Czech participation at NAFSA 2024 fostered growth of international partnerships

What did Czech universities gain from participating in the largest international education conference and fair in the world?

The 76th Annual NAFSA Conference & Expo, hosted by the Association of International Educators in New Orleans, Louisiana, May 28-31, attracted a total of 8,500 attendees, including university officials, educators, and other education professionals from around the world. This year, international attendees made up a record 47% of the total, which speaks volumes about the growing importance of NAFSA among international education authorities from various countries and regions.

As the largest of trio of global events focused on international education and internationalization, the NAFSA Conference & Expo, along with the Asian APAIE and the European EAIE, provides a unique networking opportunity. Pavel Matějka, Vice-Rector of the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, sees this as the event's greatest benefit: "It gives us the opportunity to meet and arrange meetings with many schools from different countries in one place, which leads to high efficiency."

A total of ten Czech universities presented their activities and established international cooperation at the national stand of the Study in Czechia initiative this year. Over the course of several days, the universities had the opportunity to hold personal consultations with dozens of strategic partners.

"This year we are focusing on strengthening existing partnerships with whom we share, for example, an application for a large project, or with partners we have been working with for a long time. So, our aim here was to meet them, get their feedback and see how we can develop our collaboration further. It turned out that many other universities are also interested in this kind of cooperation," said Mikuláš Josek of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague.

"This year's NAFSA is special not only because of the meetings with new and established partners, of which we have many and growing, but also because of the opportunity to be inspired by American universities with micro-credentials experience. This is a topic of great interest not only for Charles University but also for all Czech universities. We find inspiration from American universities that are ahead in this area very valuable," said Malvína Karas Hladká from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University.

Czech universities at NAFSA 2024:

• Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

• Charles University

• Masaryk University

• Brno University of Technology

• Palacký University Olomouc

• Czech Technical University in Prague

• University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague

• Prague University of Economics and Business

• Mendel University in Brno 

• University of Ostrava

The theme of this year's NAFSA, "Resilience, Renewal, Community," carried through the opening of the event. "Despite all the hardships and problems in the world, one thing is certain. When people come together to learn, live, and share, they are less likely to dehumanize one another. Rather than shying away from difficult or controversial topics, our goal is to provide people with the tools, resources, and skills to engage in discussions across differences," said Fanta Aw, NAFSA Executive Director and CEO, in her opening remarks.  

Strategic meetings and networking events

Our agenda at NAFSA included supporting links with Taiwanese academia, which began this January with online networking meetings for Czech and Taiwanese universities. Interest in Czech universities, science and research, known for its high-quality education system and strong emphasis on technology, engineering and mathematics, is growing in Taiwan. Together with the Taiwanese national agency FICHET, we therefore prepared a one-hour meeting at our stand, which was attended by representatives of 9 Czech and 12 Taiwanese universities. The Czech-Taiwanese partnership is also one of the priorities of the foreign policy of the Czech government, which politically supports efforts to intensify cooperation in research and science.

The conference also served as a platform for a meeting of G7 representatives and invited guests in preparation for the upcoming Summit on International Higher Education in Milan. Building on last year's meeting in Rome, discussions with representatives of the world's leading countries covered pressing issues such as globalization processes, the challenges of international education, links with business, and more.

Czech New Orleans-style reception attracted over 120 guests

Traditionally, the Conference & Expo program includes receptions hosted by individual countries, including the Czech one, which provide an opportunity to network with distinguished guests from various fields of education in an informal setting.

"We are meeting for the first time at the NAFSA conference in New Orleans, but we regularly participate in expos around the world to increase interest in Czech universities and studies in the Czechia. Through these efforts, we work hard to build community with our students, alumni, and researchers and to deepen cooperation with American universities," said Michal Uhl, Director of DZS, who welcomed more than 120 guests to the Czech reception, including Ambassador Miloslav Stasek of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, D.C.

The reception thus opened the door to further discussions on a deeper level. "Receptions are invaluable in that they allow us to meet new or potential partners, as well as other guests at the diplomatic, academic, regional or alumni level. In this way, it is possible to follow up on issues discussed, initiate dialogue with third parties, make important contacts and generally strengthen relations in an informal setting," concludes Pavel Matějka.

The Czech reception is also an ideal opportunity to strengthen the national Czech Alumni program. "We see a growing interest in attracting and retaining talent from abroad in various groups and sectors. It is therefore necessary to open up topics for possible cooperation and to make use of existing synergies. We are also increasingly focusing on this issue at the national level, where we are discussing the economic and intellectual potential of foreign students and alumni with other parties," adds Soňa Lippmann, Head of Communication and Analytical Division at DZS, about the need for strategic development of this channel of contacts.

The NAFSA 2024 Conference & Expo highlighted the importance of international cooperation and exchange of experiences for the development of universities. Through Czech participation, focusing mainly on establishing and strengthening strategic partnerships, and supporting dialogue in global forums, we promote internationalization and thus contribute to a knowledge-based economy. By implementing high-quality projects, mobilities, and further supporting organizations, including the Study in Czechia initiative, we continuously work on enhancing the attractiveness of Czechia as an ideal destination for study and research.