With many global intled conferences now an annual tradition for the team, we’re bound to bump into an inspiring professional – or six – from time to time. So every week, The PIE publishes an interview with someone we’ve spoken with to discover what inspired them to join the industry, new markets on their horizon and where students in their location are turning to for study abroad opportunities. Here is a look back at some of our most memorable PIE Chats of 2019.
Andrew Gordon, CEO & Founder, Diversity Abroad, US
PIEoneer of the Year 2019 winner Andrew Gordon founded Diversity Abroad in 2006, with the ambition to give young people from underrepresented communities the same chance as their colleagues to study abroad. He told The PIE about the changes he’s seen in the industry, and whether international HE is succeeding at providing access.
Read the full interview here
Christina Vareschi, President & CEO, IVI Venezuela
Christina Vareschi has been president & CEO of IVI Venezuela since the agency, specialising in language courses in countries around the world, was founded in 1995. The PIE spoke with her about the state of the industry in Venezuela.
Read the full interview here
Mohamed Abdel-Kader, Executive Director, Stevens Initiative, US
Prior to Inauguration Day 2017, Mohamed Abdel-Kader served in the Obama administration as deputy assistant secretary for International and Foreign Language Education. Today, his role as executive director of the Stevens Initiative at the Aspen Institute means he is focused on building global competence for young people in the US, Middle East and North Africa by growing and enhancing the field of ‘virtual exchange’.
Read the full interview here
Emma Lancaster, CEO, Study Group, UK
In what was an exciting start to the year, Study Group brought in new talent, had a majority stake acquired by Ardian, and CFO Emma Lancaster took over from David Leigh as CEO. The PIE met with Lancaster to discover her plan, and how she got to where she is now.
Read the full interview here
Gonzalo Peralta, Executive Director, Languages Canada, Canada
Famous for being capable of effortlessly juggling several languages within the same presentation, Gonzalo Peralta has led Languages Canada for 10 years. Chatting to The PIE, he shared thoughts on the association’s plans on advocacy and diversity.
Read the full interview here
Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary ECA, US Dept. of State
Sitting down with The PIE during NAFSA 2019, Assistant Secretary Marie Royce spoke about the Department’s efforts to promote inbound and outbound mobility and its support for the #youarewelcomehere campaign.
Read the full interview here
Rod Jones, Navitas, Australia
The global international education industry was taken by surprise in 2018 when Rod Jones announced he was part of a takeover bid for Navitas, the company he helped found. The former chief executive and now board member sat down with The PIE to explain why he returned less than a year after announcing plans to retire.
Read the full interview here
Maria Leonor Alves Maia, President, FAUBAI, Brazil
At the 2019 CAEI, The PIE caught up with Maria Leonor Alves Maia, president of FAUBAI and head of the International Affairs Office at Brazil’s Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, to learn about some of the internationalisation projects taking place in Brazil and the importance of fostering south to south collaboration between South American countries.
Read the full interview here
Mayank Kumar, Co-Founder & MD, upGrad, India
Started in early 2015, upGrad has emerged as a leading platform that is reimagining online education using high-quality content, student handholding & an engaging learning environment for the Indian market. The PIE spoke with one of the founders Mayank Kumar about why employees need to continually learn to stay relevant in a rapidly changing workspace.
Read the full interview here
Loretta O’Donnell, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, like its Russian neighbour to the north, is currently on a mission to revamp its educational system and plug itself into the landscape of international higher ed. The PIE spoke with Loretta O’Donnell, vice provost of Academic Affairs at Nazarbayev University about how the industry is being swept up in the Central Asian nation’s push for reform and internationalisation.
Read the full interview here
John Bader, Fulbright Association, US
John Bader is the executive director of the Fulbright Association, a global alumni association of participants of the largest US exchange program in the world. He told The PIE about why this program offers hope, and how it commands cross-party support in Congress.
Read the full interview here
Lily Guo, founder, GATE, China
Lily Guo is the founder of a successful education counselling business in China. She spoke to The PIE about the evolution of GATE, which helps place Chinese students in institutions overseas but is also opening up bilateral channels from the West into China.
Read the full interview here
