Reflections on the 2025 Global Inclusion Regional Summit | Barcelona, Spain

Jul 18, 2025 | Articles, Public

by: Victoria Pope, DA Global Access Network

As I reflect on the 2025 Global Inclusion Regional Summit, I’m filled with gratitude, energy, and a deep sense of purpose. My hope going into this event was that attendees would leave feeling affirmed in their work, inspired by their peers, and better equipped to champion equity in all areas of global learning—and while I can only speak for my own experience, I truly believe that hope was realized.

Over two days, we engaged in powerful plenaries, hands-on breakout sessions, and meaningful informal conversations. Our plenary panels offered insightful, cross-sector perspectives and featured student voices that reminded us exactly why this work matters. I was especially moved by the students who spoke candidly about how their time in Barcelona is shaping their worldview, confidence, and future ambitions. Their presence and their honesty were a powerful reminder that while we often speak about the impact of global education, hearing it directly from students is transformative.

To kick off the list of people to whom I want to give special thanks, is to our plenary speakers and moderators, who anchored our summit with powerful dialogue, regional insights, and visionary ideas:

• DEI Without the Acronym: European Approaches to Equity & Inclusion in Global Education: a conversation moderated by Andrew J. Gordon (DA Global Access Network), and invited speakers Marcelle Laliberté (HEC Paris), and Eva Pujadas Capdevila (Universitat de Pompeu Fabra) who shared expertise on ways to develop and embed inclusive practices in the structure of our programs in a way that honors the unique audiences that they serve.
• Shifting Models of Student Mobility: Spain’s Role in Shaping Inclusive Global Education: a panel moderated by Lily López-McGee, PhD (Howard University), and featuring insightful commentary from Cèsar Alegre Alsina, PhD (IES Abroad), and Rachel Mantiñán (Academic Solutions), two professionals with experience spanning throughout the USA and Spain.
• Students at the Center: Rethinking Global Education Through Their Eyes: a discussion expertly moderated by Clara Barbera (Berklee Valencia) and highlighting the experiences of Lizzie Kowal (CEA CAPA Intern), Winter Harris (CEA CAPA Intern), Gayle Were (IE University Alumni) and Fatma Ahmed (American University of Cairo).

I also want to give a heartfelt thank you to all of our concurrent session presenters. Your sessions were thoughtful, well-organized, and deeply engaging. Attendees recanted the impactfulness and practicality of the sessions, from frameworks shared to resources offered to the honest and collaborative discussions you facilitated. The strength of the breakout sessions is what makes this summit a truly participatory learning space, and your contributions brought that vision to life.

Outside of sessions, I was thrilled to see attendees building connections over coffee, during receptions, and in the quieter moments between panels. These relationships, new and renewed, create meaningful communities.

As I continue my post of reflection and gratitude, I would like to be sure to recognize a few organizations and individuals.

• Our colleagues at Fundació Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Study Abroad Programmes, who were generous hosts and partners from planning to execution. The venue provided a warm, culturally rich backdrop for this international gathering.
• Barcelona SAE, for their continued partnership and support—not just for this summit, but for our global community at large.
• Our planning committee members, who contributed not only to outreach and vision, but also served as speakers, moderators, and facilitators of important dialogue.
• The incredible team at DA Global Access Network, who helped curate the program and supported the event from afar.
• And the wonderful student volunteers, who offered their time and energy to ensure things ran smoothly—and whose reflections reminded me why I’m committed to this work.

Speaking with these students between sessions was grounding. In a time when international education faces political and structural threats, particularly in the U.S., hearing about their growth, resilience, and curiosity reignited my sense of mission. Yes, some may spend weekends hopping from city to city, and yes, their studies may occasionally compete with the thrill of cultural discovery—but they are learning in ways that stretch far beyond the classroom. They are building adaptability, cultural awareness, and global citizenship with every train ride, every group project, and every language barrier overcome.

As we move forward in the year and further these conversations in the international education community throughout various avenues and spaces, I hope we continue to ask ourselves:

• How can we harness innovation to expand access to global learning?
• What does meaningful collaboration across institutions, sectors, and regions truly look like?
• And how do we sustain inclusive practices amid changing political and institutional landscapes?

We look forward to continuing these conversations with you in the months ahead and hope to connect again through future gatherings—such as the upcoming Global Impact Conference and the inaugural Global Education Technology Summit (GETS)—as we collectively explore what’s next for our field.

To all of you who joined us, from a short metro ride away to a 10-hour flight—thank you. Your commitment to global inclusion and student success continues to inspire. I look forward to the collaborations, innovations, and collective impact that will grow from this experience.

Until next time.

Reflections from NAFSA: Hope, Connection, and What’s Next for Global Education

Jun 5, 2025 | Articles, Public

It’s that time again—looking back at the academic year behind us and ahead to what the coming one has in store.

There’s no shortage of troubling headlines, from international students facing increased visa scrutiny to attacks on lawful equity practices that help ensure global education supports academic success and career readiness for all students.

But with all the negativity dominating the news cycle, I thought I’d share a few reflections, ones that left me hopeful about where we are and where we’re going.

Last week I joined my DA Global colleagues in San Diego for the annual NAFSA Conference. Something felt different this year. Maybe it was me. After nearly twenty NAFSAs, the conference doesn’t hit quite the same, and I don’t mean that in a bad way.

Over the years, I’ve evolved. NAFSA used to be mainly about business for me: more contacts, more partners, more members. Now, it’s become a space to reconnect with my chosen tribe. We build each other up, swap ideas, share laughs, and at times, commiserate. With everything going on in the world and its impact on our field, I needed the connection more this year than most. I get the sense I wasn’t alone in that feeling.

My schedule was a mix of long-time friends and partners and a few new faces. I resisted the urge to stack six, seven, or eight receptions into one night and instead spent more quality time at fewer events. There’s no right or wrong way to do NAFSA, but this approach worked for me. I left recharged and ready for what’s ahead. And I walked away with a few observations and reminders. I’ll share three of them here.

“They say necessity is the mother of invention. Well, we’re in a moment of necessity. And if what I saw last week is any indication, our field is ready to rise to the occasion.”

Technology is essential, but this work is about people

Walking through the exhibit hall it was clear that tech is booming. Apps, platforms, CRMs, AI tools. Many of them are impressive, and there’s no doubt technology will continue to shape our work.

But no one I know got into international education because of the tech. We’re here for the people. For the smiles when students learn they’re going abroad. The pride on the faces of international students’ parents at graduation. The warm embrace from a colleague you haven’t seen since the last conference. The work of international education is about the lives our work touches.

As tech’s footprint grows, we need to keep it in perspective. Let’s use it not just to streamline operations, but to deepen human connection—the real reason most of us chose this field.

Challenging times often birth innovation

It’s no secret that the current environment for international education isn’t easy. As a self-professed pragmatic optimist,I try my best to find the hidden opportunity in challenges. To be fair, this is often easier said than done, especially when staring down political, regulatory, and financial headwinds.

Still, in my conversations in San Diego with colleagues from different roles, institutions, and countries, what stood out was the creativity. There was an acceptance of the heaviness of the moment, but people weren’t retreating; they were reimagining.

The ideas were flowing—from education abroad program models and inclusive support for international students to nuanced approaches to technology and deeper collaboration with industry. That’s what our field needs. If we want to grow our impact on students, institutions, and communities, we have to keep innovating.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Well, we’re in a moment of necessity. And if what I saw last week is any indication, our field is ready to rise to the occasion.

Future thinking is key

In one conversation, a colleague pushed me to think bigger. She simply asked, “how are you preparing for the 2030s?” It took me a moment but then it hit me. The incoming class this fall will graduate in 2029. The 2030s are almost here.

It’s easy, and at times necessary, to stay focused on the current moment. But we also have to think long-term. What does international education look like for the class of 2035?

How are we positioning global learning to drive student success, career readiness, and institutional impact ten years from now? Big-picture thinking might feel like a luxury these days, but we can’t afford not to do it.

Our ability to question old paradigms, invest in our own growth, and build new models—some for needs that haven’t even emerged yet—will determine how international education contributes to the broader higher ed and workforce ecosystems in the decade ahead.

Conferences can be exhausting and energizing at the same time. NAFSA this year was a marathon, but I left hopeful.

Hopeful for our field, for our students, and for the role DA Global can play as we prepare for the future. As we move into summer planning and gear up for the Global Impact Conference, these reflections—and the many more that came from hallway chats at receptions—will shape how I show up for the work ahead.

We’ve got a lot to look forward to.

Andrew Gordon is an award-winning social impact entrepreneur and leading voice in global education, edtech, inclusive student success and workforce development. As founder of DA Global Access Network, an educational consortium and strategic partner advancing access to global opportunities, he has spent nearly two decades helping higher education institutions strengthen academic achievement, career readiness and institutional impact through access to global education.