2024 IES Abroad Annual Conference Recap

From October 16-18th, study abroad professionals from around the globe came to Chicago for the 2024 IES Abroad Annual Conference hosted at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel. This year's Conference was an experience that moved, inspired, and reconnected attendees, setting the tone for the future of study abroad. 

It was a powerful few days, packed with meaningful discussions, unforgettable experiences in Chicago, and thought-provoking presentations. It was wonderful meeting new colleagues from around the world while reconnecting with long-time friends and educational partners who help make our mission possible to provide access to life-changing study abroad programs.

If you weren't able to join us, here's a recap of everything that took place at this year's Annual Conference.

Let's just say that this wasn't just an event, it was an experience! 
 

Top 10 Conference Highlights

1. Our Annual Dinner took place at the world renowned Field Museum! Our guests had the opportunity to immerse in an upscale dinner and experience the wonders of the museum with exclusive after-hours access to incredible exhibits like the beloved Sue the T. Rex!

   
2. We held our 10th Annual Study Abroad Film Festival at VenueSIX10 in downtown Chicago on Thursday, October 17th, all in benefit of IES Abroad scholarships. The night was truly magical... read more below to see awesome photos from the night and find out which student took home the Grand Prize Win!
3. We heard from critically acclaimed plenary speaker Matika Wilbur who so gracefully highlighted her exceptional work visiting more than 300 tribal nations across 40 U.S. states where she captured incredible stories along the way. Hear more details about her captivating presentation below.
4. Another esteemed plenary speaker, Dr. Rahul Sharma alongside the award-winning music group, Funkadesi, involved an interactive music session where our attendees got groovy and we could feel the energy in the room! Read more below about how this unique plenary ties music to inclusivity and global connectivity.

5. We hosted our very first pre-Conference DiscoverIES, which included a Pilsen Neighborhood Food Tour and a Gangster Tour of Chicago. This was an opportunity for attendees to discover a little more about Chicago just like a study abroad student would. Immersive experiences to learn about the culture and history of a place might just be our favorite thing!
    

   

6. Visionary leaders from our partner schools were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Professional Development Award, and Volunteer of the Year Award. And, we recognized outstanding faculty and staff for Excellence in Teaching, Faculty Innovation, and the Global Good Staff Service. Keep reading to see the recipients!

   
7. The Center Expo was an opportunity for guests to meet our Center Directors and learn more about the 140+ study abroad programs we offer. Plus, we held our first Poster Session!

8. We tuned in to expert-led sessions from our colleagues around the world and discussed a wide range of key topics in International Education.
    

   
9. We introduced a brand new Conference app! The CVENT Events app allowed attendees to have easy access to all the Conference information in the palm of their hand.
10. For the second year, we hosted our Conference at the LEED-Certified Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel and it was just as incredible as we remembered!

Over the course of three days, guests attended Concurrent Sessions, which covered captivating topics with tangible takeaways, led by subject matter experts including IES Abroad U.S. staff and Center staff, as well as many of our colleagues from our partner universities.

19 sessions took place over the course of the Conference, diving into notable themes including:

• Recruiting and Supporting Queer Students Studying Abroad
• Increasing Student Access to Academic Global Internships
• Financial Models for Increasing Accessibility for Global Learning Opportunities
• Education for Sustainable Development
• Understanding and Adapting to Evolving Student Needs
• Case Studies in Managing Student Mental Health Abroad

The list goes on, and we're blown away by the engaging presentations that evoked meaningful discussions and offered valuable takeaways across a range of topics relevant to the field. 

Changing the Way We See Native America with Matika Wilbur

Our guests had the privilege of experiencing the perspective of Matika Wilbur. From the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes, she is a renowned National Geographic photographer, NYT best-selling author, keynote speaker, filmmaker, and podcast host. 

During her plenary, she shared photos and stories from her NYT best-selling book, "Project 562," which brought her to over 300 tribal nations across the U.S. where she took thousands of portraits and collected hundreds of contemporary narratives from the breadth of Indian Country. 

She highlighted the importance of challenging stereotypes to transform narratives and capture diverse Native American voices, histories, and identities that will counteract mainstream misconceptions, particularly in the media. She emphasized the importance of authentic storytelling by not only honoring Native cultures but also seeing Native Americans as they are today. Her presentation moved many of our attendees to tears as she reinforced themes of representation, inclusivity, authentic storytelling, and perseverance.

A Sonic Embodiment of Wellness & Self-Care: Multicultural Rhythms, Reflection & Dialogue with Dr. Rahul Sharma and Funkadesi

Attendees also had the unique immersive experience with drumming and movement and hearing from Dr. Rahul Sharma, a consultant, psychologist, musician, and keynote speaker renowned for his expertise in diversity, social justice, emotional intelligence, leadership, and wellness. 

As the bassist and sitarist for the award-winning intercultural music group Funkadesi, Dr. Sharma and his band not only performed but invited guests to join in, creating a lively, hands-on experience. Together, they explored global rhythms in a collaborative drumming session, which set the stage for Dr. Sharma’s reflective discussion on how music can bridge cultural differences and connect us to shared values.

Attendees immersed in rhythms and sounds from around the world and mirrored diverse beats, and we witnessed firsthand how intercultural music fosters harmony and global connectedness. Dr. Sharma then conducted a values exercise, encouraging everyone to identify their core values and sparking discussions on how the shared musical experience can deepen our connection to these values and to each other. It was a powerful presentation and we certainly felt the energy in the room.

Partner Awards & Center Awards

During the Conference, three leaders in global education from our partner universities were recognized for their extraordinary contributions to IES Abroad and the study abroad field at large. We are incredibly grateful to work with dedicated professionals like the three listed below who help make our mission possible:

🏆Volunteer of the Year: Kline Harrison | Wake Forest University

🏆Lifetime Achievement Award: ‘Dimeji Togunde | Spelman College

🏆Professional Development Award: Kevin Sullivan | Case Western Reserve University

Learn more about the Partner Awards
 

In addition to our valued partners, we were ecstatic to honor IES Abroad Center staff and faculty who advance our ideals of academic excellence, embrace curricular innovation, model global citizenship, and create life-changing experiences both inside and out of the classroom for our students. Their passion and leadership inspire both colleagues and students alike, paving the way for the future of study abroad.

🏆Award for Excellence in Teaching: Laura Vázquez Tavares | IES Abroad Barcelona Faculty

🏆Faculty Innovation Award: Federico Della Bella | IES Abroad Milan Faculty

🏆Global Good Staff Service Award: Ángela Schaaf | Associate Director and Academic Director | IES Abroad Santiago

Learn more about the Center Awards

For the first time ever, our 2024 Film Festival was completely SOLD OUT with 400+ guests in attendance, including a special attendance from five of the previous Film Festival Winners, IES Abroad staff and Center Directors, Board Members, school partners, friends of IES Abroad, and study abroad lovers from around the world. 

The films made us laugh, brought us to tears, and made us feel all the emotions that capture the study abroad experience. Plus, we kicked the night off with a mini documentary highlighting the magic of the Film Festival over the last decade.

Connor Sorg took home the Grand Prize for his film "The Journey is the Dream." He received the $1,500 Grand Prize, an all-expenses-paid trip to Vienna for next year's Film Festival, and secured the $5,000 IES Abroad Barbara Bobrich Annual scholarship for a future University of Wisconsin- Madison study abroad student in financial need, made possible by a $600,000 donation by the late Barbara Bobrich.

To date, the IES Abroad Film Festival has officially raised more than $1 million for IES Abroad programs and scholarships! 

Amy Ruhter McMillan, Senior Associate Vice President of Marketing and Founder of the IES Abroad Study Abroad Film Festival, was honored with the Standing Ovation Award for being the visionary behind the event and the founder of the Study Abroad Film Festival.

Read More About the Festival

Thank you to everyone who traveled from near and far to attend the Conference, and to everyone who helped make this experience a reality. 

Join us for next year's Conference in Vienna, where we'll be celebrating IES Abroad's 75th Anniversary! In honor of this huge milestone, we're taking our Conference internationally for the first time ever and going back to our roots where it all started in 1950.

Save the date and join us October 15-17th, 2025 at the Hilton Vienna Park Hotel in Vienna, Austria for the 2025 IES Abroad Annual Conference. Get ready for another three days of learning, sharing, and being re-energized to serve your study abroad students. We're looking forward to hearing about your professional experience and newfound research in 2025 when we call for proposals. Details forthcoming.

For updates on what IES Abroad is doing between conferences, check out our news and announcements. For any inquiries, please email us at annualconference@IESabroad.org.