Partners & Affiliates
NAFSA's Role in Developing Global-Ready Graduates
by Ron Moffatt, Former Director, International Student Center, San Diego State University
NAFSA President, 2007
Chair, NAFSA Public Policy Advisory Committee, 2005
Chair, NAFSA Development Committee, 2004
Higher education's traditional axiom, "Today's students lead tomorrow's workforce" undergoes a classical paradigm shift when examined within a global context. Competencies once considered essential for productive professions within a regional or national economy are no longer the coin of the realm in a marketplace without borders. Global systems generate global issues that can only be addressed with global competencies. Preparing global-ready graduates requires institutions of higher learning to totally rethink their mission, priorities and objectives; and international educators have a pivotal role to play in the process.
While refreshing NAFSA's Strategic Plan in March 2003, the Board of Directors added a phrase to the mission statement: "NAFSA serves its members, their institutions and organizations, and others engaged in international education and exchange and global workforce development." The Board's vision stemmed from mounting evidence of the compelling forces, permeating every discipline within the academy, that call for greater international competencies in preparing students for leadership roles in a global future.
NAFSAns are now more active than ever in developing a global-ready workforce. At the heart of our engagement lies an abiding commitment to infuse our association's core values into human resource development on a global scale. While most of us directly support students' professional development needs as advisers and teachers, many NAFSAns are also conducting research to identify the career related assets of an international education, and how those assets can best be acquired. Many others are building partnerships within various public and private sectors to help students learn how to optimize globalization's benefits, while many more help students develop perspectives and skills to mitigate the growing cascade of challenges resulting from globalization's ubiquitous reach. And some are forging alliances with the business community to advocate public policies that increase student/scholar access and mobility. All of us - educators, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, partners,exhibitors, vendors, administrators and trainers - can find common ground in NAFSA's mission to shape and support the vanguard of the 21st century global workforce.
Read more by Ron about how NAFSAns can help shape the global future.
NAFSA President, 2007
Chair, NAFSA Public Policy Advisory Committee, 2005
Chair, NAFSA Development Committee, 2004
Higher education's traditional axiom, "Today's students lead tomorrow's workforce" undergoes a classical paradigm shift when examined within a global context. Competencies once considered essential for productive professions within a regional or national economy are no longer the coin of the realm in a marketplace without borders. Global systems generate global issues that can only be addressed with global competencies. Preparing global-ready graduates requires institutions of higher learning to totally rethink their mission, priorities and objectives; and international educators have a pivotal role to play in the process.
While refreshing NAFSA's Strategic Plan in March 2003, the Board of Directors added a phrase to the mission statement: "NAFSA serves its members, their institutions and organizations, and others engaged in international education and exchange and global workforce development." The Board's vision stemmed from mounting evidence of the compelling forces, permeating every discipline within the academy, that call for greater international competencies in preparing students for leadership roles in a global future.
NAFSAns are now more active than ever in developing a global-ready workforce. At the heart of our engagement lies an abiding commitment to infuse our association's core values into human resource development on a global scale. While most of us directly support students' professional development needs as advisers and teachers, many NAFSAns are also conducting research to identify the career related assets of an international education, and how those assets can best be acquired. Many others are building partnerships within various public and private sectors to help students learn how to optimize globalization's benefits, while many more help students develop perspectives and skills to mitigate the growing cascade of challenges resulting from globalization's ubiquitous reach. And some are forging alliances with the business community to advocate public policies that increase student/scholar access and mobility. All of us - educators, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, partners,exhibitors, vendors, administrators and trainers - can find common ground in NAFSA's mission to shape and support the vanguard of the 21st century global workforce.
Read more by Ron about how NAFSAns can help shape the global future.
