From 27 May to 1 June 2012, the British Council USA’s higher education team supported the UK higher education presence at the NAFSA Annual Conference in Houston, TX, including an Education UK Pavilion in the Expo Hall. The NAFSA conference, which is seen as the world’s largest annual gathering focused on international education, brought together over 8,000 international educators from around the world, including representatives from 96 UK higher education institutions – the largest UK delegation at the NAFSA conference to date.  The UK had the third largest participation at the 2012 conference, behind only the US and Canada.

The British Council’s Education UK Pavilion housed 21 UK institutions, the UK Border Agency, and the British Council teams from the USA, Canada, and Hong Kong. As the largest pavilion at NAFSA 2012, Education UK facilitated the opportunity for universities on the pavilion to connect with an estimated 450 current and potential partner institutions from around the world. View pictures of the UK Pavilion: http://usa.britishcouncil.org/nafsa-2012.

To promote UK higher education with US stakeholders and showcase the role of the UK as a global authority on international education, the British Council planned numerous events within the Pavilion and beyond. The GREAT-campaign sponsored “Tea at Two” networking events drew over 300 individuals to the Education UK pavilion, including senior members of the Foreign Office. British Council Services for International Education Marketing staff conducted pre-advisory meetings throughout the week with over 65 UK universities looking to strengthen their networks in the North American market. 

Prior to the NAFSA conference opening, over 100 UK university representatives attended the British Council’s Strategic Market Briefing. In addition to updates on the US higher education market and BC USA education initiatives, Study Texas Chair Dr. Marilyn Robitaille presented on the state education system and international education across Texas.  Participants learned what the British Council USA offerings will be across the states for the next year through the new Services for International Education Marketing (SIEM) platform. Resources from the Strategic Market Briefing are available here: http://usa.britishcouncil.org/files/2012/06/SMB.pdf.

The British Council convened a Community College workshop with representatives from the US community college sector and UK higher education institutions. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss challenges and explore possibilities for collaboration between the two sectors. The meeting served as a starting point for continued dialogue about opportunities for collaboration between UK higher and further education institutions and US community colleges. The British Council will continue to facilitate this dialogue in coordination with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Community Colleges for International Development (CCID), and Association of Colleges (AOC).

In partnership with the UK Consul General in Houston the British Council also co-hosted a dinner for UK university representatives and members of the Houston business and education community. The event included a structured discussion on establishing and maintaining international partnerships in higher education and exploring current programmes to support linking with the UK both on bilateral and multilateral partnerships.

To navigate professional development opportunities outside the Expo Hall, the British Council Team vetted more than 200 sessions, workshops, and other events at the NAFSA Conference for its Pavilion members.  The Team also contributed to the following sessions during the conference -

Student Insight: What Makes a Top Study Destination
Thursday 31 May
2.00 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.

Using International Organizations to Help Fund and Build Sustainable International Partnerships
Friday 1 June
10.30 a.m. - 11.45 a.m.

Governmental Support for Internationalization at Home: Comparative Perspectives from Europe and Australia
Friday 1 June
1.45 p.m. - 2.45 p.m.