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NAFSA 2026 NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo Main banner

50-Minute Sessions

International Education Leadership (IEL)

Innovation Therapy for International Educators: Creative Strategies for Overworked Professionals

Thursday, May 28, 2026
4:45 PM - 5:35 PM EDT
Location: OCCC, W204
Stuck amid budget cuts, workload, and policy pressure? This interactive “Innovation Therapy” session presented by leaders from Argentina and Germany reframes those problems as design challenges and equips participants with low-cost, high-impact tools to respond creatively. Attendees gain cross-regional perspectives on shared struggles and solutions.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify and prioritize key challenges blocking innovation in international education teams.
  • Reframe problems into opportunities by understanding design thinking methodologies and by connecting design thinking to cross-regional references /experiences.
  • Apply simple design thinking techniques as low-cost, high-impact tools to develop a concrete action plan and to foster innovative practices in their teams.