Dr. David Julien, Executive Secretary General of the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education, participated in FAUBAI 2026, which took place in Florianópolis from April 11 to 15 under the theme: “Internationalisation for a Multipolar World.”
In addition to serving as a space for reflection and dialogue where new perspectives, priorities, and opportunities to shape the future of international higher education were discussed, the event facilitated meetings with various stakeholders and colleagues from both the Brazilian and international educational communities, including a working session with the Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, VP-Brazil, and colleagues from ACAFE, among others.
The Faubai 2026 agenda included the joint participation of Dr. Julien, Nicole Stivaletta, Associate Director of Global Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Roumiana Theunissen, Director of Global Communications & Outreach at Washington University in St. Louis, in the roundtable discussion: “Seed Funding as a Catalyst for Equitable North-South-South Collaboration” (Seed Funding as a Catalyst for Equitable North-South-South Collaboration), who shared with the audience complementary experiences of collaboration between Brazil, Canada, and the United States, highlighting three interconnected initiatives that demonstrate how targeted investments can generate long-term impact and shift the balance of global research cooperation.
The Executive Secretary-General of the IOHE also participated in the event’s Closing Panel. This session adopted a broader strategic perspective and examined how the internationalization of higher education is being reshaped by new geopolitical realities, shifting regional dynamics, and growing doubts about its relevance, reciprocity, and strategic purpose.
This dialogue was moderated by José Celso Freire Junior and featured presentations by:
Hilligje van’t Land – who serves as Secretary General of the International Association of Universities, IAU.
Lavern Samuels – who is President of the Board of the International Virtual Exchange Consortium, IVEC, and former President of the International Education Association of South Africa, IEASA.
Marcos Avilez – who is Co-founder and Representative of the Latin American Initiative for the Internationalisation of Higher Education, INILAT.
Sara López Selga – who is President of the European Association for International Education, EAIE.
Phil Honeywood – who is Chief Executive Officer of the International Education Association of Australia, IEAA.
IOHE’s participation in the 2026 edition of FAUBAI also facilitated the strengthening of partnerships and the creation of new opportunities for collaboration in the Americas for the Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAEI2027).