opportunity to explore innovative approaches to supporting students and staff in an increasingly diverse and complex world, Matherly said.
Pre-registration is required. Visit here to register.
This event seeks to create a space for thinking about how senior international education leaders might amplify campus initiatives for intercultural learning by shifting their focus from a learning to a coaching culture through various points of entry.
“We will explore how coaching can further students’ development as intercultural learners and global citizens in a world characterized by difference, complexity and fast change,” said Angelina Rodríguez, Assistant Vice Provost for Global Learning at Lehigh.
Matherly and Rodríguez will be among the guest speakers at the event. Other speakers will include:
- Darla Deardorff, UNESCO Chair of Intercultural Competences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa
- Christopher Glass, Professor of the Practice in the Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Boston College
- Lesley Robinson, Co-Founder & Director of Education at Ayana
- Miriam Meima, Founder & Executive Coach of Every Day Leader
- Dawn Whitehead, President of the Office of Global Citizenship for Campus, Community & Careers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
Rodríguez will also be leading a weeklong intensive coaching training in May.
Participants will explore how coaching can support the evolution of global learning. Discussions will focus on fostering increased belonging for international students, those studying away from home, and other campus constituents, Matherly said.
The event will also examine ways coaching can encourage more reflective intercultural learning for individuals engaged in global education. Participants will discuss how coaching can deepen leadership capacities, offering new strategies for collaboration and helping avoid stagnation and burnout.
Creating intentional work cultures that include staff members who may not feel fully integrated into the educational mission will also be a key topic, Matherly said.
Both conceptual insights and practical strategies will be shared during the event. With six speakers and varied discussion formats, participants will leave with actionable takeaways on how to apply these ideas to their own work, Rodríguez said.