INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION LECTURE SERIES
The Center for Global Programs and Services presents a series of lectures exploring timely topics and emerging perspectives in international education and global engagement. Open to the entire University of Delaware community, the series provides opportunities for faculty, staff, students, and campus partners to learn, connect, and engage in dialogue around global issues. The lectures support UD’s strategic priorities and leadership vision for advancing global engagement and strengthening an inclusive, globally connected university community.
October 9, 2026 | Trabant Theater
Professor Elspeth Jones explored how internationalization in higher education has become a central priority for institutions around the world, despite often being understood through a narrow and fragmented lens that focused on student mobility, international student recruitment, or institutional prestige. She questioned what internationalization might look like if students were placed at its center, how institutions could build on existing strengths to connect disparate initiatives and develop a coherent, future-focused strategy grounded in their particular contexts, goals, and values, and how the benefits of internationalization could be understood, communicated, and valued across the institution. Her presentation addressed these questions through a student-centered approach to internationalization strategy and practice.
About the Speaker
Elspeth Jones
Emerita Professor of the Internationalisation of Higher Education, Leeds Beckett University, UK
Series Editor of Routledge's Internationalization in Higher Education
Elspeth Jones is Emerita Professor of the Internationalisation of Higher Education, Leeds Beckett University, UK, and Series Editor of Routledge's Internationalization in Higher Education. Her scholarship focuses on internationalization at home, international and intercultural learning, inclusion and equity, and student-centered approaches to internationalization. She is the author and editor of numerous influential publications in international higher education and is currently working on the book Student-Centred Internationalisation in Higher Education: Policy, Strategy and Practice.
May 22, 2026 | Alumni Hall
Emily O'Callaghan shared how institutions can better measure the impact and value of study abroad at this interactive presentation with UD study abroad faculty directors and staff. Drawing on miXabroad data - a new global platform leveraging its partner network to comparatively measure the impact and experience of outward learning programs and internationalisation at home - and the University of Delaware as a case study, O'Callaghan explored how student feedback, global benchmarking, and evidence-based assessment can inform program design, strengthen student support, advance institutional priorities, and help demonstrate the lasting value of global learning to university leaders and other stakeholders.
About the Speaker
Emily O'Callaghan
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, miXabroad
A senior leader in international education, Emily O'Callaghan has over 20 years of experience across sector advocacy, policy, research, partnerships, and institutional development. She is the CEO and co-founder of miXabroad and has held diverse roles spanning student recruitment, transnational education, learning abroad, pathways, and admissions, working extensively with government, education institutions, and industry stakeholders across multiple global regions.
She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, co-founder of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) Young Professionals Network, an IEAA Senior Fellow, Executive Board Member of the Climate Action Network for International Educators (CANIE), and co-author of the IEAA Learning Abroad in Australian Universities White Paper.
May 14, 2026 | Lerner Atrium
Dr. Uttam Gualee shared insights on international higher education systems and policy. During the event, CGPS presented the 2026 Study Abroad Global Partner of the Year Award to Dr. Gualee and celebrated the release of the book, 100 Years of Study Abroad: Reflections from University Students, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff, published by STAR Scholars Network.
About the Speaker
Dr. Uttam Gualee
President, STAR Scholars Network
Professor, Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy, Morgan State University
Professor Uttam Gaulee is a distinguished higher education leader, scholar, and policy analyst recognized for advancing academic innovation through inclusive and mission-driven leadership. A tenured professor in the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy and former Chair of the University Council at Morgan State University. A Fulbright Program Scholar and Cross Award recipient, he founded the Journal of Underrepresented and Minority Progress and currently serves as President of the STAR Scholars Network. His research spans international higher education, diaspora studies, education policy, global citizenship, and cross-cultural development issues and he advocates for higher education institutions as engines of social mobility and economic development.
