I will be departing for the Forum on Education Abroad’s Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA) in one short week.  I am looking forward to this conference – it is much smaller than the NAFSA Annual Conference and will provide a different dynamic, perhaps with more depth in content.

According to their web site,  The Forum conference theme, “Vision and Value in Education Abroad” takes up the central importance of creating and maintaining a compelling vision for education aboad while communicating its value.  The conference will focus on articulating the vital nature of education abroad and the many benefits that it brings to students, organizations, institutions, communities and societies.  This theme is especially important as we address the challenges brought on by the current global economic crisis, when both the vision and the value of education abroad may be called into question.

I will be blogging from this conference – recognizing that many university budgets will not permit travel during this difficult economy.  I will also be blogging for those in international education who have been laid off or are underemployed, in recognition of their unique challenges. I hope to give you all a bird’s eye view of the dialogue, best practices and hot topics.