Council's 53rd Annual Conference, "Bienvenue: An Exploration
of Cross-Cultural Understanding through International
Educational Exchange," was held in Montréal, Canada,
November 8-11. There were 425 attendees at the conference,
representing 32 countries from around the world. We
have received enthusiastic evaluations and thoughtful
feedback from attendees. The conference proved to be
a valuable experience for participants, who were able
to interact extensively with key international educators,
administrators, governmental representatives, and Council
staff.
On November 8, a full-day, pre-conference
workshop entitled, "The Role of Intercultural Learning
in Internationalizing U.S. Colleges and Universities" was
presented to a full house, interested in a deeper
exploration of the conference theme.
Before launching into the topic of cross-cultural
understanding, the Opening Plenary on November 8
laid the framework for the 4-day conference by taking
a step back to consider how we define our own cultures.
Speakers Victor Rabinovitch, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Canadian Museum of Civilization
Corporation, and Barbara Mossberg, President, Goddard
College, discussed Canadian and American perspectives,
respectively, on culture, national identity, and
the influential role played by business, entertainment,
and government. The Opening Reception, which followed,
began with a cross-cultural dance performance by
students from the Contemporary Dance Department of
Montreal's Concordia University.
Conference sessions focused on a wide
range of international education activities, including
study abroad in Asia, Francophone regions, and Cuba;
alternative study abroad models; research in the
field; increasing participation of traditionally
underrepresented groups; safety issues; accommodating
students with disabilities; and recent events in
Washington, D.C. with a presentation by Marianne
Craven, Managing Director for Academic Programs at
the U.S. State Department. For the first time this
year, the Council Conference program featured an
Academic Track of sessions designed for participants
interested in learning about academic issues related
to international education.
For the third year in a row, the conference
featured an opportunity for attendees to meet one-on-one
with Council staff and Council Resident Directors
from around the world. The "Council-ISP, Coffee,
and Conversation" informal breakfast was extremely
well-attended, offering an excellent opportunity
that allowed for individualized answers to questions
about Council's International Study Programs, as
well as a chance to sample a world of treats.
A special plenary session featured José Zalaquett,
Professor of Ethics, Government, and Human Rights,
at the University of Chile, and a world-renowned
expert in human rights. Dr. Zalaquett's impassioned
speech was entitled, "New International Responses
to Massive Human Rights Violations."
The Thursday evening off-site reception
provided further opportunity for participants to
mingle and network. The reception was held in the
beautiful Victorian-style McGill University Faculty
Club, located on McGill's picturesque hillside campus
in downtown Montréal. Entertainment was provided
by a jazz band comprised of students from McGill's
Music Department.
The Conference Annual Luncheon and Award
ceremony included a speech "International Educational
Exchange: A Personal Account" by Michael Kremer,
Professor of Economics, Harvard University and founder
of WorldTeach. Canadian Jane Knight, previously of
Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, was honored
with The Award for Outstanding Research in International
Educational Exchange. William Dorland, of the University
of Maryland, Baltimore, received The Award for a
Creative Initiative Providing Significant Benefits
to the Field of International Educational Exchange,
an award created with him in mind to acknowledge
his creative leadership, while an undergraduate student
at UT Austin, which instituted statewide international
education scholarships.
Every year, the Council Conference includes
two breakfast meetings, as part of our collaboration
with NAFSA's Section on U.S. Students Abroad (SECUSSA).
The Forum on Underrepresentation in Education Abroad
and the Whole World Committee meetings provide an
opportunity for networking and brainstorming about
issues related to increasing participation of underrepresented
groups and developing programming in less-traditional
destinations.
A new, and extremely popular, event was
a film presentation on race relations and discussion
on cross-cultural understanding, "Life Ain't No Crystal
Stair" presented by Dr. Renford Reese, of California
State Polytechnic University (Pomona), on whose original
stage play the film was based.
The Closing Plenary, a breakfast sponsored
by Council's Academic Consortium, featured Barbara
Freed, Professor of French and Applied Linguistics,
Carnegie Mellon University, who delivered a lively,
thought-provoking speech on "The Relationship of
Language Learning and Study Abroad: Assumptions and
Realities."
The Montreal conference concluded mid-day
on Saturday, and was followed by an optional excursion
to Old Montreal, including lunch at a French restaurant
and a walking tour.