You can find the full agenda here, but we’ve highlighted a few of the things that are getting us excited below.
1. Trump v Harris – The US presidential election takes places place 14 days before the conference, but will we know who the winner is and will we have a settled government? The fallout, legal contests and civic divides will no doubt be the talk of the conference and our US policy panel will be unpicking all of the machinations. Main stage: 19 Nov, 10.15am – The election fall out: What next for US policy?
2. The Department of State view – as part of our policy panel, Anthony Koliha, director of global educational programs at the US Department of State will be joining us to give a fascinating perspective from within federal government on the country’s foreign policy.
3. The A-Z of English impact – colleagues from EnglishUSA will be joining the conference to discuss language pathways, testing and AI in the international education mix. From the impact of foreign language anxiety to ensuring justice and fairness in assessing English for admissions, we will be looking at how we can support this core pillar in a changing world. Workshop: 19 Nov, 12.30pm – The impact of Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) on student success.
4. Protests, police and politics – images of protesting students and academics being forcibly removed from campus by riot police shocked the world in 2024. As conflict grows in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and diversity and women’s rights are challenged on a domestic front – we will be putting international education through the acid test in a debate on protecting identity, diversity and safety on campus. Main stage: 19 Nov, 11.30am – Protests, police and politics – how do we manage conflict on campus?
We’re offering solutions-based workshops on crisis communications and staff burnout to help you cope with the unexpected
5. And what happens when things go wrong? We’re offering solutions-based workshops on crisis communications and staff burnout to help you cope with the unexpected. From choose-your-own-adventure style PR disaster scenarios to measuring the true cost of caring, this is professional development in action. Workshop: 19 Nov, 1.30pm – Crisis clinic: How to future-proof your marketing for crisis management.
6. How the UK found its voice – across the pond, the Brits narrowly escaped more restrictive edu-immigration policies by pulling the people, data and blueprint together to ensure the sector was singing from the same hymn sheet. What can we learn about unifying the voice of the sector for more singular lobbying for the value of international education? Main stage: 19 Nov, 4.15pm – Find out how the UK sector came together to find their voice.
7. Acronyms assemble! Building on the theme of collaboration – all the associations and private sector muscle are coming together in Boston to represent and listen to the sector – NAFSA, CBIE, AIRC, AIEA, DoS, ISEP, CAPA, OUI-IOHE, CAEI, ECCTIS, BUILA, NCUK, IELTS, GUS, OUP, QS, President’s Alliance, EducationUSA, EnglishUSA and Languages Canada all in the house.
8. The normal HE guys who love AI – every conference has a session on AI, usually a futurist view of how robots could take over the world. So, this time we’ve gone for a different approach. We’ve assembled a group of professionals working at universities that are just like you and me – but the difference is they are actively using AI tools to be more efficient (unlike me). From student engagement to careers advice – they are going to show us the AI shortcuts we can all use. Workshop: 20 Nov, 3.30pm – Live AI case studies from across #Intled.
9. Boston strong – who doesn’t love Boston in the fall? The beauty and welcoming atmosphere of possibly the world’s strongest student city will not be wasted on us. We’ve got a fun run through the leafy parks and plenty of dinner invites for the evening. Networking is a hugely important element of The PIE Live and you are invited to the party. Fun Run Boston: 7am with the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
10. We need to track careers (and we need your help) – the main question a prospective student asks when considering your institution is “What type of job will I get when I graduate?” We will be exploring the ground-breaking research being undertaken by Intead and NAFSA to quantify graduate career outcomes and salaries in the US. Organisations like the International Careers Collective and F1-Hire will also be joining the drive to get more institutions involved in recording this essential data. Workshop: 20 Nov, 2.30pm – Student Success + You: Unifying the Journey.
Visit The PIE Live North America site to book tickets, travel info and the ful agenda. See you in Boston!