Time flies. Over halfway through my presidency, I felt compelled to ‘put pen to paper’ and collect my thoughts on the future of AIEA, and on how my humble one-year contribution serving as its president may impact our beloved professional association. While writing these lines as AIEA president, I feel they are the personal reflection of an International Education professional, and a former international student and scholar. International Education professionals have faced significant challenges this year due to a new U.S. federal administration’s policy.
The first half of this presidency has been as eventful and exciting as it can get. Despite the significant and unprecedented challenges that lie ahead, we must embrace the future with resilience and optimism. This is the best way I know to serve the organizations we work with and nurture the future leadership of International Education. Regardless of how we entered the field of International Education—whether inspired by an international experience or stumbling upon it through an intriguing job opportunity—I believe we all share a common passion for playing a role in boosting people’s dreams and helping them transform those dreams into better lives. International Education has a profound impact on our hearts, and it is not something we can control or avoid; it is an integral part of who we are.
I have observed the struggles of senior international officers and other leaders from various higher education institutions and international organizations as they react to these policies and their implementation. As International Education leaders, we recognize that we work in an industry experiencing rapid global change. Global connections are our comfort zone. Therefore, when faced with such unprecedented changes, we should remind ourselves of this. Networking, connecting with colleagues, mentors, and professionals with diverse perspectives both domestically and internationally, especially through organizations like AIEA, provides us with a sense of comfort and support.
Over the last six months, International Education has been dealing with student visa challenges, including the termination of numerous SEVIS records, the temporary suspension of visa interviews, social-media account disclosures in visa applications, the revocation of Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, and impending changes to the concept of duration of stay. There have been travel bans issued to students from countries like Iran, Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal. There are reports of ideological vetting of Fulbright scholars and increased scrutiny of foreign funding at U.S. colleges. That might not be the complete picture, but it serves as a sufficient illustration. It has been plenty, disturbing, and confusing. In such difficult situations, my fellow International Education professionals have demonstrated remarkable resilience, and I have developed even greater respect and admiration for them.
We have learned, time and again, that organizations and individuals, when feeling unheard or dismissed, should advocate for themselves. However, it appears that initial calls for increased political advocacy for International Education have had limited impact. While advocacy is never useless – it is a mission, not a task – it might not be as effective now as it was in previous instances. We must keep pressuring, nonetheless.
The internal institutional pressure on International Education leaders to explain and resolve unprecedented situations contributes to the feeling of being overwhelmed.
With great respect and admiration, I would like to share with our members – especially International Education leaders working on the frontlines of international recruitment and admissions, immigration services, and overall international office management – that it is important to have thoughtful, poised reactions to new developments. We must remind ourselves and those around us that we are dealing with unprecedented decision-making regarding procedures, policies, and enforcement. Taking a moment to reflect individually and collectively, and reassess resources and strategies, could increase our objectivity and hopefully lead to more effective reactions.
Our field of practice is well known for its fast-paced change, occasional severely disruptive moments, and resiliency. The last seven decades of International Education history can be summarized into a single picture of success and progress, punctuated by remarkable programs and events such as the Fulbright Program, the EducationUSA network, the Bologna Process in the European Union, the global expansion of branch campuses, the digital transformation that led to remote learning possibilities, and the increasing economic impact of global study abroad.
Professionals in our field have also witnessed swift policy changes and programmatic restrictions due to significant events of various magnitudes such as the Cold War, the birth of the European Union, the late-90s Asian financial crisis, 9/11, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic, just to name some of them.
When I look back at the events I personally lived through in my 30 years exercising leadership in International Education, I see institutional resilience. The institutions I worked for during that time still exist and are still thriving. The overall sustained success of International Education over the past several decades is marked by crucial moments of successful resilience, rather than constant successful expansion.
Resilience, as much as growth, has shaped the history of International Education. Undeniably, resilience sustains our history of success over time. It is essential to believe in the value of our field, and to understand the need to recover, regroup, and rebuild. It is important to acknowledge that our resiliency in these times can and will have a positive impact on the history of our institutions and on the history of International Education. We must not expect to shape the future of International Education in one fell swoop. It is a mission, not a task. It is a continuum, not a single action.
At AIEA, in my work with the presidential stream, the AIEA board members, the AIEA committees, and our CEO, I have been focusing on building a stronger, more innovative AIEA; an Association fit to face present challenges as well as foreseeable future needs of institutions and individuals in our field.
There has been significant progress on all four initiatives I announced in my first remarks as President at AIEA 2025 last March in Houston:
AIEA now has a strategic budgeting model to guide decision-making and evolve towards financial sustainability.
AIEA is undertaking a rebranding initiative to revamp its image and messaging. A workgroup is gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to provide recommendations for an organizational rebranding.
AIEA has approached the leadership of fellow key organizations in our field, and we are presently brainstorming on how to develop partnerships that can provide additional opportunities to members through cross-programming and co-membership benefits.
Additionally, I have been working with the AIEA Presidential Stream, our CEO, and our board members on implementing additional task forces to work on essential topics: Fundraising, Strategic Services, and SIO Standards and Competencies. The work of these task forces and AIEA’s present strategic plan will eventually be aligned providing AIEA with a strong framework for the future. Our Association must build upon the work of its first four decades to foster the present and future leadership in our field.
Dear colleagues and friends, in these transformative times, I urge each of you to stand united, reflecting on our resilience and commitment to shaping the future of International Education. The challenges we face present an opportunity to reaffirm the value of our work. Engage in dialogues, connect with colleagues, and participate in AIEA initiatives to build a stronger, more supportive network. Together, we can nurture leadership, foster global connections, and ensure that International Education continues to inspire, connect, and transform lives.
Paulo Zagalo-Melo President, AIEA
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