NAFSA's annual conference provides a large array of educational offerings targeting every level of the international education profession. These programs will provide you with the skills to enhance your performance and better serve your organization or institution, expand your knowledge of the field as well as your particular specialty, and allow you to build a stronger network of peers.
Plenary Speakers
Each of the NAFSA annual conference plenary speakers fosters global engagement through action and service. Whether through pioneering microfinance programs in developing nations, scrutinizing the effects of global brain drain and brain gain, building upon the work of the United Nations, or mobilizing education for the global economy, all will challenge and inspire us to create a force for positive change in the world through our daily actions. Gain insights from these extraordinary global leaders to help maximize the impact of your work at your institution.
Speakers include Muhammad Yunus, Ray Suarez, Gillian Sorensen, and Luis Alberto Moreno.
Preconference Workshops 
Preregistration fee and ticket required.
Preview the workshops being offered at the 2009 NAFSA Annual Conference. Choose from over 50 workshops, including more than 20 of NAFSA's Core Education Program offerings: Foundations and Professional Practice Workshops.
Concurrent Sessions and Seminars
Explore the diversity of seminars and sessions in advance of the conference. Sessions and seminars are included in the registration fee. No tickets are required but seating is limited for seminars, so arrive early. After you register search for session by focus area, day, or presenters, and use Conference Connection 2.0. to create your personal conference schedule.
Many presenters have provided NAFSA with their handouts in advance of the conference. Take a moment to peruse the various handouts and download the ones that are critical to your daily success. Additional handouts will be added after the conference.
View a list of sessions...
Knowledge Communities
Looking for the conference events that relate to your particular Knowledge Community?
Guest Speakers
Learn from experts in a related field to international education, including: Dr. Yvonne Chan of Vaughn Next Century Learning Center; Barbara J. Wien, Peace Educator and activist; and Lee Gardenswartz, PhD, and Anita Rowe, PhD, Co-Founders of the Emotional Intelligence and Diversity Institute.
Unique Learning Opportunities
Take advantage of these unique opportunities to explore what your peers and other institutions are undertaking and network with colleagues facing similar experiences and challenges. Each of these opportunities requires registration when you register for the NAFSA annual conference.
Mini-Conferences Within the Conference 
Events/features that are new in 2009. Preregistration fee and ticket required.
Are you interested in how schools of business and schools of education can internationalize? Two colloquiums will be offered on Wednesday afternoon of the conference, exploring the internationalization of curriculums in two important areas—business education and teacher education. These "mini-conferences" will offer concentrated discussions and presentations on specific curricular areas.
Management Development Program Preregistration fee and ticket required.
New to management? This two-and-a-half day program will provide you with the training you need. Using experiential learning methods and personal reflection, you will learn a performance model to apply to your staff, a change management model, and how to assess your leadership style, inventory your political skills, and identify key areas of improvement.
For International Education Leaders
NAFSA's annual conference provides a number of offerings tailored especially to senior international education leaders throughout the week.
Conference Symposium on Leadership Preregistration fee and ticket required.
Tuesday, May 26, 7:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Partnerships for Transformative Internationalization
The 2009 symposium, aimed at senior international education leaders, will focus on transformative international partnerships with presentations from leaders who have created new types of partnerships and rethought the role that partnerships can play in an institution’s overall internationalization strategy.
International Education Leadership Knowledge Community (IEL KC) Preregistration fee and ticket required.
Wednesday, May 28—7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
Update Meeting and Breakfast
Network with senior international officers while the IEL KC member-leader team briefs attendees on current challenges facing international education leaders and resources available to support them in their work.
Fee $35 per person. Includes full continental breakfast.
Poster Fairs
What is a poster?
At NAFSA's annual conference, a poster is more than just a combination of text and graphics—it's an opportunity to hear from presenters about their experiences, innovative ideas, research, new techniques, programs, and services. Take advantage of the poster format to absorb a variety of information at your own pace or explore a topic in-depth and one-on-one with the presenter.
NAFSA Commons and Bookstore
Be sure to stop by the NAFSA Commons (Booth 823) and the NAFSA Bookstore to discover NAFSA services, programs, and resources available to support you as an international educator. NAFSA staff and leaders will be available in the NAFSA Commons to answer your questions.
See all of the opportunities available in the NAFSA Commons!
Find out what new publications await you in the NAFSA Bookstore!
Film Series
Experience the magic of Hollywood and the cinema. Explore issues of importance to international educators through film during the conference. Opportunities include film screenings and discussions, and sessions with film-related components. All events are included in your conference registration except the closing reception on Thursday evening.