ISEP 2011 Symposium:
Best Practices in International Partnerships

There is vibrant energy whenever ISEP Coordinators and friends meet to share ideas. The ISEP 2011 Symposium: Best Practices in International Partnerships generated this energy by providing the opportunity for ISEP members to network and collaborate, exploring ways to strengthen the mission and reach of the ISEP Network.

Held in conjunction with the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) conference in San Francisco in February, the ISEP 2011 Symposium provided participants a venue to discuss opportunities and ideas for global engagement across the network, as well as best practices and ideas for strengthening and expanding the programs and services of the ISEP Network.

Why the ISEP-AIEA collaboration? ISEP and AIEA have a strong overlapping membership of more than 400 universities and share a commitment to improving and promoting international higher education opportunities. By bringing together the membership of both organizations, the Symposium served to strengthen communications and collaborative relationships among and between two influential groups.

The Symposium began with a joint ISEP-AIEA Plenary Luncheon featuring Keynote Speaker Keisha Senter and three student presenters from the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U). (Read more about these student presenters – including ISEP alumna Renee Farwell – and their efforts to tackle global challenges.) Following the luncheon, attendees participated in roundtable discussions to explore innovative solutions and ideas for ISEP Network global engagement in CGI U’s five focus areas: Education, Environment & Climate Change, Peace & Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation and Public Health. During the second day of the Symposium, members participated in discussion groups on various topics to develop and enhance best practices of interest to the ISEP membership.