Advancing Health & Safety in Education Abroad 

Join us in Boston, Massachusetts, in June 2026 for the Institute on Health, Safety, Security, and Risk Management (Health & Safety Institute)—where education abroad professionals will gather for the field’s premier event for risk management-related issues. 

As our field navigates ongoing challenges, this Institute underscores the essential contributions of health, safety, and risk management professionals in fostering responsible and resilient education abroad programs.  

​Gather with us and leave with tangible tools to strengthen institutional and organizational strategies for risk mitigation, incident prevention, emergency response, and overall well-being for education abroad participants.  

This Institute will be hosted by Boston College ​​(140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467).

Register Now

Hosted By: 

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Call for Proposals 
2026 Theme: Risk and Resilience: Reimagining Health, Safety, and Security in Higher Education

Health & Safety Institute 2026 will equip professionals with the insights, tools, and peer collaboration needed to anticipate emerging risks, strengthen institutional resilience, and lead confidently into the future. Proposed sessions should explore how we can proactively prepare for the next generation of challenges in this vital work.

Submissions for this institute are now closed.

Learn more

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Hotel Accommodations

A limited room block is available exclusively for registered Health & Safety Institute attendees. Due to the FIFA World Cup taking place around the same time and location as our event, hotel rooms in Boston are in exceptionally high demand. 

Rooms within our block will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and availability cannot be guaranteed. You will receive the link for the hotel block in your confirmation email. 

​To secure your accommodation, we strongly encourage you to register for the Institute and reserve your room as soon as possible. ​

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Key Upcoming Dates

• ​January 26, 2026: Call for Proposals Ends 
• February 19, 2026: Institute Schedule Available & Sara’s Wish Foundation Scholarship Open 
• March 20, 2026: Sara’s Wish Foundation Scholarship Deadline 
• April 3, 2026: Early Registration Rates End 
• May 22, 2026: Regular Registration Rates End 
• June 18, 2026: Late Registration Rates End ​

​​Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the Forum News, so you don’t miss any updates about Health & Safety Institute 2026.

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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. ​

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2026 Committee Members

Special thanks to our Health & Safety Institute Committee for their guidance in preparing for the 2026 Institute.
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Co-Chairs

• Jordan Viars-Whisinnand, Assistant Director, Global Health & Safety Duke University
• Margaret Wiedenhoeft, Executive Director, Center for International Programs, Kalamazoo College

Vice-Chair

• Andrea Drake, Executive Director of Global Safety and Security University of Massachusetts Amherst

Committee

• Patrick Barker, Director of Health, Safety, and Security, WorldStrides Higher Ed
• Lishanthi Caldera, Safety Abroad Advisor, Toronto Metropolitan University
• Benjamin Cluff, Global Security Advisor, Brigham Young University
• Matthew Cullinane, Director of Global Health, Safety and Security, Michigan State University
• Kevin Dostal Dauer, Director of International Health, Safety, and Compliance, University of Minnesota
• Samuel Gras, Associate Director, Global Safety and Security, Boston College
• Jeff Heerdink-Santos, Director of International Experiences, Indiana University
• Vanessa Hoi Wan Ho, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Travel Safety, Columbia University
• Kevin Kugel, Associate Director, Health, Safety & Security, Boston University
• Theodore Maleas, Head of Student Life and Safety, The American College of Thessaloniki
• Larry Pickner, Director, Office of Global Education, Boston College
• Kim Priebe, Associate Director, International Health, Safety, and Crisis Management, University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP)
• Adam Rubin, Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Education Abroad, University at Buffalo
• Namita Shetty, Head of Global Alliances, iEXP360
• Alicia Stanley, Senior Director of Student Mobility and Global Safety, Grinnell College
• Laura Strohminger, Chief Program Officer/Vice President of Student Affairs, Institute for Shipboard Education/Semester at Sea
• Kelly Trail, Director of Higher Education & Assistance, Allegiant Global Partners: a HUB International Company
• Amelia Dietrich, Ph.D., Senior Director for Research & Publications and Managing Editor, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, The Forum on Education Abroad
• Genesis Jardinico, Events & Conferences Manager, The Forum on Education Abroad