Global Up At | Intercultural Education in Action Beyond Mobility

Every year, the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo becomes more than an event for our team.

It is where conversations evolve into collaborations. Where educators, institutions, and partners come together around a shared purpose: preparing people to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

This year felt especially meaningful.

A few days after returning home from Orlando, we’re reflecting on the conversations, ideas, and partnerships that made NAFSA 2026 so meaningful.

Together, the teams from AFS Global Up, AFS Canada, and ALEI engaged in more than 500 conversations with educators, institutions, and partners from around the world. While the conference landscape continues to evolve, one message stood out:

Meaningful intercultural learning doesn’t happen by chance. It requires intentionality.

NAFSA 2026 By the Numbers

500+

Unique conversations

6,000+

International educators

3

AFS teams collaborating
(Global Up, Canada, ALEI)

What We Learned at NAFSA 2026

The conversations we had in Orlando reinforced a powerful idea: meaningful intercultural learning requires intentionality. Across 500+ conversations with educators and partners from around the world, five key themes emerged.

Global Learning for All

Global competence, intercultural learning, and internationalization are increasingly viewed as essential components of education, not opportunities reserved for a select few.

Access Through New Pathways

From virtual exchange to South-South collaboration, institutions are exploring new ways to make transformative global learning experiences more accessible.

Partnerships Create Possibilities

Many of the most promising ideas came from collaboration across institutions, sectors, and regions, reminding us that innovation rarely happens in isolation.

Curiosity Over Fear

In a changing and often uncertain world, international educators continue to model openness, dialogue, and a willingness to learn from different perspectives.

Community Matters

Beyond the sessions and presentations, NAFSA reminded us that relationships remain at the heart of our field. For many attendees, this global community feels less like a network and more like family.

5 Takeaways from NAFSA 2026 →

26% off. Inspired by NAFSA 2026.

A NAFSA 2026 Thank You Offer

The future of global learning depends on reaching more learners, across more disciplines, in more meaningful ways.

To help make that possible, we’re offering 26% off purchases of 100+ Global Up learner accounts through August 31, 2026.

Talk with Our Team About Your 26% Discount

Highlights from Orlando

Poster Presentation

Exploring how global competence can be developed across disciplines and learning environments.

GoAbroad Innovation Awards Finalist

Recognized in the Respectful Disruption Leadership for Virtual Exchange category.

4th Annual EA Happiest Hour

Creating space for authentic conversations and new connections.

Rainbow SIG

Celebrating inclusion, belonging, and community within international education.

AFS Alumni Connections

Reconnecting with alumni whose intercultural experiences continue to shape their careers and communities.

Why Do All Disciplines Need Global Competence Training?

Featured Resource: NAFSA 2026 Poster

Presented at NAFSA 2026, this poster explores how the AFS Global Up program helps learners develop global competence across academic disciplines and professional fields. Drawing on research-backed outcomes and institutional case studies, it highlights how global competence supports critical thinking, perspective-taking, collaboration, and other essential skills for today’s interconnected world.

Featuring examples from institutions such as the University of St. Thomas, the University of Central Oklahoma, Sinclair Community College, and Southern New Hampshire University, the poster demonstrates how global competence learning can be integrated into fields ranging from law and engineering to healthcare, workforce development, and faculty professional development.

Preview & Download the Poster

“Some of the most important learning happens through conversations, relationships, and the willingness to learn from one another.”

“Internationalization and global competence should not be opportunities for a few, but essential components of education for all.”

We believe global competence develops through intentional learning experiences.

Whether through virtual exchange, facilitated dialogue, study abroad preparation, or internationalization at home, meaningful intercultural encounters require thoughtful design and reflection.

NAFSA 2026 reinforced what we see every day:

Global learning is most powerful when it is intentional, inclusive, and accessible.

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NAFSA 2026: Reflections on Intentional Global Learning

Community. Conversations. Connections. Intentional Global Learning.