Present at the International Education Symposium
You are invited to submit a proposal to present a talk or poster by November 3, 2025.
On November 20, 2025, from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm, Global Engagement will host a mini symposium to celebrate International Education Week. Historically a joint effort of the U.S. Departments of State and Education, International Education Week (IEW) has provided institutions in the United States with an opportunity to showcase the people, places, and power of global connections among its students, faculty, and staff for 25 years. This year the annual IEW tradition is being upheld by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, The Forum on Education Abroad, and the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA).
The theme is Resilient Futures, Global Citizens.
This theme is designed to emphasize how global experiences empower students, enabling them to become adaptable and action-oriented. Additionally, this theme exists as a reminder that global education perseveres and is crucial to the betterment of society. Speakers are encouraged to discuss how their global experiences have prepared them to address challenges such as climate change, public health, migration, public policy, current events, education, economics, and equity.
We invite you to participate in the symposium and submit proposals to present in one of the following formats: a five-minute ted-talk style presentation, or a poster presentation.
Why participate?
This is a formal academic event, which can be added to your resume/CV. Students will gain professional development and public speaking skills and can be mentored by a staff member in preparing for the symposium.
In addition, the audience will have the opportunity to vote on the two best presentations (poster or ted-talk). Selected presenters will receive a gift card of $25 each.
Five-minute talk
Please choose one of the following prompts and respond to it:
Advocacy in Action: How have your global experiences prepared you to become an advocate for justice and equality?
Building Resiliency: Were there any challenges you encountered while studying internationally, and how did these challenges help you grow?
Cross-Cultural Lessons: Did any of your international experiences tackle expose you to new problem-solving perspectives? How can these problem-solving methods be applied in your home country?
Global Networks: How did the connections you made abroad shape your perspective on global issues such as health, climate change, etc.?
Overcoming Fear: What fear or hesitation did you overcome to study abroad, and how did it change your life?
Guidelines for your talk
The talk should be short (no more than 5 minutes), coherent, and inspiring or thought-provoking. If you use PowerPoint, there should be no more than 5 slides. On each slide, there should be no more than 10 words. Staff from Global Engagement will be available to help you polish your talk.
Submission guidelines
In your proposal, please submit:
- a title with no more than 10 words
- a draft of your 5-minute talk
- send your proposal to GlobalEngagement@chatham.edu by Monday, November 3rd
Poster presentation
Another way to present at the symposium is to submit a proposal to do a poster presentation individually or with other students. In your proposal, please submit:
- a title with no more than 10 words
- a short description of the presentation with no more than 50 words
- send your proposal to GlobalEngagement@chatham.edu by Monday, November 3rd
Poster prompts:
1. Work with one or two partner(s) from another country and compare aspects of your own culture (such as, ‘national’ character, diversity, religion, government, history, and social issues); through comparing/contrasting, what has your group learned about each other? How will cross-cultural competencies help you successfully navigate personal and professional life?
2. What can communities do to create more opportunities for international collaboration and education? Outline your proposed plan.
3. Global Challenges, Local Solutions: What global issue did you encounter during your international experience, and how was it addressed? What did you learn about problem-solving?
4. Research or Internship: What was the focus of your research or internship abroad, and how did it shape your skills, perspective, or future plans?
You will be informed of the acceptance (or otherwise) of your proposal by close of business November 4th.
Questions?
Please contact us:
Global Engagement
Chatham University
Falk Hall, lower level
412-365-1388