2026 AIEA Annual Conference
Leading the Way: Navigating Volatility and New Realities in International Education
New Provost Track at the 2026 AIEA Annual Conference
Advancing Strategic Leadership: A Curated Experience Designed for Chief Academic Officers and Senior Leaders
We were pleased to announce the new Provost Track at our 2026 Annual Conference, designed exclusively for chief academic officers and the senior leaders shaping institutional global strategy at their institutions. As internationalization becomes increasingly connected to enrollment stability, program relevance, research collaboration, global competitiveness, and institutional resilience, this track provided a rare, focused space for provosts and senior leadership teams to learn, engage, and connect.
The Provost track was designed for Chief Academic Officers and the IE leadership at their institutions, but was open to all conference participants.
Thanks to the generous support of QS and the leadership of the AIEA Presidential Ambassadors Council, registration for Wednesday, February 18 and the half-day program on Thursday, February 19 was complimentary for chief academic officers if their institution’s senior international education leadership attended the conference.
Special thanks to QS Quacquarelli Symonds, sponsor of the 2026 Provost Track
The Provost Track Experience Schedule
Wednesday, February 18
The Provost Track will take place Wednesday afternoon, February 18, with full conference access for Wednesday and Thursday. In the afternoon, provosts are invited to participate in two exclusive sessions designed to support institutional strategy and senior leadership engagement.
Session 1
1:00 – 2:00 PM: Provost Track: Effective Provost Advocacy that Advances Global and Institutional Priorities
How do provosts and Senior International Officers move from alignment to meaningful impact? In this Provost Track session, current provosts and a former university president reflect on effective collaboration across academic and international leadership. The discussion will highlight lessons learned, leadership approaches, and structures that support internationalization as a core institutional priority.
Presenter(s): Carolyn Stefanco | Fotis Sotiropoulos | Dawn Williams | Manfred H. M. van Dulmen
Session 2
2:15 – 3:15 PM: Provost Track – From Anxiety to Advantage: How Strategic Internationalization Tackles Provost-Level Challenges
Provosts are increasingly faced with institutional threats – declining enrollment, budget shortfalls, political pressures, program relevance, faculty morale, global competition, and reputational risk. Yet many of the solutions lie precisely in the global strategy portfolio, when activated strategically. This roundtable invites provosts and SIOs to reframe internationalization not as an additional task, but as a strategic response to the very pressures that keep provosts up at night.
Presenter(s): Richard Carter | Andrea Kent
The afternoon continues with a forward-focused keynote plenary panel exploring the future of international higher education, followed by a new Awards Happy Hour designed to build connection among senior leaders in an informal setting.
Thursday, February 19
Thursday morning begins with an invitation-only breakfast with embassy representatives and key leaders in the field. Following breakfast, participants may join either:
Transatlantic Dialogue with European colleagues in partnership with EAIE, IIE, and DAAD
A high-level workshop and discussion on ways to increase mobility, research collaboration, academic partnerships, and educational diplomacy between North America and Europe. Hosted by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the European Association for International Education (EAIE), and AIEA.
or
Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill
Meet with legislators to help advance policies to support international education.
Session 1
1:00 – 2:00 PM: Provost Track: Effective Provost Advocacy that Advances Global and Institutional Priorities
How do provosts and Senior International Officers move from alignment to meaningful impact? In this Provost Track session, current provosts and a former university president reflect on effective collaboration across academic and international leadership. The discussion will highlight lessons learned, leadership approaches, and structures that support internationalization as a core institutional priority.
Presenter(s): Carolyn Stefanco | Fotis Sotiropoulos | Dawn Williams | Manfred H. M. van Dulmen
Session 2
2:15 – 3:15 PM: Provost Track – From Anxiety to Advantage: How Strategic Internationalization Tackles Provost-Level Challenges
Provosts are increasingly faced with institutional threats—declining enrollment, budget shortfalls, political pressures, program relevance, faculty morale, global competition, and reputational risk. Yet many of the solutions lie precisely in the global strategy portfolio, when activated strategically. This roundtable invites provosts and SIOs to reframe internationalization not as an additional task, but as a strategic response to the very pressures that keep provosts up at night.
Presenter(s): Richard Carter | Andrea Kent
The afternoon continues with a forward-focused keynote plenary panel exploring the future of international higher education, followed by a new Awards Happy Hour designed to build connection among senior leaders in an informal setting.
What is The Provost Experience?
The Provost Track is a new offering at the AIEA 2026 Annual Conference, designed to offers a rare space for senior leaders to engage with peers facing similar pressures, explore solutions grounded in international strategy, and reimagine the role of global engagement in institutional resilience and future-readiness. It will take place Wednesday afternoon, February 18, and Thursday morning, February 19, with full conference access for Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday afternoon, provosts are invited to participate in two exclusive sessions designed to support institutional strategy and senior leadership engagement. On Thursday morning, provosts may join an invitation only breakfast with embassy representatives and key leaders in the field.
Who Should Participate?
The Provost track is designed for Chief Academic Officers and the IE leadership at their institutions, but is open to all conference participants. This track is intended for provosts, chief academic officers, and their senior institutional leaders responsible for, or deeply connected to, global strategy. Institutions sending both a provost and senior international officer may find particular value in shared participation.
How Do I Register:
Participation in the Provost Track is complimentary for provosts whose senior leadership in international education are already attending the conference.