Symposium on Leadership
NAFSA’s Symposium on Leadership is a Signature Program that convenes senior international officers (SIOs) and campus internationalization leaders from around the world. This NAFSA Signature Program is included with NAFSA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo registration.
The Symposium on Leadership is a NAFSA Signature Program presented by the International Education Leadership Knowledge Community (IEL KC) for an audience of senior international officers (SIOs) and campus internationalization leaders. Delivered annually, each Symposium centers around a theme of particular relevance to the international leader in that year.
2026 Symposium
The 2026 Symposium on Leadership will take place on May 26 in Orlando, Florida. The topic of the program is: Reimagining Global Leadership in the Age of AI
2025 Symposium
The 2025 Symposium on Leadership took place on May 27 in San Diego, California. The topic of the program was Today's Refugees: Tomorrow's Students and Changemakers.
Previous Symposia
Past Symposium on Leadership topics include:
- 2025 – Today's Refugees: Tomorrow's Students and Changemakers
- 2024 – Reinterpreting Internationalization: 2024 and Beyond
- 2023 – Decolonization, Indigenization, and International Education
- 2022 – Sustaining International Education: Strategies and Solutions for Leaders
- 2021 – Future-Proof International Education: Successful Leadership for the Next Decade
- 2019 – Leadership in Uncertain Times: Addressing a Changing International Education Environment
- 2018 – Value Vs. Values: Defending International Education in a Complex World
- 2017 – Internationalization & Diversity and Inclusion
- 2016 – Leading Internationalization: Changing Demographics and Economic Realities
- 2015 – The Innovation Imperative: Leading Change in a Competitive Environment
- 2014 – 21st-Century Skills and the Future of Internationalization: Opportunities for Leadership
- 2013 – Leveraging Accreditation and Quality Assurance in International Higher Education
- 2012 – Engaging Stakeholders in Internationalization: Strategies for Collaboration
- 2011 – Internationalization: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?
- 2010 – Leading Internationalization in Times of Fiscal Restraint
- 2009 – Transforming Internationalization Through Partnerships
Symposium Resources
The Symposia Series is a compilation of articles summarizing key issues explored in each Symposium on Leadership.
