News

Christopher Glass, an expert in international higher education and global student mobility, will be among the speakers at the upcoming Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) Thematic Forum being held at Lehigh University next month.

The event, which will be held on April 8 and 9, will explore the powerful role of coaching in advancing intercultural learning and global education. Glass will be the speaker in a session called “Belonging: A Gateway to Global Learning for All Students – Revisited 10 Years Later.”

Glass is a Professor of the Practice in the Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Boston College, where he leads the Executive Doctor of Education in Higher Education program and serves as an affiliated faculty member in the Center for International Higher Education.

“Belonging is not just a feeling we create for others, but a recognition that we belong to each other—it transforms universities from places students merely attend to living communities they actively shape,” Glass said.

“True global learning emerges when we design flexible infrastructures that empower students to become the architects of their own global learning experiences, turning spaces into meaningful places through their creation of them,” he said.

Pre-registration for the AIEA Thematic Forum is required. Visit here to register.

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.

“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,” said Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs at Lehigh’s Office of International Affairs (OIA).

In addition to Glass and Matherly, other speakers for the AIEA Thematic Forum will include:

• Darla Deardorff, Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair of Intercultural Competences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa

• Lesley Robinson, Co-Founder & Director of Education at Ayana

• Angelina Rodríguez, Assistant Vice Provost for Global Learning at Lehigh; Teaching Associate Professor, College of Health

• 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)    

Prior to her current role,  Deardorff served 19 years as Executive Director/CEO of the Association of International Education Administrators, a leadership organization. She is also the Founding President of the World Council on Intercultural and Global Competence, a nonprofit partner to the UNESCO Chair.

Glass’ research and writing focus on global student mobility, virtual mobility and exchange, as well as equity, inclusion, and sustainability in international higher education.

His research has been published in Studies in Higher Education, Higher Education Research and Development, Journal of Studies in International Education, Compare, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, and the International Journal of Educational Development.

Glass has a deep commitment to the transformative power of international education, developed through years of leading study abroad programs and strengthened by personal connections with international students and scholars around the world.