Karen Bauer

Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Karen Bauer serves as the Regional Manager (REAC) for EducationUSA across the Middle East and Central Asia. With over two decades of experience in international education, she is dedicated to strengthening student mobility, fostering institutional partnerships, and expanding access to U.S. higher education opportunities.

Karen supports more than 40 EducationUSA advisers across 13 countries and 25 advising centers spanning the Middle East Gulf (Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) and Central and South Asia (Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). Her work involves extensive regional travel, about 40% of her time, conducting site visits, supporting advisers, and building networks that connect students with U.S. institutions.

A frequent speaker at international education conferences, including AIEA, NAFSA, NACAC, and I-ACAC, Karen shares insights on scholarship programs, recruitment trends, and regional dynamics. She is passionate about integrating Design Thinking into international education and has trained with the Stanford Life Design Studio, bringing creative problem-solving and life design tools into advising, recruitment, and career development.

Karen’s global perspective is shaped by her professional experience living and working in Czechia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and Turkey. She holds a B.A. in International Affairs and History from Holy Names University (California), an M.A. in International Education from the School for International Training (Vermont), an ESL teaching certificate from Notre Dame de Namur University, and a college counseling certificate from UCLA.