EAIE Podcast

International students and their experiences are a frequent focus of research in the field of international higher education. But to what extent are researchers actively working to include international students in this work? What can research collaboration with international students look like? How should we consider inclusive definitions of international students? And what are some examples of good practices when it comes to research with international students that we can learn from?

In this EAIE podcast episode, we talk with Jenna Mittelmeier and Asuka Ichikawa, who have been closely involved in a 2023 Routledge publication focused precisely on this issue, titled ‘Research with International Students: Critical Conceptual and Methodological Considerations’. These knowledgeable guests provide expert and first-person insights into a range of issues linked to this fascinating subject, which is clearly rooted in research but connects so importantly and directly to practice in international higher education, as well. Be sure to tune in!

About Jenna Mittelmeier
Dr. Jenna Mittelmeier (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer in International Education at the University of Manchester (UK). Her research focuses broadly on the internationalisation of higher education and, more specifically, on the experiences and treatment of international students. She is the co-founder and co-convenor of the Research with International Students Network and the Internationalisation Practitioner Network.

About Asuka Ichikawa
Asuka Ichikawa (she/her) is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Higher Education program at Boston College (US). Her research explores transnational student migration, intercultural mental health, and internationalization of higher education.

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:
→ Research with International Students: Critical Conceptual and Methodological Considerations

→ Research with International Students network website

→ Research with International Students podcast

→ Hans de Wit & Santiago Castiello Gutierrez: New definitions and directions for internationalisation

Although the international student mobility sector has always been in flux, it feels as if change and disruption have been more acutely a part of our lives since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Policy rollercoasters’ have been apparent in a wide range of countries around the world, including the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, and Australia. A ‘whiplash effect’ brought on by changing policies has a huge effect on students, administrators, institutions and the sector as a whole. It also raises lots of questions, but who has the answers?

In this episode of the EAIE podcast, we welcome Alex Usher, President of Higher Education Strategy Associates and a well-known expert on the Canadian IHE sector, and Jogvan Klein, Director, Future Students, at the University of Queensland and Chair of the Australian Universities International Directors Forum (AUIDF). These two experts share some key insights into the how and the why of the shifting policy landscapes for international student mobility specifically in Canada and Australia. How do they understand the policy dynamics we’re witnessing in these major international student destination countries? And what would they do if they were in the policy driver’s seat?

AboutAlex Usher
Alex Usher is the President of Higher Education Strategy Associates. An internationally recognized expert on a range of fields within higher education, including student financial aid, quality measurement, rankings and public financing, he has wide experience in strategic planning at both the institutional and system level. Alex is the lead author of the annual higher education almanac The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada and the co-author of the premier statistical handbook on global tertiary education: World Higher Education: Institutions, Students and Funding. He authors a free daily intelligence e-mail, One Thought to Start Your Day and regularly engages with fans and critics alike on Twitter (@alexusherhesa). Prior to founding Higher Education Strategy Associates, Alex served as the Director of Educational Policy Institute Canada and Director of Research and Program Development at the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.

AboutJogvan Klein
Jogvan Klein joined The University of Queensland (UQ) in July 2023 as the Director, Future Students, leading the University’s global student recruitment activities. Prior to joining UQ, Jogvan was the Director, International Recruitment at Swinburne University of Technology (2019-2023) and Director, International at RMIT University Vietnam (2016-2019) and has held previous senior positions at RMIT University and La Trobe University. He is also the current Chair of the Australian Universities International Directors Forum (AUIDF), a national membership-based organisation of Australian international university leaders and immediate past Chair of the Victorian Universities International Forum (VUIF). A native of the Faroe Islands, Jogvan holds an MA and a BA from Aarhus University in Denmark and has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:
→3 steps to influencing policy development

→Larissa Bezo: Catching up on Canada

→Phil Honeywood: Australia’s post-pandemic path

→One Thought to Start Your Day

→The Koala News

→Future Campus

In January 2023, the EAIE discussed internationalisation's definitions and the need for change with Oxford's Professor Simon Marginson. Following this, Hans de Wit critiqued existing definitions in a Journal of Studies in International Education (JSIE) essay, urging a shift in focus towards guiding the phenomenon's direction rather than defining it.

Which directions should we move in? What emerging views and different voices within the field should we pay more attention to? In this episode of the EAIE podcast, host Laura Rumbley talks to Hans de Wit, Professor Emeritus, Distinguished Fellow, and former director of the Boston College ‘Center for International Higher Education’ (CIHE) and Santiago Castiello Gutierrez, Assistant Professor of higher education at Seton Hall University in the United States How can we begin to shape a new and better definition of ‘internationalisation’ fit for the future? What excites or worries these two internationalisation researchers as they consider the current realities in policy and practice?

About Hans de Wit
Hans de Wit is Professor Emeritus, Distinguished Fellow, and former director of the Boston College ‘Center for International Higher Education’ (CIHE). He is a Senior Fellow of the International Association of Universities (IAU). He was director of the ‘Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation’ (CHEI) in Milan, and Professor of Internationalization of HE Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. He is a Founding member/past president of the European Association for International Education (EAIE), founding Editor of the ‘Journal of Studies in International Education’, and consulting Editor Policy Reviews in Higher Education. He has published many books, articles and blogs on internationalisation of higher education and advised institutions, agencies, governments and international organisations such as the European Commission and Parliament, UNESCO, World Bank and OECD.

About Santiago Castiello Gutierrez
Santiago Castiello Gutierrez, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of higher education at Seton Hall University in the Department of Education Leadership, Management and Policy. He is also current co-chair of the Critical Internationalization Studies Network and Associate Editor for the Critical Internationalization Studies Review. Dr. Castiello-Gutiérrez is a scholar-practitioner whose work is centred on the intersection of organizational theory around higher education institutions, their global interconnectedness, and current global policies and practices of internationalization of higher education. As a practitioner he has 15 years of experience serving as administrator of international programs for institutions in Mexico and the United States. For his work as a scholar-practitioner, Dr. Castiello-Gutiérrez was awarded a 2019 Harold Josephson Award for Professional Promise in International Education by the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA).

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:
→ ‘Everything That Quacks is Internationalization’ - Critical Reflections on the Evolution of Higher Education Internationalization’
→ Critical Internationalisation Studies Network
→ Research with International Students
→ Global Collective for Study Abroad Researchers and Administrators
→ Simon Marginson: Redefining internationalisation

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in February 2022, the EAIE has engaged in a series of conversations with two Ukrainian higher education institutions, Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU), In observance of the two-year anniversary of the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the EAIE reconnected with these institutions, but this time in conversation with two students: Olha Tolmachova, an undergraduate at UCU, and Violetta Seleznova, a KNU doctoral student.

EAIE podcast host Laura Rumbley chats with Olha and Violetta about how their lives as students have been affected by the longer history of conflict between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the more recent events of the past two years. What have these students experienced during these intensely difficult times, and how do they deal with everything that is thrown their way? We also zoom in on two interesting projects Olha and Violetta have been involved in an English-language course organised at UCU called 'Road to Recovery,' which seeks solutions for Ukraine's renewal, and an internationally award-winning research project at (KNU), focused on mental health issues amongst Ukrainian students.

About Olha Tolmachova
Olha Tolmachova is a fourth-year political science student at Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU). Leading the Model UN Club at UCU, Olha served as the Head Delegate for the Ukrainian delegation at the National Model United Nations conference in New York in April 2022. Earlier in 2023, Olha, together with her peers, received the New World Award from the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), recognising their outstanding leadership skills and commitment to global citizenship, fostering intercultural understanding within the NMUN Project. As a Ukrainian Catholic University Ambassador for the CIVICA for Ukraine project, Olha demonstrated dedication to international collaboration, specifically on Ukraine's Recovery and Modernisation topics. Currently, Olha is working on her BA thesis on the European Integration processes, focusing on EU accession negotiations.

About Violetta Seleznova
Violetta Seleznova has a Master of Arts diploma in Economics and is currently a PhD student at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She has been an internally displaced person since 2014, as her hometown continues to be under Russian occupation. She is working on a dissertation thesis about mental predictors of consumer behaviour and participating in a nationwide research project about mental health protection of Ukrainian students during and after the war. Next to her academic life, Violetta has been working as an analyst and marketing specialist for over seven years. She spent five years working at a media consulting agency studying Russian propaganda and for the last two years as a strategic marketing specialist at the Public Broadcaster of Ukraine.

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:

→ The battle for mental well-being in Ukraine: mental health crisis and economic aspects of mental health services in wartime

→ UCU ‘Road to Recovery’ course

→ EAIE: Ukraine support and resources page

Over the past few years, the EAIE Podcast has paid particular attention to the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated annually on 11 February. This day promotes the full and equal access and participation of females in the fields of science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics. It also serves as a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in the global science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened.

In this podcast episode, host Laura Rumbley is joined by Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott OBE who is a standout example of a successful female scientist. While she has served as President of FEMS, the Federation of European Microbiological Scientists, and is now an Honorary Distinguished Professor at Cardiff University (Wales) and Visiting Professor at Bangor University (Wales), she has faced real challenges as a woman scientist over the course of her career. Professor Lappin-Scott shares her own experiences, while also reflecting on the importance of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the positive power of mentorship, and what remains to fight for when it comes to equity for women in the world of science moving forward.

About Hilary Lappin-Scott
Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott OBE is an Honorary Distinguished Professor at Cardiff University and a Visiting Professor at Bangor University. She has served as President of the Federation of European Microbiology Societies (FEMS), President of the Microbiology Society and President of the International Society of Microbial Ecology (ISME), the only person to have held the presidency of all three of these organisations. She was previously the Senior Pro Vice Chancellor of Swansea University, leading the research and innovation strategy, while as a Professor in Environmental Microbiology at the University of Exeter, she trained over 50 people to successfully complete research degrees in microbial ecology. In 2018, she was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List for services to Microbiology and the advancement of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. She has also received the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) STEM Hero Award (2016) and Chwarae Teg 'STEM Pioneer' Award (2017).

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:

→ United Nations: International Day of Women and Girls in Science
→ TEDx TALKS: MOVE OVER BOYS - Why we need more girls/women in STEM Careers
→ Nicole Williams and Helen Whitehead: Women changing the world of science
→ Expanding the roles of women in STEM
→ Gender inequality in higher education: lessons from Ireland

ChatGPT, artificial intelligence, chat prompts… It’s 2024, and whether we like it or not, artificial intelligence and all the challenges and opportunities that come with it are here to stay. Like many others, the EAIE is captivated by the developments in relation to artificial intelligence and what impact it will or could have on international higher education, in particular. During the 2023 EAIE conference in Rotterdam, a very successful Campfire session took place on the possible positive uses of ChatGPT in our daily work, and in this podcast episode, we once again take the opportunity to look at the uses of AI within the international higher education sector, from a practical perspective.

Where do people new to this topic get started? What are some of the guests’ personal experiences and tips to share related to AI? And what’s on the horizon, what are some developments worth paying attention to at this moment in time? Join podcast host Laura Rumbley and her guests to hear how real people in our field are experimenting with AI and thinking about its possibilities.

About Cynthia Alby
Cynthia Alby is a Professor of Teacher Education at Georgia College, USA, a public liberal arts university. Her primary research questions revolve around reimagining education and reenchanting learning so both teachers and students can flourish. She is co-author of ‘Learning that matters: A field guide to course design for transformative education’, and for more than 20 years, she has also developed Georgia faculty through the ‘Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program’ at the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia.

About Sandra Slotte
Sandra Slotte is Senior Policy Advisor, Internationalisation, at Arcada University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland. She is Secretary of the institution’s Internationalisation Group and collaborates and presents regionally, nationally and internationally in matters regarding internationalisation of higher education. On top of her work, she is pursuing a PhD in the field. She chaired the EAIE Expert Community for Strategy and Management's well-visited campfire session on the positive side, and fun uses of, ChatGPT in international higher education, at the 2023 EAIE conference. She also uses generative AI tools in her administrative work and for research, as well as for collaborative and co-creative tasks as a project manager.

About Jeroen Ouburg
Jeroen Ouburg works at Wageningen University & Research for the department of Corporate Strategy & Accounts focusing on strategic international institute to institute collaboration in the field of higher education. He has been a member in different (inter)national networks stimulating the internationalisation of higher education from a policy and strategic point of view. For example, contributing to the integration of refugees in the higher education sector across Europe, developing ministerial funding programmes for collaboration with the Global South and developing European University Alliances. Jeroen has been active in different steering groups of the EAIE, most recently as a part of the steering group of the Strategy & Management Expert Community.

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:
→ Allan Goodman: AI and student mobility
​→ How AI is shaking up higher education
→​​​​​​ A curated list of resources on AI (as mentioned in the episode)
→​ How to Write Better ChatGPT Prompts

Happy New Year! We find ourselves at the start of a new calendar year, 2024, which is usually a moment in time for people to think of (and try to stick to) new year resolutions. Many professionals in the international higher education field struggle with managing their workload, and it can feel as if there are not enough hours in the day. There's a whole new year filled with possibilities on our doorstep; how can we try and make the best of it in a professional context?

In this episode of the EAIE podcast, we talk to productivity coach Jim Hetherton who has helped many thousands of people to improve the way they work. Podcast host Laura Rumbley asks Jim several questions, including: can new year resolutions actually work? What are some of the life skills people could focus on trying to master in the new year, and what tips are there to accomplish this? And is there a particular secret to productivity that Jim thinks we should take to heart? Make sure to have a productive start to your professional year, and don’t miss out on this podcast episode!

Special offer for EAIE members only!
Jim Hetherton is offering a 30-minute free online coaching consultation to 10 lucky EAIE members! Are you interested in chatting one-on-one with this world-class performance and productivity coach to discuss some practical tips for unleashing your best self in 2024? Register for this exciting professional development opportunity by 09 February 2024!
Important to know:

- This opportunity is open to EAIE members only. Interested in EAIE membership or confirming your membership status? Contact us at [email protected].
- This opportunity is limited to 10 EAIE members on a first come, first served basis. Register here
- Registration closes on 09 February 2024.
- The specific date and time of the consultation with Jim will be scheduled by Jim directly with each confirmed EAIE member. The consultation must be completed by the end of July 2024.

About Jim Hetherton
Jim Hetherton is a successful consultant, lecturer, and trainer, having held leadership & management positions in the leading retailer in Europe – Tesco; prior to joining OnTrack, he established the Franklin Quest, later to become Franklin Covey Europe. He has extensive experience in sales, sales management and learning and development, including head office positions.

With a delivery style which is continually described by delegates as ‘inspirational and life-changing’, he has helped many thousands of people to improve the way they work. He has worked with people at all levels from a wide range of organisations, including GE, Jaguar Cars, Barclays Bank, Bass, Lehman Brothers, BP, Merrill Lynch HBOS, Hewlett Packard, Royal Bank of Scotland, Vodafone Merck & other FTSE 100 companies. He is particularly recognized for his efforts in developing individual performance and increasing personal productivity.

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:

→ 6 ways to overcome stress while managing risk

​→ Coaching students towards emotional health

→ Sabine Pendl & Wessel Meijer: Managing staff, cultivating talent

→​​​​​​ AI tool ‘Ask Graham’

In this last EAIE podcast episode of the year 2023, we are honoured to welcome a special guest who has made a real difference to the EAIE and the international higher education community over the years. Hans-Georg van Liempd is currently the Secretary of the University and Director University Services at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, and in the past, served as both Vice-President and President of the EAIE. More recently, he was the recipient of the 2023 EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in recognition of all his valuable contributions.

Volunteering can be a very rewarding effort but also one that takes up energy and time. In this episode, host Laura Rumbley talks to Hans-Georg van Liempd about his career and the give and take of involvement in the international higher education community. How did he start in the field? How did he become aware of the EAIE, and what encouraged him to get involved? What exactly keeps someone motivated to give their time and energy to volunteer? As the end of the year comes closer, we take some time to reflect on what we can gain by giving. Be sure to tune in to this episode of the EAIE podcast to hear more!

About Hans-Georg van Liempd
Hans-Georg van Liempd has been the Secretary of the University and Director University Services at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, since February 2021. He previously held the positions of Managing Director at the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, director of the International Office, senior programme manager for internationalising the campus and corporate social responsibility, and director of strategy and policy. He was involved as an expert on international strategy on a one-year project for the Romanian government for internationalising strategy at 21 Romanian universities. He holds a Master’s degree in economics.

From 2010 to 2014, Hans-Georg served as Vice-President and then President of the EAIE. Prior to being elected as Vice-President, he served on the Conference Programme and Professional Development Committees. After his presidency and time in the General Council, he has continued to actively contribute to the Association. He has been a trainer, member of the Awards and Talent Committee, and advisor to the Mentorship Programme, among other behind-the-scenes responsibilities. He has never hesitated in sharing his time or knowledge to support the EAIE community and wider sector.

Hans-Georg van Liempd is the recipient of the 2023 EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in recognition of all these valuable contributions.

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:

→ EAIE Awards: recognising the extraordinary in our sector

→ ‘EAIE-ing’: a dedicated member’s personal journey

→ EAIE Mentorship Programme

Sustainability continues to be a topic that is top of mind within the international higher education field. Earlier this year, the winners of the International Green Gown Awards were announced, an initiative that recognizes exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by higher education institutions across the world. In the category ‘Sustainability Institution of the Year’, there were two European winners: University College Cork (Ireland) won the award, while UniLaSalle (France) received the ‘highly commended’ honour. Two institutions with inspiring and practical examples of how international education can tackle climate action.

EAIE podcast host Laura Rumbley talked to Maria Kirrane, Head of Sustainability and Climate Action at University College Cork, and Thomas Hull, the Head of International Relations for the Rennes (France) campus of Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle. What exactly are the profiles of these universities, and what are their environmental action highlights? How does each institution look at environmental sustainability in the context of international student and staff mobility, and are there particular synergies between their climate action aspirations and internationalisation agendas? And what are some of the key challenges and opportunities ahead for their HEIs and others to advance the work of environmental sustainability?

About Thomas Hull
Thomas Hull is the Head of International Relations for the Rennes (France) Campus of an Engineering school called Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle. Thomas holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Concordia College, Minnesota, where he did a double major in Business Administration and French, and a Master’s Degree in Business from the Institut de Gestion de Rennes, France. Before arriving at UniLaSalle in 2009, Thomas was the director of an American cultural centre in Rennes.

About Maria Kirrane
Dr. Maria Kirrane is the Head of Sustainability and Climate Action for University College Cork. In this role, she oversees the delivery of the University’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, working with students and staff across campus to embed sustainability into teaching, research operations and engagement activities. Maria holds a BSc. in Environmental Science and a PhD in Zoology, both from UCC. She undertook her postdoctoral research at the University of Limerick on the role of higher education in the transition to a sustainable society.

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:

→ UniLaSalle Uni4Change website

→ University College Cork website

→ Sulitest website

→ Glasgow to Rotterdam by bike: a green conference travelogue

→ Tatjana Söding: Erasmus by Train: gaining steam?

The use of agents by higher education institutions to support their international student recruitment efforts is a very accepted practice in some national and institutional contexts around the world, but it’s also considered quite controversial elsewhere. This debate has been ongoing for years, but what is currently at the heart of this discussion?

In this EAIE podcast episode, we talk to the three authors of a 2023 Routledge publication titled ‘Student Recruitment Agents in International Higher Education: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Challenges and Best Practices': Pii-Tuulia Nikula, Vincenzo Raimo, and Eddie West. With these speakers, who all have extensive experience with and knowledge of the topic of education agents, host Laura Rumbley touches upon various aspects linked to this subject: how do we define the term 'education agents', and what exactly do they do? What can different perspectives and insights offer us in terms of understanding agents’ roles? What’s involved in getting off to a good start when working with agents? And what emerging trends and future directions for education agents and their stakeholders should we be on the lookout for?

About Pii-Tuulia Nikula, Vincenzo Raimo and Eddie West
Dr Pii-Tuulia Nikula is an Associate Professor at Eastern Institute of Technology (Te Pūkenga) in New Zealand. Most of Pii-Tuulia’s research focuses on international student recruitment and sustainability questions within the international education sector. One of her areas of expertise is education agent management and governance. Pii-Tuulia’s agent research has been published in journals including Studies in Higher Education, Journal of Studies in International Education, and Higher Education Policy. She also has relevant industry experience: before her academic career, Pii-Tuulia worked as an agent and held management and leadership roles within education agencies. Pii-Tuulia is a co-founder of CANIE: Climate Action Network for International Educators.

Vincenzo (Enzo) Raimo is a former Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at the University of Reading where he is now a Visiting Fellow. He is a global higher education specialist with expertise in transnational education and the use of agents in international student recruitment. He combines work as an international higher education consultant with research on international education related topics.

Eddie West is Assistant Dean of International Strategy and Programs at San Diego State University (SDSU), where he provides leadership on international partnership development, collaborations, and transnational education programs, including SDSU in Georgia (Tbilisi). Previously, Eddie served as assistant dean of international programs at Berkeley Extension, the continuing education division of the University of California, Berkeley. Earlier, he led international initiatives at the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and served as Senior International Officer at the Ohlone Community College District.

Additional Resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:

→ Student Recruitment Agents in International Higher Education: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Challenges and Best Practices (Routledge, 2023)

→ Monitoring of Education Agents Engaged in International Student Recruitment: Perspectives from Agency Theory (ASIE)

→ International education agents: the good, the bad and the ugly