Harper College will be closed on Wednesday, February 12 in observance of Lincoln's Day.
Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
Tentative schedule: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Harper College, Wojcik Conference Center
In partnership with Harper Grows!, a collective of gardeners and garden advocates who seek to create gardens and produce fresh locally-grown produce to alleviate food insecurity in the Harper community, the Office of International Education is pleased to announce the theme of the 16th Annual International Education Summit: Building Sustainable Communities through Global Perspectives.
What do we mean by a “sustainable community through global perspectives”? We are referring to a collective of globally-minded individuals that actively works towards meeting the needs of its members while protecting the environment and promoting social equity at the same time. In its actions, such a collective takes into account best practices from diverse regions around the world, addresses issues of inequality on a global scale and fosters collaboration across borders to find creative and sustainable solutions to some of the world’s most entrenched challenges.
This year we will have two keynotes. The morning keynote will be delivered by Dr. Melissa Whatley, Assistant Professor of Higher Education in William and Mary’s School of Education. Dr. Whatley will explore the intersection of sustainability, globally inclusive practices in higher education, and technology. Our afternoon keynote will be given by Prof. Jean-Paul Ibambe, Huber H. Humphrey Fellow at Arizona State University. Prof. Ibambe is a journalist and human rights lawyer in Rwanda. His keynote is entitled Bridging Borders: The Power of International Education in Defending Freedom and Integrity and will reflect on the role of education in empowering individuals to challenge repressive measures, maintain integrity under pressure, and balance the opportunities and risks posed by media and digital technologies.
Our conference tracks this year are Student and Scholar Services and Management; Curriculum and Pedagogy; Campus Green Initiatives; and Mobility and Exchange.
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Summit Schedule |
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9:00–9:30 a.m. |
Welcome w/ Coffee and Pastries |
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9:30–10:30 a.m. |
Keynote: Melissa Whatley, Ph.D. |
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10:45–11:45 a.m. |
Breakout Sessions 1 |
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11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. |
Lunch |
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12:30–1:30 p.m. |
Keynote: Jean-Paul Ibambe, H. H. Humphrey Fellow |
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1:40–2:40 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions 2 |
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2:50–3:50 p.m. |
Harper GROWS Launch Ceremony |
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4:00–5:00pm |
Closing Reception |
Melissa Whatley is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in William and Mary's School of Education. Dr. Whatley's research applies mixed methods and advanced quantitative approaches to explore policies and practices that diversify both who accesses international education and the outcomes of these opportunities, especially within the context of U.S. community colleges. She has substantial international experience and shares her research with an international audience on a regular basis.
Whatley is author of An Introduction to Quantitative Analysis for International Educators (Springer, 2022) and co-editor of Digital Internationalization in Higher Education: Moving Beyond Virtual Exchange (Routledge, 2023). Her research has been published in the Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, Review of Education Research, Journal of Studies in International Education, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education, Community College Review, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, Journal of Mixed Methods Research, New Directions for Community Colleges, Education Policy Analysis Archives, and Journal of Student Financial Aid. She is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Critical Internationalization Studies Review and serves on the editorial board of Research in Higher Education.
Jean Paul Ibambe is a Rwandan human rights activist and lawyer specializing in media laws, freedom of expression, and human rights. With over 15 years of experience in journalism, media regulation, law practice, and human rights promotion, he defends journalists in legal battles through litigation and constitutional petitions. A founding member of H-I LEX Partners, a law firm established in Kigali, he has also served as a Legal Advisor at the Rwanda Media Commission. Ibambe is currently with The Legal Aid Forum, a Rwandan NGO, and he advocates for the decriminalization of defamation and responsible freedom of expression. He is a member of the Rwanda Bar Association and the East African Law Society. As a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at Arizona State University, he plans to create a Freedom of Expression Institute of Rwanda, focusing on legal representation for journalists, research and advocacy, and law reforms
Please identify which of these tracks your proposal most closely fits under. Presentations can cover a variety of topics that fit within this theme and tracks, including environmental sustainability (e.g., from campus initiatives to study abroad), social equity (e.g., in study abroad or resources allocated to international student
services, international collaborations in their many shapes and sizes (i.e., virtual exchange-type opportunities), to list only a few. The deadline for proposals is Friday, February 21, 2025.
Save the Date: 16th Annual International Education Summit: Friday, April 11, 2025