“The partnership between CONAHEC and AHEA will help faculty and students develop their intercultural competencies and institutions to strengthen their partnerships with peers abroad,” said Sean Manley-Casimir, executive director of CONAHEC, which has over 150 members and promotes international higher education collaboration between North America and the rest of the world.

“The partnership… will help faculty and students develop their intercultural competencies”

“Through this symbiotic relationship, our member institutions will be able to work collaboratively with their peers in different countries to internationalise their curricula and to expose their students to new perspectives.”

The partnership also aims to support HEIs preparing to transition to online and hybrid learning, focusing on online pedagogy, curriculum development, virtual exchange programs and online or hybrid assessment methods.

Benjamin Shank, CEO of AHEA said that they were working to “establish a path for the future of higher education where global faculty collaboration results in innovative academic programs, and help higher education leaders anticipate change and prepare their students for success.”

Santiago Castiello Gutiérrez, mobility coordinator for CONAHEC, further added that technology has made the “broadening adoption mean that acquisition of intercultural knowledge and skills is no longer as travel-dependent”

“Virtual academic mobility and technology-mediated exchange hold great promise for much wider, more affordable access to international and intercultural experiences,” he said.