CIHE Newsletter - October 2026

CIHE Executive Committee Update

Greetings CIHE Community,

Happy October! I hope this message finds you well as we move through one of the busiest seasons of the academic year. October often seems to arrive with everything happening at once—teaching, advising, research deadlines, writing, meetings, conference preparation, and all the responsibilities we carry within and beyond our institutions. Amid this busy season, I hope each of you is finding moments to pause, reconnect, and take care of yourselves and one another.

As I write this message, I am also especially mindful of our international students and scholars, including many members of our CIHE community who are navigating continued uncertainty surrounding F-1 and J-1 visa policies and immigration regulations. For those whose ability to study, work, conduct research, build careers, and remain with their families in the United States is connected to their visa status, policy uncertainty is not simply an abstract political or legal issue. It can become deeply personal, affecting one's sense of stability, belonging, and hopes for the future.

During times like these, I am reminded of why communities such as CIHE matter. We may not always have immediate answers to the uncertainties surrounding us, but we can make sure that no one has to navigate them alone. We can listen. We can share resources and knowledge. We can check on our students and colleagues. We can create spaces where international scholars feel seen and supported. And perhaps most importantly, we can remind one another that we belong to a community that cares.

This spirit of community feels especially meaningful as we prepare to gather for the 51st Annual ASHE Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 2–6. I am incredibly excited that CIHE will offer so many opportunities for our community to come together this year: from our Virtual Pre-Conference Keynote on October 26 and in-person CIHE Pre-Conference on November 3, to our Global Symposium on solidarity and collective resilience, CIHE Business Meeting, reception, International Scholars Workshop Coffee Hour, and our first International Students/Scholars with Dependents Meet-Up.

These gatherings are more than events on a conference schedule. They are spaces for us to reconnect with old friends, welcome new members, exchange ideas, find mentors and collaborators, and simply spend time together as a community. I especially hope that those who are attending ASHE for the first time, international students and scholars who may be traveling to the conference on their own, and colleagues who may be going through particularly challenging seasons will find CIHE to be a place where you can walk into a room and know that you belong there.

One of the greatest strengths of CIHE has always been our people. Across countries, institutions, disciplines, career stages, and personal journeys, we share a commitment to understanding international higher education and to supporting the students, scholars, and communities at the heart of our work. In uncertain times, that commitment—and our care for one another—becomes even more important.

So, as we make our way through this busy October, please take good care of yourselves and those around you. I hope you find moments of encouragement amid the deadlines, moments of connection amid the busyness, and moments of hope amid uncertainty.

And very soon, many of us will finally be together in San Juan. I cannot wait to see you, hear how you have been doing, celebrate our community, and remind ourselves once again of something simple but powerful:

In uncertain times, we do not have to navigate uncertainty alone. We have each other. See you soon in Puerto Rico!

Warmly,

Katie Koo, PhD
Chair, Council on International Higher Education (CIHE)

2026 ASHE CIHE Conference Events

Oct 26 (Monday) 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm|Virtual

We are excited to welcome Dr. Philip G. Altbach and Dr. Hans de Wit as keynote speakers for the 2026 ASHE CIHE Pre-Conference. Together, they will offer a reflective and forward-looking conversation on the history, evolution, and future of international higher education, internationalization, and international students. 

CIHE Business Meeting at ASHE 2026
Nov 3 (Tuesday) 5:30 pm|Puerto Rico Convention Center 201AB

Join us to connect with CIHE members, hear updates, and learn more about our ongoing and upcoming initiatives. 

CIHE Global Symposium “Solidarity in Uncertain Times: Building Collective Resilience for International Scholars in an Era of Uncertainty”
Nov 3 (Tuesday) 4:00 pm|Puerto Rico Convention Center  201AB

Join us for a timely conversation on solidarity, collective resilience, and support for international scholars navigating uncertain times. 

CIHE International Scholars Workshop Coffee Hour
Nov 4th (Wednesday) 4:15-5:30 pm|Puerto Rico Convention Center 102C

Stop by for coffee and informal conversation with fellow international scholars and colleagues in the CIHE community. 

Korean Scholars Meeting 
 Nov 4 (Wednesday), 8:00–10:00 pm|Puerto Rico Convention Center, Room 203

Korean scholars attending ASHE are invited to connect, support one another, and build community through mentoring and networking. 

CIHE International Students/Scholars with Dependents Meet-Up
Nov 5 (Thursday) 7:30-8:30 am|Puerto Rico Convention Center, 1st Floor, 102C

This is our first event! Join us to connect with fellow international students and scholars navigating academic life abroad with their families and dependents! 

2026 Research and Discussion Webinars 

We will be offering a series of webinars in 2026 that will focus on relevant and critical issues within international higher education. This will be led by our ASHE CIHE members who will share their research and facilitate discussion among the participants.

[TBD] Supporting International Scholars Amid Recent F-1/J-1 Visa Changes 

CIHE is planning a webinar to support international students and scholars in navigating recent changes affecting F-1 and J-1 visa holders. The session will provide an opportunity to learn more about these developments, ask questions, and discuss their implications for our international education community. More details, including the date and speakers, will be shared soon. 

Join our roundtable sessions and plenary panel featuring outstanding scholars in our field! The sessions will explore career and research interests, needs, and goals. This is a wonderful opportunity to network, develop relationships, and strengthen your engagement within the ASHE–CIHE community.

If you are interested in sharing your research or have a topic that you are interested in learning more about for a future webinar, please e-mail Seyoung Hong at sehong@augusta.edu  

Other Professional Development and Academic Opportunities:

The Journal of Global Higher Education
The Journal of Global Higher Education is an open-access, independent, community-run, peer-reviewed scholarly journal focused on global higher education and the opportunities, issues, and challenges that international and global engagement presents. This journal is a key publication outlet for Research with International Students (RIS), and the Critical Internationalization Studies Network (CISN).  

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education (JCIHE) https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/jcihe/
JCIHE is the official journal of the Comparative and International Education Society’s (CIES) Higher Education Special Interest Group (HESIG). JCIHE promotes scholarship opportunities and critical dialogue to engage scholars worldwide. Send submissions to: https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/jcihe

Please see the call for the following Special Issues:

19(6) 2027: Transnational Pathways to Professoriate: Precarity and Promise for Women: Guest Editors: Al Dabiri and Gina Sarabella. This Issue examines transnational pathways for women teaching in academia, from graduate study to the first faculty appointment to senior positions. Proposals are DUE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2026

20(1) 2028: SPECIAL ISSUE: 20th Anniversary. JCIHE invites previously published authors to contribute a 500-1,000-word essay about how their previously published works are currently contributing to the field. Submissions are DUE: FEBRUARY 1, 2027

20(4): 2028 From Mobility to Employability: New Insights into Education-Work Transitions: Guest Editors: Armand Brice Kouadio & Lamia Ben Hamida. This special issue examines longer-term outcomes from education-work transitions and how international experiences shape workplace skills and sustain professional trajectories. Proposals are DUE: FEBRUARY 1, 2027

20(5) 2028: Crisis Response for Student Affairs & Services Globally: Guest Editors: Mary Ann Bodine Al-Sharif, Wadad Y. El-Housseini, Ekow Orleans De-Graft, Maisa Shadid, & Manal Ammagui. The special issue examines how crises management is conceptualized and addressed globally to support students. Proposals are DUE: DECEMBER 1, 2026

20(6) 2028: Reframing Internationalization in an Age of Populism: Community Engagement, Public Value, and Science Communication. Guest Editor: Jonah M. Otto & Melissa Brun. This special issue examines how higher education internationalization is being reshaped in contexts marked by populist, illiberal, and authoritarian political pressures. Proposals are DUE: APRIL 1, 2027

21(4): 2029 Comparative and International Higher Education in Africa. Special Guest Editor: Andrea Lane. This issue will focus on higher education in the continent of Africa. Proposals are DUE December 1, 2027.

EMERGING SCHOLARS Research Summaries Annual Issue: shares thesis/dissertation work-in-progress or original research in 1,200 - 1,600 words. Submissions are due late September for each year.

Submissions are DUE for 2027 on SEPTEMBER 30, 2026

Congratulations to Our New ASHE CIHE Executive Committee Members! 

Congratulations to our new Graduate Student Liaison,  Aisha Kanwal from NC State University, and Qin Xie from University of Minnesota. They will begin their tenure at the 2026 ASHE conference. Welcome on board!  

Aisha Kanwal
North Carolina State University
Graduate Student Liaison 

Qin Xie

Thank you Outgoing Committee Members!

HUGE thanks to our outgoing executive members listed below. You’ve made a big impact on the ASHE community the last few years. We hope you’ll stay involved in ASHE CIHE in other ways! 

Satomi Mitani

Seyoung Hong

Article Spotlight 

Sato, Y. (2026). Crossing Borders and Telling Stories: A Narrative Inquiry of Asian International Students’ Engagement in U.S. Racial Justice Activism. The Journal of Higher Education, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2026.2722487

This study explores how Asian international students navigate and make sense of racial justice activism in the United States, an area that remains largely overlooked in existing research. Drawing on International Student Critical Race Theory (IntlCrit) and narrative inquiry, the study highlights how students’ transnational experiences, campus relationships, immigration-related concerns, and institutional contexts shape their participation in racial justice efforts. The findings challenge assumptions of international students as politically passive and call attention to their racialized experiences, political agency, and the responsibility of universities to more meaningfully recognize and support their engagement in racial justice. 

Recent CIHE Member Publications 

Arumuhathas, S. S. (2026). Inclusions and illusions: Transnational matrix of subordination & the (in)visible hierarchies among racialized international students in Ontario universities. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1928

August-Mowers, C. M., & Hoffman, S. M. (2026). Decolonizing raciolinguistic ideologies in institutions of higher learning. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1907

Baker, I. D., & Hong, S. (2026). A college choice model for Chinese international undergraduate students studying in the US. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(2), 8–32.

Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A. (2026). Building a global consortium: How IASAS is working to promote a space for culturally responsive practitioner research in student affairs and services globally. In B. Perozzi, H. October, & J. Ward-Roof (Eds.), Global division publication: Vol. 1. Creating global community (pp. 133–135). NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Corso, A. R., Harshe, G., George Mwangi, C., & Yao, C. W. (2026). “It’s very racialized and very politicized”: International educators recount the campus and local climate for international students. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1910

Cui, D. (2026). Contradiction and critical consciousness: Engaging Canadian university students in racial dialogue on anti-Chinese racism. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1929

Denga, B., & Vital, L. M. (2026). Race, racism, and racialization in international higher education: A transnational and mobility-aware approach. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.2081

Edwards, B. C. (2026). Reimagining global DEI through adaptive leadership: A framework for advancing racial equity in international higher education partnerships. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.2048

Gong, H. J., Jin, S., & Babu, S. (2026). Holding a child, holding a dream: Asian international student mothers’ access to and navigation of doctoral education in the USA. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 1–16.

Greene, S., Hopkins, K., Whatley, M., & Yao, C. W. (2026). The prevalence and landscape of accent reduction programs at US institutions of higher education. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1912

Hou, M., Le, T. T. K., & Mushfiq, M. (2026). Intersecting identities of three Asian transnational women doctoral students: A critical collaborative autoethnography. Higher Education, 91(3), 1129–1144.

Ifeonu, P.-C. (2026). Resistance, rebuttal and risk: Exploring Black international students’ perceptions of racial justice organizing in Western Canada. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4).

Islam, M. B., Asakura, T., Islam, M. T., Amina, D., & Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A. (2026). National AI strategies and higher education in the Global South: Policy, practice, and power. In A. W. Wiseman (Ed.). Emerald Publishing.

Jha, G. (2026). Not quite foreign, never fully belonging: Racialization of southbound policy students in Taiwan. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1914

Jithoo, D., & Gilbrecht, A. (2026). Resurrecting anti-apartheid solidarity: Scholasticide, race, and the politics of internationalization in higher education. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/jcihe/vol18/iss4/7

Kim, S., Kim, H., Hong, S., & Paik, E. J. (2026). Experiences of culturally engaging advising among South Korean doctoral students: A collaborative autoethnography. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(2), 205–233.

Lynch, R. (2026). Nice White ladies: Exorcising the ghost of Lady Bountiful. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4).

Olson, T. H., Hong, S., & Renn, K. A. (2026). Training, trust, and terabytes: Absorptive capacity for data analytics at research universities. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 63(1), 73–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2025.2505852

Otto, J. M., Whatley, M., & Salto, D. J. (2026). The internationalization of for-profit higher education institutions in the United States: Seeking legitimacy and responding to market forces via international student mobility. Higher Education, 1–21.

Raby, R. (2026). Introduction to JCIHE 18(4 Part 1) 2026 issue Summer 2026 special issue race, racism, and racialization in the internationalization of higher education from global perspectives. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.2089

Sato, Y. (2026). Crossing Borders and Telling Stories: A Narrative Inquiry of Asian International Students’ Engagement in U.S. Racial Justice Activism. The Journal of Higher Education, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2026.2722487 

Shelton, L. J., Yao, C., Harshe, G., Nguyen, T., & Nti, R. (2026). From “student affairs? What’s that?” to graduate education in the United States. Journal of College Student Development, 67(3), 334–350.

Surender, V. B., Penna, S., & Osimosu, O. (2026). Shared equity leadership in an offshore medical school: Distributing responsibility for equity. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1976

Vital, L. M., Yu, J., & Denga, B. (2026). Introduction to JCIHE special issue 18(4a). Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.2082

Weng, Y.-H., Terogo, I. J., & Dahl, L. S. (2026). Inter(sectional)(national): Modeling belonging and campus climate among Asian international students’ identities. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1918

Whatley, M., & Kumbal, J. S. (2026). Exploring the relationship between international student enrollment at US higher education institutions and mass shootings. Journal of Studies in International Education, 30(2), 247–271.

Zaidi, S. A. N., & Cherian, F. V. (2026). Knowledge dilution and tinted pedagogical dissemination: A call for de-colonizing commercial textbooks in teacher education for international students. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1888

Zewolde, S. A. (2026). Old wine new bottles: Racial microaggressions experiences of Black African international students in England. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.64899/2151-0407.1909

Zheng, J. (2026). “Related to race but not equal to race”: An intersectional analysis of Asian international students’ sensemaking of racism. The Journal of Higher Education, 1–24.

Zheng, J., & Lue, K. (2026). Transnational racialization: An exploratory case study of Asian international students in U.S. higher education. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 18(4).