In the framework of the Annual Conference of the Association of International Education Administrators (IAEA), held in Washington, DC, United States, on February 19-22, 2017, the Executive Director of the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE), Dr. David Julien, led the concurrent session entitled Trends, challenges, lessons and results in internationalization within the Americas.

Along with M.S. América Lizárraga, President of the Asociación Mexicana para la Educación Internacional (AMPEI), and Dr. Luciane Stallivieri, Researcher at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina and former President of the Brazilian Association of International Education (FAUBAI), Dr. Julien shared the experience of the Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAIE), whose second and third editions were held in Brazil and Mexico, thanks to the collaboration among IOHE, acting as the CAIE’s Executive Secretariat, FAUBAI and AMPEI. This presentation served as a guide prior to the next CAIE, to be held in Montreal, Canada, on October 11-13, 2017.

Under the theme “Internationalization through Differences: Transcending Boundaries”, the 2017 AIEA Conference focused on the interplay between boundaries and connections in internationalization of education. The leaders of this field must negotiate boundaries due to the growing cultural differences that remain latent in a globalized world.he framework of the Annual Conference of the Association of International Education Administrators (IAEA), held in Washington, DC, United States, on February 19-22, 2017, the Executive Director of the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE), Dr. David Julien, led the concurrent session entitled Trends, challenges, lessons and results in internationalization within the Americas.

Along with M.S. América Lizárraga, President of the Asociación Mexicana para la Educación Internacional (AMPEI), and Dr. Luciane Stallivieri, Researcher at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina and former President of the Brazilian Association of International Education (FAUBAI), Dr. Julien shared the experience of the Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAEI), whose second and third editions were held in Brazil and Mexico, thanks to the collaboration among IOHE, acting as the CAIE’s Executive Secretariat, FAUBAI and AMPEI. This presentation served as a guide prior to the next CAIE, to be held in Montreal, Canada, on October 11-13, 2017.

Under the theme “Internationalization through Differences: Transcending Boundaries”, the 2017 AIEA Conference focused on the interplay between boundaries and connections in internationalization of education. The leaders of this field must negotiate boundaries due to the growing cultural differences that remain latent in a globalized world.

“These times as well as the globalization require from us to think and apply solutions for a comprehensive and effective internationalization in the Americas and the entire world. The theme of this event, as well as the IOHE 2017-2022 Strategic Plan and CAIE’s mission, merge in order to achieve these objectives, in collaboration with our partners”, Dr. Julien explained.

Furthermore, as part of its most recent mission in the American capital, the IOHE Executive Director participated in the Canada-United States breakfast-dialogue about cooperation in higher education, under the auspices of Global Affairs Canada and Universities Canada. The CAIE, counting on the support of the Canadian federal government, was promoted during the meeting, where more than 100 higher education leaders from both countries were present.

On the other hand, the Washington Conference was also an opportunity to strengthen the alliance between the IOHE and the Organization of American States (OAS). During the meeting, three themed working meetings were held to explore how IOHE university members can contribute to the reinforcement of the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Inter-American Education Agenda of the OAS that was recently adopted in the Bahamas.

The presence of IOHE in conferences at regional and global level allows increasing inter-institutional ties with the stakeholders of the internationalization of higher education. In this context, CAIE Canada-2017 is considered one of the most successful examples.