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NAFSA 2026 NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo Main banner

50-Minute Sessions

Shared Interest (SI)

Empowering Staff as Strategic Drivers of Internationalization

Wednesday, May 27, 2026
2:10 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
Professional staff are critical to comprehensive internationalization yet are often overlooked. This session shows how targeted training can build capacity and sustain global engagement, even with limited resources. Presenters share research and case studies to demonstrate strategies for lasting institutional change.

Learning Objectives:

  • Recognize the untapped potential of professional and administrative staff as strategic contributors to comprehensive internationalization.
  • Identify common barriers to staff engagement and explore practical strategies to overcome them.
  • Design sustainable, research-based professional development models that are scalable and effective
  • Apply a change management approach to drive systemic, institution-wide, sustainable transformation in internationalization of higher education institutions.