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Hilary Kahn named inaugural member of National Academy for International Education

Apr 27, 2021

INDIANAPOLIS – An administrator, Bicentennial Professor and faculty member at IUPUI and Indiana University has been named an inaugural member of the first learned society dedicated to international education.

Hilary Kahn, associate vice chancellor for international affairs at IUPUI and associate vice president for international affairs at Indiana University, joins the National Academy for International Education.

The academy was established in March 2021 by the Institute of International Education. It recognizes outstanding individuals and distinguished leaders who shape and advance international higher education in ways that address global challenges and build a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable world.

Kahn is among only 23 individuals selected for the inaugural class, which represents educators from across the globe, including Australia, Canada, China, Ghana, Japan, Taiwan and the U.S. The academy acknowledges that international education requires international collaboration and is intentional in creating a diverse group of individuals who can effectively address the global challenges of racism, xenophobia and sexism within the field.

According to the Institute of International Education, members “represent the core tenets of the academy, including diversity of perspectives and a commitment to equity, collaboration and pushing the boundaries of knowledge.”

A dedicated leader in her field, Kahn serves on the executive committee of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Commission on International Initiatives and is past president of the Association of International Education Administrators. She has been the principal investigator for dozens of successful grants, including a current collaboration between IUPUI and Ivy Tech Community College that internationalizes the first-year experiences at both institutions.

At IU Bloomington, Kahn was assistant dean for international education and global initiatives, director of the Center for the Study of Global Change and director of the Ph.D. minor in global studies at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. She is also an editor for the “Framing the Global” book series with IU Press and author of four books as well as multiple articles and chapters.

Kahn’s areas of research and expertise include global teaching and learning, visual anthropology, global studies, transnational identities, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the internationalization of higher education. She has used virtual technology to co-teach students in Macedonia, Indonesia and Russia, as well as led an international service-learning program in Bluefields, Jamaica. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University at Buffalo.

“Hilary’s dedication to global engagement and comprehensive internationalization is truly inspiring,” said Hannah Buxbaum, vice president for international affairs. “This recognition of her work and remarkable expertise is so well earned. And the fact that IU has multiple affiliated members in the academy further solidifies the university’s role as a preeminent leader and innovator in the field.”

Additional members of the National Academy for International Education include Susan Buck Sutton, a retired faculty member and administrator at IU and IUPUI; Dawn Michele Whitehead, a former member of the IUPUI Office of International Affairs and current member of the IU Alumni Association’s Board of Managers; and Cheryl Matherly, an IU Bloomington alumna.

Members of the academy will dedicate this first year to further establishing its organizational structure and have already introduced collaborative projects under the theme of “Reducing Inequalities in and through International Education.”

Established in 1919, the Institute of International Education is a global not-for-profit that creates and implements international education programs, conducts research, and provides life-changing opportunities for students and scholars worldwide. The institute collaborates with a range of corporate, government and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training and leadership development programs. It has a network of 17 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,450 member institutions.

 

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