On 28–31 May, Jolanta Bareikienė, Vice Director for Studies, and Renata Sedliorienė, Vice Dean for Studies of the Faculty of Arts and Education, participated in the NAFSA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo held in New Orleans (United States of America).
‘During the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo, more than 50 different events took place every day: seminars on various educational issues, educational leadership forums, meetings-discussions, and educational workshops. During the conference, various educational institutions from all over the world presented their products, invited to cooperate in the fields of education and scientific development,’ says the representatives of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution (HEI).
J. Bareikienė and R. Sedliorienė participated in seminars, a leadership forum, and discussions, met with Kauno kolegija HEI partners to discuss the development of cooperation, and established new connections for the development of education and science.
Among the speakers – well-known names
The Annual Conference & Expo was opened by Luis von Ahn, cofounder and CEO of Duolingo, a popular language-learning platform. Von Ahn is known for coinventing CAPTCHA, which distinguishes between humans and bots online; receiving a MacArthur Fellowship, commonly called a “genius grant;” and founding two companies that were acquired by Google while in his 20s.
Von Ahn was named one of the “10 Most Brilliant Scientists” by Popular Science Magazine, one of the “50 Best Brains in Science” by Discover, and one of the “100 Most Innovative People in Business” by Fast Company Magazine. In 2018, von Ahn won the Lemelson-MIT Prize and in 2023, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Social justice advocates Phoebe Ferguson and Keith Plessy were invited to close the Annual Conference & Expo. More than 125 years ago, Ferguson’s and Plessy’s ancestors were opposing principals in a court decision that upheld the constitutionality of Jim Crow laws mandating segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine.
Today, Ferguson and Plessy are working together to spark important conversations about finding unity and fostering mutual understanding. In 2009, they cofounded the Plessy & Ferguson Initiative to advance civil rights, history, memorialization, and transitional justice.
Association of International Educators
NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. NAFSA serves the needs of more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide at more than 4,300 institutions, in 170+ countries. ANFSA is the leading organisation committed to international education and exchange, working to advance policies and practices that build global citizens with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in today’s interconnected world.
NAFSA believes that international education advances learning and scholarship, fosters understanding and respect among people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, is essential for developing globally competent individuals, and builds leadership for the global community. We believe that international education lies at the core of an interconnected world characterised by diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and well-being for all. NAFSA believes that diversity in our classrooms, our communities, and our workplaces is our strength. We seek to conduct international education in socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable ways.
In 1948, NAFSA was created out of a commitment to shared values in action. Since then, the association has evolved to meet the needs of students and members, led the field of international education amid forces of change, and formed a community of like-minded professionals that spans generations, cultures, and the globe itself.
