Welcome to the European Institute

In-Person at the National University Library (BNU)
6 Pl. de la République, 67000 Strasbourg, France

Thursday November 16 & Friday November 17, 2023

​Hosted by Syracuse University Strasbourg Center
Join Us for the Inaugural Event 

Highlights from 2023

The 2023 European Institute is a collaboration between The Forum on Education Abroad and the European Association of Study Abroad. It will be an opportunity to connect with colleagues from around Europe and address key issues facing on-site study abroad professionals and faculty. This event is for anyone in international education interested in enhancing the onsite experiences of learners and fostering collaboration among colleagues across Europe.  

The Institute will include workshops from a European perspective focused on equity, diversity and inclusion, supporting students’ mental health, and sustainability. A facilitated open forum will close the institute which will engage participants in producing a curated deliverable to share with the education abroad community. 

Why You Should Attend the European Institute

• Engage colleagues in current issues facing the field of education abroad using a European lens.  
• Explore approaches from within as well as outside the field of education abroad; and 
• Expand awareness and knowledge of the Standards of Good Practice in Education Abroad. 
• Produce a curated deliverable to be disseminated to colleagues around the field, highlighting the experiences and perspectives of European colleagues in the field.  

Schedule

European Institute Event Schedule
All sessions take place at the National University Library (BNU)
6 Pl. de la République, 67000 Strasbourg, France

Event Details are Subject to Change

Wednesday, November 15, 2023 (Recommended arrival date)

• 14:00 - 17:00 pm Early Registration opens at the Syracuse Strasbourg Center
• 18:30 pm Informal get together for early arrivals hosted by EUASA at Le Tigre 

Thursday, November 16, 2023

• 8:00 am Registration Desk Opens at the National University Library (BNU)
• 9:00 am Opening Remarks 
• 9:30 am Session I: Advancing Best Practice for Supporting Student and Staff Mental Well-Being
• 12:30 pm Lunch at local restaurants on your own 
• 14:30 pm Session II: Climate Action: Education Abroad for a Healthy Planet
• 17:30 pm Close 
• 18:00 pm Reception, Hotel Hannong

​Friday, November 17, 2023

• 8:00 am Registration Desk Opens at the National University Library (BNU)
• 9:00 am Session III: DEI in Theory and Practice Complex Applications and Adaptations for Europe
• 12:30 pm Lunch at local restaurants on your own
• 14:30 pm Open Forum Dialogue: Giving Voice to Onsite Perspectives
• 17:30 pm Closing Remarks
• 18:00 pm Close

European Institute Workshops and Sessions

Advancing best practices for supporting student and staff mental wellbeing

Facilitators 

Mark Barneche
Abilene Christian University
​

Laura Dupont-Jarrett, Ph.D., L.P.
​University of Minnesota

Vanessa Nichol-Peters
​Marist College

​This workshop will review current trends in mental health support for traditional college-aged students, with specific focus on:  

• Understanding high-risk behaviors,  
• Identifying stress induced behaviors,  
• Discussing concerns related to legal and practical responses to mental health crisis, 
• Providing models for pre-departure mental health screening,  
• Introducing strategies for managing mental health concerns when they occur.  

This is an interactive workshop that engages participants in discussion of case studies, role analysis, and application of The Standards of Good Practice. 
​
Learning Outcomes: 

• Understand the unique mental health concerns related to the current generation of students on education abroad programs; 
• Learn strategies for preparing for and responding to common mental health issues; 
• Knowledge of The Standards of Good Practice and how The Standards can inform program development, policy, and student preparation on education abroad programs.  ​

​

DEI in Theory and practice - complex applications and adaptations for europe

Julie Carnine
Dickinson College in France

Jeremy Doughty
USAC

Janine Ludwig
Dickinson College Bremen Study Abroad
​

Learning outcomes:
This workshop features an opportunity to interact with professionals who advocate and support various student populations with a focus on supporting successful education abroad experiences. Participants will have opportunities to reflect on their own practices, review case studies, and incorporate the knowledge gained for immediate action. They will also have a chance to bring in their own experiences and expertise to complement and enhance the US perspective, thereby building bridges between both cultural regions.
​ 

• Continuing to build a culture of belonging: creating an inclusive learning environment
  
• Familiarity with the 6th edition of The Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad and with current US-American DEI theories
  
• Understanding the host institution’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and access issues and unpacking the complexities of trying to apply them to different societies and cultural contexts 

Students come to education abroad with diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives. Often, they have been taught in various “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) theories to reflect on those. However, this current US-American set of theories around DEI is born out of a very specific history which differs from the history and historical lessons learned in other countries in the world – sometimes by nuances, sometimes wildly. Thus, in order to make those theories and positive aims fruitful elsewhere, they need to be reflected, criticized and, if necessary, adapted to a different context. The need to “examine one’s own lens” applies to US-American ideas just like to anyone else’s ideological predisposition. Reflection about individual and cultural behaviors must include reflection on one’s own theoretical approach and lens as well. Therefore, educators need to support and guide students in how to reconcile their approaches to DEI issues with the local cultural and historical context. This will build a bridge for our students and help them to be open-minded and able to step out of their comfort zone. Eventually, they will gain insights and learn to reflect on a higher level.

This issue is not confined to Europe alone, obviously. Any theory and practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion needs to include diverse approaches itself, especially when applied to any other regions of the world. Approaches to DEI, even the understanding or definition of the termini and concepts itself, vary in different regions world-wide according to specific historical, cultural, and societal traditions. Europe, and at some points Germany as a special case study, is chosen here as but one exemplary region to demonstrate and unpack the complexities of such a critical dialogue in a way that includes regional specificities. After all, cross-cultural communication and intercultural awareness is at the heart of what we do. So, this critical examination is understood as a continuation of the very ideas and practices of intercultural understanding, such as the “Describe, Interpret, Evaluate” exercises (DIE, Bennett and Bennett 1977).

This workshop will first thoroughly present and explain the body of various theories in the DEI spectrum to European colleagues who might not be fully familiar with them yet. Then, we engage participants in critical reflection, dialogue through case studies, and present resources and strategies to create more inclusive policies and programs to support student engagement and learning on education abroad. 

​ ​

​CLIMATE ACTION: EDUCATION ABROAD FOR A HEALTHY PLANET

Margherita Pasquini 
Climate Action Network for International Educators - CANIE

Dr. Stephen Robinson 
​Champlain College Dublin

​Learning outcomes: 

• ​Understanding climate change, and the impact that education abroad makes to our climate.
• Understanding actions that can be undertaken by European on-site programs to reduce their climate impact and educate students on climate action and sustainability.
• Understanding UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG13), Climate Action, and its related targets and indicators. 
• Learning how The Standards of Good Practice in Education Abroad and Code of Ethics in Education Abroad can inform climate focused decision-making and program development.

​European education abroad programs host tens of thousands of visiting students annually, the vast majority of whom fly to and from the host sites and engage in significant independent travel while on-site.  All of this flying, plus the associated program activities and infrastructure, results in a significant climate impact from education abroad.  While we do not advocate for a reduction in education abroad activities, we as international educators should use the abroad time as an opportunity to embed sustainability and climate action into our curriculum, extracurricular activities and program operations. This session will help onsite programs to understand the issue of climate change, to calculate their climate impact, develop a climate action plan, and advocate for education abroad programs to integrate climate focused measures into all aspects of education abroad programming.  

The education abroad community has a responsibility to take urgent action to combat climate change.  This session includes the Forum’s Guidelines for Advancing the UN SDGs through Education Abroad and SDG13, Climate Action, and also provides you with concrete action steps that can be implemented at your program site to improve your efforts on climate change mitigation.  Most of all, this workshop represents a call to action for our sector.

Registration

Registration Type	Super Early Bird Fee	Early Bird Fee	Regular Fee	Late Registration
MEMBER	$299	*$399	*$449	*$499
NON-MEMBER	$399	$499	$549	$599
FULL-TIME GRAD STUDENT	$149	$199	$249	$299

* and EUASA Members

Rate Schedule

• Super Early Bird registration fees are effective until June 15, 2023.
• Early Bird registration fees are effective: June 16 – August 15, 2023
• Regular registration fees are effective: August 16- October 15, 2023
• Late registration fees are effective: From October 16, 2023

Registration - Sold Out

By registering for this event, you agree to comply with The Forum on Education Abroad's Cancellation & Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, and the use of the Chatham House Rule. The Chatham House Rule reads as follows: “When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.”

To receive the member rate, please log in before registering. The difference in pricing won't be refunded if a member did not login.
​Check the Member Directory to verify if your institution is a Forum Member.

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Hotel Information

Special rates at hotels are now fully booked. Please contact your preferred hotel to arrange accommodation.

Open Dialogue on the Future of Education Abroad in Europe

Attendees at the European Institute will be invited to contribute to a special edition of Frontiers: Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, focusing on the most critical issues facing education abroad programming in Europe. This issue will be born from the open forum discussions facilitated by EUASA and The Forum on the last day of the Institute. We hope to include as many voices as possible in this unique opportunity to contribute scholarly work to the field.

#TravelWithCANIE

International education by its very nature is very carbon intensive, and in our current climate crisis we need to make savings wherever we can. The European Institute is following the trail being led by #TravelWithCANIE in promoting sustainable delegate travel to international education conferences. Strasbourg was chosen as our host city in large part because of its central location and excellent rail connections to other parts of Europe, making it great for a low-carbon event.

We strongly encourage all delegates to plan their travel using low-carbon methods of transportation, namely train, bus, or car share (anything but flying!). You could even join other attendees to travel together and make it a networking event. We will be conducting a survey of attendee modes of travel during the session on Sustainability and Climate Action to see how successful we have been!. And check out CANIE, the Climate Action Network for International Educators for other climate action tips and tricks. You'll hear more about CANIE at the Institute!

Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor

Sponsorship Opportunities

The Forum offers unparalleled opportunities for visibility to audiences across the education abroad and global learning space. To sponsor this or one of our other events please visit our Institute Sponsorship Opportunities page. 

Meet our European Institute Organizing Committee

• Tarek Amraoui, Institute for Field Education (IFE)
• Mark Barneche, Abilene Christian University
• Kelly Bohan, Brown University in France
• Mandy Brookins, The Forum on Education Abroad
• Julia Carnine, Dickinson College in France
• Ariadne Ferro, Asociación de Programas Universitarios Norteamericanos en España (APUNE)
• John Goodman, Syracuse Strasbourg Center
• Marissa Lombardi, The Forum on Education Abroad
• Janine Ludwig, Dickinson College in Bremen
• Loren Ringer, Parsons Paris, The New School
• Stephen Robinson, Champlain College Dublin Campus