EASA invites contributions by academics, researchers, professional practitioners, educators, students and innovators interested in international higher education to its 23rd Annual Conference, to be held virtually from 25 to 27 August 2021

We live in uncertain times. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of many activities reliant on international mobility, as well as underfunding in higher education and a growing inequality in South Africa and around the world, marks an important, pivotal point for internationalisation of higher education. The current situation urges us to act and bring about positive change in higher education, internationalisation and our societies at large.

With COVID-19 acting as a great disruptor but also an accelerator of innovation and creativity, we invite you to reflect on the impact of this disruption and the extent to which there are new opportunities and challenges for higher education internationalisation in South Africa and around the globe.

Join us to explore what contributions internationalisation can make towards a more inclusive and socially just world, particularly with consideration (but not limited) to the following questions:

• Can internationalisation help promote social justice and inclusion? What implications will this have for intercultural learning experiences, global classrooms, the curriculum and overall student experiences in higher education?
• Can internationalisation, approaches, models and practices be reconfigured to create greater benefit to society? What implications will this have for traditional mobility programmes, Internationalisation at Home (IaH) initiatives and other practices?
• Can higher education internationalisation be re-imagined and re-defined from the perspectives of South Africa, Africa and the global South? What role do diverse concepts, epistemologies and philosophies play in that regard?
• What is the interrelationship between internationalisation, transformation, decolonisation and Africanisation?
• Can technology be leveraged to promote inclusion and social justice? Can we address challenges such as the digital divide so that we truly leave no-one behind? Can technology play a role in shaping narratives towards a fairer world?

Responding to the questions above, or other relevant issues and topics, you are invited to present opinion or thought pieces or share your research findings, lived experiences and best practice examples.

While IEASA is a South African association, perspectives and contributions from other countries and regions of the world are explicitly welcomed.
Contributions are invited for the following formats:

• Plenary sessions,
• Parallel sessions,
• Poster sessions and
• Workshops or master classes.

Please submit your proposal of max. 500 words online at: https://forms.office.com/r/k6gtDyutim

Contact Details

Please address all conference-related queries to IEASA’s Conference Committee via the following email address: events@ieasa.studysa.org.