Maximizing Students' ROI: Global Experiences to Career-readiness

Thursday, March 20, 2025

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM US EST

Location: Dominion North, 2nd floor

Session Leader(s)

Liam Kelly (he/him/his)

CEO
CulturaGo
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Slides

Presenter(s)

Alexis Wren (she/her/hers)

President and Director of Programming
Costa Rica Global Learning Programs
Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Miranda Roberts

Director, International Programs in Engineering
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Mariam Raza

Associate Director, Global Initiatives and Partnership Development
Conestoga College
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

This session provides faculty, institutions, and program providers with strategies to ensure students gain the highest ROI from international experiences, particularly in soft skill and intercultural competence development linked to career readiness. A diverse panel representing STEM, study abroad, program provision, e-learning, and COIL will share practical insights and methodologies, with perspectives from Costa Rica, South Africa, and the USA.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will explore strategies to enhance the ROI of study abroad programs, specifically in terms of soft skill and intercultural competence development, and how to support students in recognizing and articulating how these skills contribute to their career readiness.
Participants will gain insights into practical frameworks that can be integrated into their programs to support students in maximizing the career-related benefits of their international experiences.
Participants will learn how to tailor these strategies to their specific roles and contexts, ensuring that they inspire students to recognize and articulate the career relevance of their global experiences.