European Association for International Education

European Association for International Education
Founded	1989
Type	International organization
Focus	International higher education
Location	Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Area served	Europe, Worldwide
Method	Training, conferences, publications, networking opportunities,
Mission	Actively serve all those involved in the internationalisation of higher education
Website	www.eaie.org

The European Association for International Education (EAIE) is a non-profit organisation serving individuals actively involved in the internationalisation of their higher education institutions through a combination of training, conferences, publications and knowledge exchange. The EAIE is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and has approximately 2500 members from 80 countries around the world, the majority of which are located in Europe.

History

In the late 1980s, international educators in Europe began to realise the need for a European member association, similar to that of NAFSA in the United States: an association dedicated to those working in the field of international education. In 1989 the EAIE was founded, with the Founding Conference taking place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Founding Conference attracted around 600 professionals who were inspired by the idea of joining a network of international educators. The original working title of the Association was ‘European Association for International Education Administrators’, however this was later changed to the European Association for International Education when the organisation was officially created. Hans Melle van Dijk served as Founding Director from 1989 until 1993. In 1990, the Association had 820 members. This figure increased to 1,401 in 1995, and in January 2014 had grown to 2,469.

Mission

The EAIE’s mission is to professionalise the Association’s members and to actively serve all those involved in the internationalisation of higher education.

Conferences

The EAIE Annual Conference is the primary event through which the Association brings together professionals to discuss the latest trends in international education. The largest event of its kind in Europe, the conference is hosted in a different European city each year. The 2013 EAIE Conference in Istanbul attracted 4,800 professionals. In addition to the numerous workshops, sessions and seminars, the conference also features an exhibition, which allows companies, organisations and institutions active in the field to promote their products to a targeted audience.

Training

The EAIE Academy is a bi-annual event run by the EAIE to provide in-depth training to international educators. The EAIE Academy takes place in the spring and autumn of each year, in a different European city. Approximately ten courses are offered during the week, usually lasting between one and two days. The main topics for training include credential evaluation, marketing and recruitment, management, intercultural communication, student services, policy and strategy. The first EAIE Academy took place in Valencia, Spain in November 2011. Since then, the EAIE Academy has taken place in Gothenburg, Sweden; Porto, Portugal; Birmingham, UK and Tallinn, Estonia.

Publications

The EAIE publishes a variety of publications on topics concerning the internationalisation of higher education.

Forum magazine is the flagship member magazine of the Association, published three times per year, with a readership of circa 2500. The first issue of Forum was published in 1999. In 2012, the magazine incorporated a thematic approach, tackling one prominent topic within international education per issue.

EAIE Occasional Papers are published on average once per year and consist of more detailed explorations of a specific topic, published in book format. The first Occasional Paper was published in 1992, entitled ‘Mass higher education in Europe: implications for student mobility and international education’. By 2014, the EAIE had published 23 Occasional Papers.

The Internationalisation of Higher Education Handbook is published jointly by the EAIE and RAABE Publishers. The Handbook provides case studies, advice and references for those actively working to internationalise their institution, with supplements published three times per year. Article length ranges from 5000 to 7500 words.

The Journal of Studies in International Education is a peer-reviewed journal for higher education administrators, educators, researchers and policy makers. Volumes are published five times per year and articles vary from 4000 to 6000 words in length. The EAIE is part of the Association for Studies in International Education (ASIE) which is responsible for the Journal.

Other activities

The EAIE provides other activities for its members, such as a Mentorship programme, Train the Trainers programme, in addition to its advocacy work aiming to effect positive change in the field of higher education internationalisation. In 2012, the EAIE led a working group of international higher education associations in order to develop a charter advocating international students’ rights, entitled ‘The International Student Mobility Charter’. The EAIE has also been involved in the development of a global network of centralised student data depositories with the goal of making digital student data portability a reality.

Expert Communities

The EAIE provides 16 Expert Communities which EAIE members can join in order to share expertise and best practices with other experts in the field:

Admissions Officers and Credential Evaluators (ACE)

Economics and Business Studies (EBS)

Educational Cooperation with Developing Countries (EDC)

Employability skills, graduate careers and international internships (EMPLOI)

International Relations Managers (IRM)

Languages for Intercultural Communication and Mobility (LICOM)

Management of Programmes in Lifelong Education (MOPILE)

Marketing and Recruitment (M&R)

Psychological Counselling in Higher Education (PSYCHE)

Study Abroad and Foreign Student Advisers (SAFSA)

Access & Inclusion in international higher education (ACCESS)

Health Internationalisation (HI)

International Alumni Relations (INTAL)

Internationalisation at Home (IaH)

Network of European Summer Schools (NESS)

Researchers in International Education (RIE)

EAIE Governance

The EAIE leadership consists of the President, Vice-President, Executive Director, Board and General Council. The Board (which includes the President and Vice-President) works to guide the future of the Association by monitoring the implementation of the strategy as determined by the General Council. The General Council is responsible for the long-term vision, budget and accounts of the organisation. Elections for positions on the EAIE leadership are held once every two years.

Members

References

Official website