My Next Thought

There’s an old fable we all know. A boy, bored and seeking attention, cries “Wolf!” to stir up panic in the village. The people run - every time - until the day a real threat arrives, and no one believes him. That story was about a liar who caused fear for fun. The current story unfolding in…

As I was flying home to Minnesota after NAFSA, somewhere over Utah, I looked up from my notes and saw the story being told for me. The woman sitting next to me was watching Fox News on her seatback screen. The segment? The Trump administration’s crackdown on Chinese students titled “Chinese Student Status in Spotlight Amid…

I’ve been at NAFSA all week.  Thousands of us are here - colleagues, competitors, collaborators - gathered in the name of international education. The sessions are packed. The buzzwords are loud. Everyone’s talking about geopolitics, declining visa approvals, the future of recruitment, AI, and of course, the state of the field itself. There’s concern. There’s…

There’s one word that makes even seasoned international educators groan - sometimes out loud. It’s not “compliance.” It’s not “commission.”  It’s networking. Yes, the dreaded N-word. Next week, over 8,000 of us will descend on San Diego for the annual NAFSA conference - our field’s yearly pilgrimage. A global gathering of thinkers, dreamers, dealmakers, and doers.…

It’s graduation season, which means two things: lots of inspirational speeches - the kind full of punchy quotes, poetic metaphors, and “Go change the world” “Follow your dreams” “You’re the future”declarations.- and lots of bad advice.   But here’s the quiet truth nobody says out loud: You don’t need to change the world. You need to change your relationship…

International education is at a breaking point in the very places that once defined it. In the United States, visa rejections are rising, and political hostility toward international students is no longer whispered - it’s policy. DEI programs are under attack, and international students are increasingly seen as security risks or economic pawns. In Canada,…

Yesterday, millions of students across the world committed to a U.S. college or university. Some are still buzzing with joy - they got into the school they dreamed of. Others are quietly nursing disappointment, trying to make peace with the one they didn’t. For most, the emotions are more complicated than they expected. Here’s what…

When I arrived in the U.S. as an international student 33 years ago, the world felt open. Studying abroad wasn’t just about earning a degree — it was about challenging ideas, expanding perspectives, and belonging to a global conversation. The United States, I believed, was a place where anyone, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or background, could learn, contribute,…

On my recent visit to India, a high school counselor shared the story of one of her bright students, who seemingly is caught in an agent’s web and is considering a suspicious admissions offer from a reputable university overseas. Suspicious because the agent is demanding, among other things, backdated letters from the high school. At…

I’ve been traveling across India for the past two weeks—just as I have for the last 15 years—visiting high schools, speaking with students, engaging with counselors, and connecting with school leaders. Every visit reminds me why I do this work: the energy in the auditoriums, the dreams in students’ eyes, and the genuine desire among…

2+2, 3+1, or even the new and improved 3.5+1.5… regardless of how you add it up, the math ain’t mathing. Those of us in international education share a common purpose: to help students see beyond borders and connect with the world. But much of our field still operates from a Global North perspective—shaped by systems with…

Standardized tests have long been sold as the great equalizer—a clean, quantifiable measure of merit. A simple solution to a complex question: Who deserves access to higher education? But anyone who has taken these tests—or helped students navigate them—knows that promise is deeply flawed. We’re not measuring potential; we’re measuring proximity to privilege. A perfect…