World's Largest International Education Conference & Expo to Convene in Denver

NAFSA 2022 represents the largest gathering of the field since the pandemic; offers both in-person and virtual programming for the first time

WASHINGTON, March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, NAFSA: Association of International Educators announced that its industry-leading annual conference and expo, which for the last two years had been online-only due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place in Denver with a reimagined and redesigned format. NAFSA 2022, the largest, most comprehensive gathering of international educators in the world, explores the theme, "Building Our Sustainable Future" beginning with a virtual component on May 4-5 and culminating with an in-person gathering in Denver from May 31-June 3.

"NAFSA 2022 features all the hallmarks that international educators, exhibitors, and the public sector have come to rely on at this annual event, but is further enhanced by virtual programming that offers participants greater content, access, and flexibility," said Esther D. Brimmer, executive director and CEO of NAFSA. "The pandemic, the increasing urgency of social justice and climate change, and war and conflict around the globe present important challenges and opportunities for students' access to a robust and relevant global education. We urge the field to join us in seizing this moment to celebrate our collective progress toward recovery and to plan how we emerge as a profession stronger and more prepared for the future."

The in-person programming will feature Priya Parker and Pete McBride as the opening and closing plenary speakers respectively, reflecting NAFSA's intention for the conference: building community and a commitment to sustainability.

• On May 31, master facilitator, strategic advisor, and acclaimed author Priya Parker brings her 20 years of experience helping leaders and communities lead complicated conversations about community and identity to NAFSA 2022. Trained in the field of conflict resolution, Parker has worked on race relations on American college campuses and on peace processes in the Arab world, southern Africa, and India. The opening plenary is sponsored by Education New Zealand and University of Colorado Denver.
• On June 2, award-winning self-taught photographer, filmmaker, writer, and public speaker, Pete McBride discusses his work to showcase the beauty and fragility of our planet and document the impact of climate change on communities around the world. A Colorado native, McBride has traveled on assignment to over 75 countries for the National Geographic Society, Smithsonian, Google, and the Nature Conservancy and most recently hiked the entire length of the Grand Canyon National Park without a trail to highlight development challenges facing this iconic landscape. The closing plenary is sponsored by Education New Zealand.

Other highlights of NAFSA 2022 include

• Two days of virtual programming that sets the stage for a month-long global conversation on the sustainable future of the field and other pressing themes;
•  Four days of extensive access to in-person networking, learning, and dialogue on the latest developments, trends, forecasts, emerging best practices, creative solutions, and resources in the field, including the role of international education in promoting access, equity, diversity and inclusion; fostering financial and programmatic sustainability, and the role of international education in combating climate change and environmental sustainability;
• NAFSA's Signature Programs: the Latin America and Caribbean Forum and the Symposium on Leadership, offering critical regional updates and innovative strategies for leading the field forward;
• A celebration of the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization program honorees in 2022: College of Lake County, Kent State University, Marist College, Northeastern University and Northwestern University;
• The International Education Expo, which brings together more than 200 country consortia, institutions, providers, and other partners from across the industry and around the globe.

NAFSA is offering two types of conference registration: all-access which includes both virtual and in-person content, and virtual only, which includes the ongoing program on May 4-5, additional on-demand content throughout the month of May, and livestreamed content from the in-person event. Complete registration and lodging information can be accessed at www.nafsa.org/NAFSA2022.

Members of the media should email [email protected] to request press passes for the virtual-only component and/or the in-person programming.

About the NAFSA Conference
NAFSA's 2022 Annual Conference & Expo is the world's largest gathering of professionals in international education, and the first gathering of this scale for the field since the pandemic began in 2020. The conference offers a wide array of learning and networking opportunities for international educators and features more than 150 sessions, 150 posters and 17 workshops focusing on the most crucial topics in international education and exchange and global learning. A major highlight of the conference is the International Education Expo Hall, which features more than 200 exhibitors representing hundreds of organizations from around the world, including colleges and universities; study abroad and intensive-English programs; embassies and government agencies; and more. The conference theme for 2022 is "Building Our Sustainable Future" and begins with a virtual component on May 4-5 and culminates with in-person programming at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver May 31-June 3. Learn more at www.nafsa.org/NAFSA2022.  

About NAFSA
Serving more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. Visit us at www.nafsa.org/press. To learn more about our advocacy efforts on behalf of international education, visit www.nafsa.org/takeaction. Resources to guide our members on these issues can be found at www.nafsa.org/reginfo.

SOURCE NAFSA: Association of International Educators