Each year, the EAIE Awards recognise exceptional contributions to international education. As one of the highest honours in the EAIE community, the awards celebrate individuals and organisations whose work inspires progress, drives innovation and creates lasting impact.
As the EAIE Awards enter a new chapter with a streamlined structure, we remain committed to recognising remarkable contributions to international education. New award recipients will be announced at the Annual EAIE Conference each September. Explore the achievements of past winners and join us in celebrating those whose work continues to make a lasting impact.
Meet the 2026 winners
In 2026, we proudly acknowledge two outstanding contributors to international education. Scholars at Risk received the Excellence in Internationalisation Award, and Professor Sir Steve Smith was recognised with the Vision and Leadership Award for his enduring impact on the field.
Scholars at Risk
SAR works closely with scholars and practitioners worldwide facing a variety of academic freedom and human rights violations. This includes everyone from professors to human rights advocates who are threatened by general conditions of conflict or unrest, or specifically targeted because of the content of their work, their professional status, and/or their exercise of human rights belonging to all persons. The SAR network comprises 600+ institutions in 45+ countries worldwide, including universities, academic associations, non-governmental organisations, and education unions committed to protecting scholars and promoting academic freedom.
Scholars at Risk received the 2026 Excellence in Internationalisation Award in recognition of its 25 years of extraordinary and sustained contributions to protecting scholars and defending academic freedom worldwide.
Sir Steve Smith
Professor Sir Steve Smith was appointed as the UK Government International Education Champion in June 2020, a role aimed at boosting global education partnerships. In October 2020, he was also appointed as the UK Government Special Representative to Saudi Arabia. His reappointment to both roles was confirmed in 2024. In January 2026, he was additionally appointed as the Special Advisor to the Government of the Republic of Indonesia on UK-Indonesia International Education Cooperation. He holds a BSc, an MSc, and a PhD in International Relations from the University of Southampton. He served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter and held various prominent positions in the UK education sector, including as the President of Universities UK (UUK) and the Chair of the UCAS Board.
Sir Steve Smith received the 2026 Vision and Leadership Award in recognition of his exceptional and sustained leadership in advancing transnational education and his lasting impact across institutions, national systems and global partnerships.
History of the EAIE Awards
Since its initial inception in 2003, the EAIE Awards have recognised outstanding achievements in the field of international education, representing a diverse array of honours that have evolved and diversified over the years.
Award for Excellence in Internationalisation
The Excellence in Internationalisation Award recognises institutions and organisations reshaping international education with innovative, inclusive and high‑impact solutions.
FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences
FH JOANNEUM is a modern University of Applied Sciences in Styria, Austria, with campuses in Graz, Kapfenberg, and Bad Gleichenberg. Founded in 1995, it has grown to become one of Austria's leading universities, known for its innovative, practice-oriented education focusing on sustainability, innovation, and social responsibility. Home to 5,000 students from 80 countries, FH JOANNEUM offers bachelor's and master's programs in Applied Computer Sciences, Engineering, Management, Media & Design, Health, and Building, Energy & Society.
The university emphasises a strong connection between theoretical knowledge and practical application through internships, projects and close cooperation with industry partners. Its numerous research centres and projects address real-world challenges, driving technological and societal progress. For nearly 30 years, FH JOANNEUM has continuously expanded its international activities, becoming a leader in internationalisation, student and staff mobility, and international projects among Austrian universities of applied sciences. Its degree programmes are designed to meet global social and technological challenges, emphasizing key competencies and professional skills. Cultural diversity and international perspectives are integral to the university's educational model.
In 2018, FH JOANNEUM was listed as a ‘Place of Respect’ in Austria for its 'Refugees on the run - FH JOANNEUM helps' initiative, which supports people fleeing persecution and violence. Since 2023, FH JOANNEUM has been a member of the European University Alliance EU4DUAL and has received the Austrian Erasmus+ Award several times, most recently in 2023, for excellence in international cooperation and mobility.
FH JOANNEUM receives the 2024 EAIE Award for Excellence in Internationalisation for its holistic approach to internationalisation, which focused on their diverse student community and creating meaningful and impactful experiences through their innovative initiatives. Join FH JOANNEUM’s session, Internationalise Yourself! Tips and Tricks for a Global Mindset at this year's EAIE Conference in Toulouse. During this session, they will reveal some of the secrets behind their innovative approach to internationalisation. Join them on Thursday, 19 September, from 09:30 to 10:30 in the plenary hall.
Winning the EAIE Award for Excellence in Internationalisation highlights FH JOANNEUM's commitment to internationalisation and innovative education.
Newcastle University
A Global Top 110 university (QS World University Rankings 2024), Newcastle University is home to 29,000 students from 140 countries. A founding member of the Russell Group, the university traces its origins back to the School of Medicine and Surgery, which was established in 1834. Its Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering recently marked 150 years of invention and innovation.
Today, the university combines world-leading research with a world-class academic experience. A global leader in the key research strengths of ageing and health, data, energy, cities, culture and creative arts, and one planet, it is pioneering solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the world.
Dedicated to nurturing an internationally networked and diverse community of students, Newcastle University received 5-QS Star 2023 credentials in both inclusiveness and internationalisation. It holds proud status as a University of Sanctuary, promoting a campus and community-wide culture of welcome, engagement and safety for people fleeing persecution and violence.
Newcastle University were one of the first universities to sign up to the UK Government’s Emissions Reduction Pledge and are working to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.
Newcastle University received the 2023 EAIE Award for Excellence in Internationalisation for the way it has connected internationalisation with sustainability and inclusivity. The university has implemented multidimensional opportunities and initiatives with the goal of utilising its knowledge and people to help tackle the challenges that affect society.
Masaryk University
Established in 1919, with almost 37 000 students and approximately 1300 fields of study, Masaryk University is a dynamic, modern, student and research-orientated university based in Brno, Czech Republic.
In addition to its systematic emphasis on internationalisation of the curriculum, research with international partners, expansion of inbound and outbound mobility and hiring of international staff and lecturers, Masarysk University is also a core member of the EDUC alliance. This comprehensive focus on internationalisation underpins the MUNI HELPS centre, originally established in response to COVID-19. During the pandemic, MUNI HELPS coordinated volunteer work at hospitals, on crisis hotlines and in nursing homes, but also focused on everyday needs like childcare and tutoring children, helping people with shopping, and delivering medicine and masks. More recently, when the Russian government invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the centre pivoted to focus on helping Ukrainian refugees by disseminating information about vacancies for Ukrainians and scholarships for Ukrainian students, as well as interpreting services and a crisis hotline for psychological assistance.
Masaryk University received the 2022 EAIE Award for Excellence in Internationalisation for the work done by its MUNI HELPS volunteer centre.
University of Pécs
The University of Pécs, the oldest university in Hungary, was founded in 1367. Today it is one of the largest institutions of higher education in the country, offering a wide range of courses for 20,000 students in 500 different programmes of study. The university embraces a unique range of academic fields in its 10 faculties, has an international reputation for quality research and teaching, and places internationalisation high on its list of priorities.
The University of Pécs was awarded withe the EAIE Award for Excellence in Internationalisation in 2021 in recognition to its resilient attitude and innovative reorganisation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Pécs developed an impressive range of new short-term virtual mobility programmes such as a virtual global internship programme, a COIL project, online summer and winter schools and a career launch strategy training for all students.
Palacký University Olomouc
Palacký University Olomouc is the second oldest university in the Czech Republic, educating scholars since the 16th century. A home to roughly 23,000 students from all over the world, Olomouc is known as the ‘Oxford of the Czech Republic’.
The University is one of the top Czech universities and also ranks highly on international rankings. Its eight faculties provide more than 330 study programmes in amongst others arts and humanities, natural sciences, medicine, and health sciences. Key research activities are directed towards translational medicine, biomedicine, biotechnology and advanced technologies.
The University actively supports internationalisation of educational and research environments, as well as the international mobility of students, academics and researchers. Particular attention is paid to the development of international strategic partnerships. It is active in the Erasmus+ programme, both in mobility actions (Erasmus Mundus JMDs) and in cooperation projects.
Palacký University Olomouc received the receiving the EAIE Award for Excellence in Internationalisation in 2019 for its rapid development in recent years, taking internationalisation to the next level with an innovative approach that has focused on mobility as well as creating strong research links.
Award for Vision and Leadership
This award honours individuals and organisations whose outstanding leadership sparks new ideas, drives strategic innovation and reimagines the future of global higher education.
Simon Marginson
Simon Marginson is Professor of Higher Education at the University of Oxford and Joint Editor-in-Chief of Higher Education. He is also an Honorary Professor at Tsinghua University in China, a Professorial Associate of the University of Melbourne, a Fellow of the British Academy, the Academy of Social Sciences in UK and of the Society for Research into Higher Education, and a member of Academia Europaea. He formerly worked at Monash and Melbourne universities in Australia and at UCL Institute of Education in London, and from 2015-2024 was Director of the ESRC Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE).
In 2014 Simon was the Clark Kerr Lecturer on Higher Education at the University of California, Berkeley, and received the Research Achievement Award at the US Association for the Study of Higher Education. He has advisory functions at Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (the Academic Ranking of World Universities), the University of Tokyo, Lingnan University in Hong Kong, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the National University of Chile. Simon’s scholarship is widely published and cited (Google h-index 85). His research is focused primarily on global, international and comparative higher education, global science, higher education in East Asia, and the contributions of higher education to public and common good, including social equality.
Simon received the 2024 EAIE Award for Vision and Leadership for his exceptional contributions and leadership in fostering global dialogue on a wide range of issues in the field of international higher education (IHE), as well as his decade-long leadership in founding and leading the ESRC Centre for Global Higher Education.
Ligia Deca
Ligia Deca is the Minister of Education of Romania. Before ascending to this role in 2022, she served as Presidential Adviser for Education and Research. She is also a member of the Fulbright Commission Board of Directors in Romania.
Ligia co-led ‘Action Track 3: Teachers, Teaching and the Teaching Profession’ within the framework of the 2022 United Nations Transforming Education Summit and since June 2023 was co-opted by the UN Secretary General as a member of the High-level Panel on the Teaching Profession. Between 2010-2012, she was head of the Bologna Secretariat, supporting the Bologna Follow-Up Group within the frame of the European Higher Education Area.
Ligia has worked as an expert for the Council of Europe, European Commission, EQAR, DAAD and others and in 2014 she was invited to be a member of the ‘Science in Education’ Expert Group set-up by the European Commission. From 2008 to 2010, she was the President of the European Students’ Union. Ligia holds a PhD in Political Science, awarded by the University of Luxembourg in 2016 for her research focusing on the internationalisation of higher education.
Ligia Deca received 2023 EAIE Award for Vision and Leadership for her remarkable achievements and contributions to international education throughout her career.
Higher Education sector of Ukraine
The Higher Education sector of Ukraine is receiving the 2022 EAIE Award for Vision and Leadership in recognition of the continued courage, resilience and focus shown by all Ukrainian institutions to internationalise this year.
With this award, the EAIE aims to recognise and applaud the outstanding fortitude and resilience displayed by Ukrainian higher education institutions throughout the Russian government invasion and the conflict that continues to claim lives every day in Ukraine. Ukrainian universities and other actors in the education sector have banded together to continue providing higher education to Ukrainians during the conflict, in addition to both providing humanitarian support to their communities and maintaining their connections to the international community through partnerships and mobility programmes.
Vivienne Stern
Vivienne is the Director of Universities UK International (UUKi) which represents UK universities around the world and works to enable them to flourish internationally. Vivienne has over 20 years’ experience of working in higher education policy and politics at national and international level. Prior to her role in UUKi, Vivienne was Head of Political Affairs at Universities UK, and led the sector’s response to several major pieces of legislation relating to universities. Before that, she worked for the Chair of the House of Commons Education Select Committee, and as a policy specialist working on topics including quality, student experience, innovation and university-business links. She is a member of several Boards and advisory committees, including the Education Sector Advisory Group of the Department for Education /Department for International Trade; the Board of UKRI’s Fund for International Collaboration; the British Council’s Higher Education Advisory Group. She is also a Board member of the Council for British International Schools. She is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, where she studied English Literature.
Vivienne received the EAIE Award for Vision and Leadership in 2021 in recognition of her work to support continued internationalisation throughout the changing education landscape associated with Brexit. Her tireless work to negotiate and secure the unilateral Turing Scheme was an exceptional achievement for all those working in international higher education in the UK and beyond.
Sjur Bergan
Sjur Bergan is Head of the Council of Europe’s Education Department. His work at the Council focuses on projects and recommendations on the purposes, values and democratic mission of higher education. Sjur is a member of the Bologna Follow-Up Group and Board and has chaired working groups that were involved in the implementation of structural education reforms. A prolific writer and expert on education, his bibliography is extensive. He is a main author of the ‘Lisbon Recognition Convention’ as well as of recommendations on public responsibility; academic freedom and institutional autonomy; and quality education. Sjur is series editor of the Council of Europe Higher Education Series and the author of Qualifications: Introduction to a Concept and Not by Bread Alone. He was also one of the editors of the Raabe Handbook on Leadership and Governance in Higher Education and coordinated sessions on the future of the European Higher Education Area at two of the Bologna Researchers’ Conferences.
Sjur received the EAIE Award for Vision and Leadership in 2019 for his crucial role in the Bologna Process, the Lisbon Recognition Convention and the European Qualification Passport for Refugees. His career is an inspiring example of how structural reforms can reflect core higher education values of inclusion and academic freedom.
President's Award
The President’s Award is awarded by the current EAIE President to an individual or group, in recognition of above-and-beyond contributions to the field.
Allan E. Goodman
Dr. Allan E. Goodman is President Emeritus of the Institute of International Education. Dr. Goodman was Executive Dean of the School of Foreign Service and Professor at Georgetown University. Prior to Georgetown, he served at the Department of State’s Policy Planning Council and as Presidential Briefing Coordinator for the Director of Central Intelligence in the Carter Administration. He is the author of books on international affairs published by Harvard, Princeton and Yale University presses and is currently working on his 20th book, "American Odyssey: The Past, Present, and Future of a Nation’s Embrace of International Education and Exchange."
He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the selection committee for Schwarzman Scholars, the Quad Fellowships, and chairs the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee for Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and serves as a Jury Member for the Yidan Prize in Education Research and Development. Dr. Goodman acts as an international advisor to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Education Above All Foundation, International Law Institute, and CMKL University, and the Advisory Board of the Pershing Square-Shon prize for young cancer researchers.
Dr. Goodman has a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard, an M.P.A. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government and a B.S. from Northwestern University. He is the recipient of 17 honorary degrees, the Légion d’honneur from France, the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, the Federal Cross of Merit of Germany, the inaugural Gilbert Medal for Internationalisation of Universitas 21, and the Adams award from the International Association of University Presidents.
Allan receives the 2025 President’s Award in recognition of his outstanding and influential contributions to the international education sector worldwide, spanning a decades-long career and 28 years of leadership at the helm of the IIE.
Vanessa Debiais-Sainton
Vanessa Debiais-Sainton is Head of the Unit in charge of European higher education policies and programmes at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. She leads the European Education Area's higher education initiatives, including the European Strategy for Universities. Her responsibilities encompass the creation and implementation of key flagship initiatives such as the ‘European Universities’ alliances involving more than 560 higher education institutions, a European degree, and the European student card initiative. She has spearheaded numerous higher education advancements, introducing a European approach to micro-credentials, a European quality assurance and recognition system, automatic recognition of qualifications, graduate tracking, and attractive and sustainable careers in higher education. Her unit supports these policies by managing the higher education strand of Erasmus+, facilitating exchanges for approximately 400,000 students and staff annually.
Previously, Vanessa contributed to DG Research and Innovation, where she designed, negotiated, and launched the European Industrial Doctorate. Prior to joining the European Commission in 2006, Vanessa had an illustrious career as a chemical engineer with eight years of innovation in the chemical industry. With 26 years of experience spanning the knowledge triangle's three components, she brings a wealth of leadership and expertise to her role.
Vanessa received the 2024 President’s Award from Piet Van Hove in recognition of her outstanding and important work on EU policies and actions on higher education in general, and more specifically on the European Universities Initiative.
Winning the EAIE President's Award celebrates Europe's higher education sector, poised for deeper cooperation to lead the digital and green transition.
Leonard Engel
Leonard Engel was Executive Director of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) from 2010 to 2024. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the Dutch School of Public Administration (NSOB), The Hague, and an MA in Literature from Leiden University, the Netherlands. Leonard is an experienced manager in higher education and a specialist in internationalisation and student affairs, having worked as a director at Leiden University from 1995 to 2010. His areas of specialisation are cooperation theory and relations between Dutch and Chinese higher education. Leonard is invited regularly to speak about international higher education, as well as Association management. Leonard received the 2023 President's Award from Piet Van Hove in recognition of his service and commitment to the EAIE and wider international education community. Since joining the EAIE 2010, he has guided the Association to new levels of professionalisation and led EAIE’s commitment to operational excellence.
CANIE Initiative
CANIE is a volunteer grassroots initiative formed by international education practitioners from around the world who see the need for our sector to step up and act on climate. CANIE advocates for more climate-friendly policy, provides events and resources to educate our sector, and serves as a platform to bring people together. Major current initiatives include the CANIE Accord, a shared commitment to climate action aligned with scientific recommendations and international climate agreements, and the Travel with CANIE project encouraging more sustainable forms of travel.
The EAIE is proud to be one of the first signatories of the CANIE Accord, which charts concrete actions we can take to strengthen and accelerate our sector’s response to the climate crisis.
CANIE received the 2022 President’s Award by the current EAIE, Michelle Steward, in recognition of its outstanding work to address the climate crisis. According to Michelle, "The EAIE has, for many years, taking a pro-active approach to addressing the climate crisis. The CANIE Accord offers all organisations a roadmap, a way to tailor a response to the issues we face. The President’s Award will, I hope, help raise awareness of the Accord and encourage others to sign up."
Kimmo Kuortti
Kimmo Kuortti is Head of Global Education Solutions at Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Finland. He is a Steering group member in the EAIE Expert Community Marketing and Recruitment. Kimmo was the director of international relations, lecturer, and director of student recruitment at the university. He has expertise in project management, programme coordination and support services, and cooperation for development – especially in Namibia. His specialities are also staffing, budgeting, human resources, team leadership, teaching and coaching. He graduated from University of Oulu with a Master’s of Arts degree.
Kimmo was honoured with the 2021 EAIE President's Award by the President at the time, Michelle Stewart in recognition of his tremendous work was an EAIE advocate.
SUCTI Project
The Systemic University Change Towards Internationalisation (SUCTI) project was a three-year initiative approved for funding under the European Commission’s Erasmus+ – KA2 Strategic Partnerships for higher education. It was coordinated by Rovira i Virgili University (URV) in Tarragona, Spain.
The project aims at empowering administrative staff by providing them with knowledge and skills related to their university’s internationalisation process. Administrative staff represent the backbone of universities, and if they are convinced of the importance and added value of internationalisation, they can become genuine change agents. In this way, they can make a key contribution to the overall objective of the project which is to transform the internal mind-set of universities and enable them to become truly internationalised institutions. The SUCTI project manages to examine myths and explain efforts in the everyday work of administrative staff working in the international arena: a truly excellent example for comprehensive internationalisation.
The SUCTI project was honoured with the 2019 EAIE President's award by the President at the time, Sabine Pendl, for its inclusive approach to comprehensive internationalisation.
Jos Beelen
Jos Beelen is a Professor of Global Learning at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands, as well as a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Global Learning at Coventry University in England. He has facilitated workshops and coached academic staff in internationalising academic programmes at universities in the Netherlands and across Europe, as well as in Colombia, Brazil, South Africa and Australia. He edited the EAIE’s Toolkit publication Implementing Internationalisation at Home (2007) and has since written a range of articles on the same topic, often co-authored with researchers from Europe and Australia. Jos is currently researching the internationalisation of learning outcomes in academic programmes, focusing on developing the skills that enable academic staff to assume ownership of curriculum internationalisation. In addition to being an EAIE senior trainer, he was a member of the EAIE Publications Committee.
Jos was honoured with the 2018 President's award by the President at the time, Sabine Pendl in recognition for his productive commitment to the Association. Since 2024, Jos has been a member of the EAIE Thematic Committee Research on internationalisation.
Duleep Deosthale
Duleep ‘D2' Deosthale is the Co-Founder and Vice President of Silicon Valley based (California) Admission Table, the world’s first Artificial Intelligence based university admission counselling. He received his PhD from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), a Master’s degree from Indiana State University in Indiana (USA), a diploma from the University of Barcelona, Spain and both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India. Duleep has been in the profession since 1991, having served as Associate Professor & Dean of International Programs at Marist College (New York); Professor and Dean of Business and Humanities at Manipal International University in Kuala Lumpur; Vice-President for International Education at the Manipal Group of universities, and Assistant Professor and Director for International Programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. He has served on the EAIE Expert Community Strategy and Management and the EAIE Conference Programme Committee (CPC.)
Duleep was honoured with the 2016 President's award by the President at the time, Markus Laitinen for his remarkable service over the years.
Herman de Leeuw
Herman de Leeuw works for DUO, the Education Executive Agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, as Secretary to the Groningen Declaration Network. Having begun his career as an antiquarian bookseller and bibliographer, Hermans’s work with handwritten and printed book materials led to an interest in manuscript transmission and the next step in his career, when he introduced the concept of document examination as a necessary part of educational credential evaluation. Herman has shared his knowledge at numerous sessions, workshops and training courses within the EAIE and at other platforms; contributed various articles in his fields of expertise; and provided the initial thrust for the establishment of the EAIE’s Task Force on Digital Student Data Portability (DSDP). Herman has further served the EAIE as an Association leader, on the Steering group of the Expert Community Admissions Officers and Credential Evaluators (ACE) from 2006–2012 (the last 4 years as Chair), and on the General Council from 2012–2014.
Herman was honoured with the 2014 President's award by the President at the time, Laura Howard in recogntion to his long history as an association leader and for being instrumental in the development of Digital Student Data Portability (DSDP).
Linda Johnson
Linda Johnson was honoured with the 2014 President's award by the President at the time, Hans-Georg van Liempd, Linda was recognised as an outstanding example of an active EAIE member who has continuously served the Association behind the scenes since its inception. Not only was she the founding Chair of the EAIE Expert Community Economics and Business Studies (EBS) and President of the Association in 1998, Linda was also a member of the EAIE Publications Committee and a conscientious Series Editor for the EAIE Occasional Papers for more than 15 years. Linda was Executive Secretary at the International Institute of Social Studies, an international graduate school within the Erasmus University Rotterdam at the time she received this award.
Louise Stansfield
Louise Stansfield was honoured with the President’s Award in 2013. She was acknowledged as being an active member of the EAIE since 1998, dedicating her ideas, time, experience and knowledge in various capacities over the years, mostly behind the scenes. She was also recognised for playing an important role in the Professional Development Committee, helping to develop and implement the EAIE Academy, as well as setting up the Train the Trainers programme. Louise was Senior Lecturer in Business Communication for the international degree programmes at Metropolia Business School of Helsinki at the time she received this award.
Louise was honoured with the 2013 President's award by the President at the time, Hans-Georg van Liempd.
Peter Timmann
Peter Timmann was presented with the President’s Award in 2010 during the EAIE leadership meeting in Norway by the President at the time Bjørn Einar Aas. He was honoured for his invaluable contributions to the EAIE since its founding, having served both on the Executive Committee and the Editorial Committee. At the time that he received this award, Peter had recently retired from his position as Head of the International Department at the University of Hamburg, Germany.
Jim Frey
Jim Frey was awarded the first annual President’s Award in 2008 by the President at the time, Fiona Hunter. He was recognised for his years of service as a leader, advocate, advisor, colleague, critic and friend. Fiona Hunter personally acknowledged that, "no matter which role he plays, he can always be counted on to champion the best interests of the profession and the people who it serves according to his high standards of fairness, and professional and personal ethics." At the time that he received the award, Jim was Founder/President Emeritus of Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
Award for Outstanding Contribution
This award recognised individuals who made a significant contribution to the Association’s work and generously contributed their time and expertise to enhance the EAIE community experience.
Esko Koponen
Esko Koponen is Specialist in the Strategic Services for Teaching of the University of Helsinki. His responsibilities include the strategic planning and management of international education, language policy and joint educational programmes. Esko has over 30 years of experience in international education, having previously worked in the Centre for International Mobility with European cooperation programs and international higher education cooperation, and in international student services at the University of Kuopio. Esko has run several sessions and workshops on various aspects of internationalisation both in national and international contexts. Esko holds a MA degree in Translation Studies from the University of Joensuu (now part of the University of Eastern Finland), Finland. He has been a Steering group member of the EAIE Expert Community Study Abroad and Foreign Student Advisers and has chaired and presented at numerous workshops of the Association, including the EAIE Academy. In 2020, Esko became a member of the EAIE Conference Programme Committee.
Esko received the 2024 EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in recognition of his longstanding contributions and the generous sharing of his knowledge throughout his career and involvement with the EAIE community.
Eva Haug
Eva Haug is an Educational Advisor for Internationalisation of the Curriculum and COIL in the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), the Netherlands.
Eva has a Master's degree in Spanish Literature and Culture from the University of Amsterdam and did a Postgraduate in Higher Education. She's worked in higher education since 1992. As the Coordinator of Internationalisation, she specialises in internationalising the curriculum and campus experience of the students at AUAS. As COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) coordinator, she provides entire cohorts the possibility of experiencing international teamwork by pairing Amsterdam students with students from around the globe. Lecturers and students collaborate, at a distance, on real-life challenges. She has presented on COIL at conferences in Brazil, South Africa and the US, as well as at the Annual EAIE Conference and Exhibition, and universities regularly invite her to train staff in intercultural and online collaboration.
Eva received the 2024 EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in recognition of her generosity in sharing her expertise in the field of COIL, her active engagement, and her valuable contributions to the EAIE community. Since 2024, Eva has been a member of the EAIE Thematic Committee Teaching, learning and curriculum.
- X:
- @EvaHaug1
- LinkedIn:
- https://linkedin.com/in/eva-haug-80406a29/
Hans-Georg van Liempd
Hans-Georg has been the Secretary of the University at Tilburg University since February 2021. In this role, he has the
responsibility in preparing and implementing decisions made by the Executive Board of the university, in constant consultation with the Deans, Schools and Divisions to optimally equip students and staff for their important work in research, education and society. He is also the Director of University Services, to foster, coordinate and safeguard integrated collaboration among the Service Divisions of the university.
From 2010 to 2014, Hans-Georg served as Vice-President and then President of the EAIE. In the past, he served as Director of the International Office from 2006 until mid-2010, when he was elected as Vice President of the EAIE. During his Vice Presidency for the EAIE he worked as Senior Programme Manager at Tilburg on university-wide programmes such as Internationalising the Campus and Corporate Social Responsibility. He also served as senior EAIE Trainer for International Strategy Implementation.
Furthermore, he is a member of the Management Board of the Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and member and chair of Supervisory Boards in the area of culture, health and education in the Netherlands. He is also an IAU Senior Fellow, and he received the 2023 EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in recognition of all his valuable contributions to the EAIE and the higher education sector.
Stephanie Griffiths
Stephanie is an intercultural consultant/trainer at her own intercultural consultancy for higher education institutions, which focuses on the internationalisation of students. She recently retired from the position of Associate Director for Counselling and Mental Health Support at King’s College London, UK, after having worked in the field of psychological counselling for over 30 years. Stephanie has developed an outreach and training programme to enable home and international students, academics and frontline administrative staff to be trained in the psychological pressures they may encounter. She embarked on a study trip to Fudan and Shanghai Jiao Tong Universities, China, in 2015 to understand the presentation and treatment of mental health issues among students in China. She has since been invited to speak at several conferences in China organised through Oxford Prospects and Global Development Institute. Stephanie studied English and Education at Goldsmiths University, UK; Psychology at Birkbeck College, University of London, UK; Guidance and Counselling at Reading University, UK and is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. She received the King’s College Principal’s Award in 2018, recognising an individual who has ‘gone above and beyond to champion the goals of the university and has delivered outstanding service as a King’s Ambassador’.
She has been a trainer at the EAIE Academy for the past five years and was one of the keynote speakers at the AACSB on the topic of ‘avoiding virtual burnout: maintaining engagement, motivation and mental health in students, staff and faculty’.
Stephanie received the EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in 2022 in recognition of her important contributions to supporting international education by ensuring that the students and staff within our institutions can thrive. Since 2024, Stephanie has been a member of the EAIE Thematic Committee Student and alumni services.
Kees Kouwenaar
Kees is Senior Advisor International Strategy at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Head of Office for the Aurora Universities Network. For 20 years, Kees worked at the Netherlands Organisation for Internationalisation of Higher Education (Nuffic), in recognition and credential evaluation as well as internationalisation programme management. After six years of leading a legal development cooperation foundation, he came to the VU as Director for the Centre for International Cooperation, and has also managed the VU’s Strategic Internationalisation Programme. In his present role, he edits the biweekly VU International News, as well as reviewing and coordinating the Mastermind Europe project. Since 2015, he played a key role and is now coordinating the Aurora Universities Network, which unites nine research intensive universities in Europe committed to matching Academic Excellence with Societal Relevance. A product of Jesuit secondary education, Kees studied History at the Protestant VU, though he has been active in international education rather than history since the start of his working life.
Kees received the EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in 2021. Kees initiated the EAIE professional section ACE which would later become the Expert Community Admission and Recognition, served on the Conference Programme Committee, and has played an active role as speaker at several EAIE conferences. He has served on the EAIE General Council from 2018 to 2024.
Eveke de Louw
Eveke de Louw works as International Policy Adviser for the Curriculum and Co-curriculum at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS), the Netherlands, where she plays a leading role in internationalisation. This includes developing and delivering staff training programmes, policy making, and working with academic departments and service units. In European Studies she was instrumental in the process of internationalising learning outcomes and the subsequent gaining of the distinctive quality feature for internationalisation. Eveke co-developed a conceptual model (Intercultureality) which has helped THUAS programmes to map internationalisation in their curricula.
Eveke received the EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in 2019 for her contributions as a volunteer leader, speaker and writer.
Beer Schröder
Beer R.E.V.M. Schröder is an independent consultant in international education.
His career in internationalisation spans across many years during which he has designed and implemented scholarships and capacity building programmes on behalf of the Dutch and other governments, as well as the European Commission. He is a specialist in capacity development, international cooperation and the broad spectrum of internationalisation of education. As such, he acted as advisor to several national agencies, governments and (inter)national institutions and organisations.
He worked at Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, in various management and expert positions. He also published studies and articles related to internationalising education, among others, The International Course Organiser’s Handbook and "Safety and Security Issues in Mobility" in Internationalisation of Higher Education. He received a special honour on 5 March 2019, when he was ordained Officer in the Royal Order of Orange – Nassau.
Beer received the EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in 2019 for his commitment as a long-serving EAIE member, experienced and loved session speaker and an advocate for the LGTBQ+ rights in the community. He has worked tirelessly to better the field of international education for more than 36 years.
Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership
Constance Meldrum was a pioneer, innovator and a staunch supporter of the EAIE. Her work for the European Commission was instrumental in setting up cooperation activities in higher education between Europe and North America. She strived to create something beyond the ordinary, not accepting the status quo. Constance sadly passed away in 2003, and her substantial bequest supported the Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership. The EAIE Award for Vision and Leadership is given today in Constance's honour.
Michael Ignatieff
Born in Canada, educated at the University of Toronto and Harvard, Michael Ignatieff is a university professor, writer and former politician. He is currently the Rector and President of Central European University in Budapest. Between 2006 and 2011, he served as an MP in the Parliament of Canada and then as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition. He is a member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and holds twelve honorary degrees. Between 2012 and 2015 he served as Centennial Chair at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York. Between 2014 and 2016 he was Edward R. Murrow Chair of the Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. His major publications are The Needs of Strangers (1984), Scar Tissue (1992), Isaiah Berlin (1998), The Rights Revolution (2000), Human Rights as Politics and Idolatry (2001), The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror (2004), Fire and Ashes: Success and Failure in Politics (2013), and The Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World (2017).
Michael received the Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership in 2018 for his outstanding contributions to defending academic freedom.
Hywel Ceri Jones
Hywel Ceri Jones was Head of the Commission’s first-ever department for education and youth policies in 1973, as well as the Commission’s Director for education, training and youth. He played the leading role in the design, negotiation and management of several EU flagship programmes, notably Erasmus, Comett, Tempus and Petra. Following the launch of these programmes, he was designated as Director of the Commission’s Task Force for human resources, education, training and youth, with responsibility for the oversight of all EU education programmes. From 1993–1998, Hywel was appointed as Director General of the Directorate General for Employment, Social Policy and Industrial Relations. He played a special role in the promotion of equal opportunities and social inclusion, and in the development of the EU’s policy on behalf of disabled persons. He served as a member of the group of senior officials which prepared the EU Agenda 2000, the EU’s first multi-annual programmatic and financial framework for the period until 2006. Hywel has been awarded Doctorates by many European universities and holds Fellowships from universities worldwide, among many other awards for his contributions to international educational exchange.
Hywel Ceri received the Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership in 2017 for his outstanding commitment to internationalising higher education, especially on assisting the European Commission in the early stages of the Erasmus Programme and further developing the project.
Alan Smith
Alan Smith devoted his entire career to European cooperation in education, working initially for the German Rectors Conference and the European Institute of Education and Social Policy. As Operations manager of the European Commission’s ‘Joint Study Programmes’ scheme for higher education cooperation from 1978–1987, Alan participated actively in developing ‘Erasmus’ and was Director of the Erasmus Bureau during its first five years (1987–1992). He was then Education Director at the European Cultural Foundation and founding Director of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA). He completed his career with various positions at the European Commission, in particular developing the adult learning programme ‘Grundtvig’. A German studies graduate from the University of London, Alan was Secretary-General of various European associations, has received honourary doctorates from Belgian and British universities and life-membership of the European Prison Education Association. He has published widely on European and international cooperation in education.
Alan received the Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership in 2017 for his outstanding commitment to internationalising higher education, especially on assisting the European Commission in the early stages of the Erasmus Programme and further developing the project.
Jo Ritzen
Jozef Ritzen, (Dutch national, physics engineer, economist and politician) was Minister of Education, Culture, and Science of the Netherlands from 1989–1998, one of the longest-serving Ministers of Education in the world. During his term, he enacted a series of major reforms throughout the Dutch education system. Subsequently, he was Vice-President of the World Bank (1998–2003) and President of Maastricht University (2003–2011). During his Presidency, Maastricht University grew to be one of the leading international teaching research universities, with a problem-based learning approach to education and nearly half of its students coming from abroad. It is now ranked Number 4 on the list of ‘Young universities’ (less than 50 years old). Jozef Ritzen is now honourary professor of Maastricht University, Senior Advisor to the International Institute of Labor Studies IZA in Bonn, Special Adviser to RAND Europe, and a member of the International Advisory Boards of several universities.
Jo received the Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership in 2016 for being a continuous driving force in the field for almost three decades.
Siegbert Wuttig
Maurits van Rooijen
Maurits van Rooijen received the Constance Meldrum Award in 2013. The Awards Committee recognised him as a continuous innovator and driving force in the international higher education sector for over 25 years. They acknowledged the many ambitious and innovative internationalisation projects that were initiated under his leadership and in some cases resulted in the institution receiving awards for innovation and internationalisation. At the time he received the award he was Rector of the London School of Business and Finance.
Bernd Wächter
Bernd Wächter was awarded the Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership in 2012 for his ability to put new and upcoming issues on the internationalisation agenda of higher education. According to the Awards Committee, "he seems to be one or two steps ahead of the other key players in the field. He shows detailed knowledge of the field and has an extensive network of partners and key stakeholders." When he received the award he was Director of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA).
Christian Bode
Christian Bode received the Constance Meldrum award in 2010 for his diligent work on the internationalisation of higher education in Germany, in Europe and around the world. The Awards Committee recognised him as a fervent spokesman for the Bologna process, the internationalisation of curricula, development in the different fields of mobility and for the implementation of international research schemes. They also noted his contributions to actions focused on the development in higher education launched by the UNESCO. At the time that he received this award, he was Secretary General of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Hans de Wit
Hans de Wit is Distinguished Fellow of the Center for International Higher Education (CIHE) at Boston College (USA) and Emeritus Professor of the Practice in International Higher Education at Boston College. He is IAU Senior Fellow of the International Associati.on of Universities (IAU). He has been Director of the Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation (CHEI) at the Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy, Professor of Internationalization of Higher Education at the Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences, and Vice-President International of the University of Amsterdam.
Hans is the Founding Editor of the Journal of Studies in International Education, and Co-Editor of Policy Reviews in Higher Education (SRHE). He is also Co-Editor of International Higher Education. He is founding member (1989) and past president (1993-1994) of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) and was presented with the Constance Meldrum award in 2008 for his continue achievements on international education not only in Europe, but worldwide. He has (co)written many books and articles on internationalisation of higher education and is actively involved in quality assurance on international education
Han Aarts
Han is the Director of the Maastricht University Centre for International Cooperation in Academic Development (MUNDO) in the Netherlands, where he works with partner universities in developing and emerging countries to build knowledge capacity, strengthen education at partner institutions and develop research cooperation and other collaborative activities addressing (local and global) development challenges. Han holds a Master’s degree in human geography and development studies from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Han is committed to an EAIE that is truly global in its vision, promoting internationalisation and cooperation in higher education that contributes to fair, inclusive and sustainable globalisation. He has been a member of the EAIE from the beginning and has been active in many positions. He hosted the 1999 EAIE Annual Conference in Maastricht and initiated the EAIE Expert Community Cooperation for Development, and was a member of the EAIE General Council and of the EAIE Publications Committee. In 2007 Han received the EAIE Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership.
Bo Gregersen Award for Best Practice
Bo Gregersen was a collaborative and inclusive leader who personified standards of good practice in international education. He received the EAIE Best Practice Award in 2005 for his instrumental role in helping the Aarhus School of Business in Denmark transition into an international institution. Bo sadly passed away in 2008, and the award was renamed the Bo Gregersen Award for Best Practice to reflect his contribution to international education and his exceptional integrity as a person and colleague. The EAIE Award for Excellence in Internationalisation is given today in Bo's honour.
Milsa Group
MILSA is an innovative comprehensive academic mentoring programme that leads the way in the field of facilitation of students’ intercultural learning. From 2016–2017, MILSA was developed by an international project team consisting of Ellen Krause and Annie Cottier,University of Bern, Switzerland and Susan Oguro,University of Technology Sydney, Australia, and funded by the Mercator Foundation Switzerland. Designed to maximise students’ intercultural learning gained through study abroad, MILSA makes use of pre-departure and post-sojourn workshops, but also of communication technologies, prompted blog contributions and active reflections during students’ time abroad. These measures ensure that MILSA mentees receive comprehensive support throughout the study abroad experience and are also supported to apply these intercultural skills back home and develop a critical way of thinking about their own society and values. In this way, not only is the critical understanding of the host country’s culture(s) developed, but also that of the home country.
Milsa Group was awarded with the Bo Gregersen Award for Best Practice in 2018 for creating a valuable project that demonstrates a good practice of intercultural learning and a great example of international team cooperation.
Stig Arne Skjerven
Stig Arne Skjerven is Director of Foreign Education at the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT). In addition to leading the Norwegian ENIC-NARIC office, he has been crucial in developing recognition schemes in Norway, in particular for refugees, displaced persons and others lacking verifiable documentation. He has published a number of articles on this issue. Together with his team in NOKUT, he developed the methodology behind the Qualifications Passport for Refugees, which is currently being tested on a European level by the Council of Europe. He is elected President of the ENIC Network of recognition of higher education qualifications. He has experience as an elected representative of the EAIE and the European recognition network (ENIC-NARIC), and has actively participated in international work in various field of higher education. He is currently a member of UNESCO’s Drafting Committee for the Global Convention for Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications.
Stig Arne received the Bo Gregersen Award for Best Practice in 2017 in recognition for the impressive external reach and impact of the ‘European qualification Passport for Refugees’ initiative. His work supports refugee education and increases the effectiveness of integration into the society of host countries.
- X:
- @Stig_Arne
- LinkedIn:
- https://linkedin.com/in/skjerven/
Marina Malgina
Marina is a trainer, expert and practitioner in international higher education, specialising in recognition of qualifications and international student mobility. As a recognised leader in international education in Europe (PIE, 2023) and an international education professional and credential evaluator with more than 20 years of experience, Marina advises and trains recognition and admission professionals to achieve fair and transparent evaluation procedures that support equitable access to education and employment opportunities.
She started her career as an international credential evaluator in 2006 in Norway, where she worked in the Department of Foreign Education at the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT). From 2010 to 2021, she oversaw NOKUT’s work on developing special recognition procedures for refugees and persons with insufficient documentation and was involved in the development of the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR) by the Council of Europe and UNESCO Qualifications Passport for Refugees (UQP). In 2017, she received EAIE’s Bo Gregersen Award for Best Practice.
She has served as the president of the Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals (TAICEP) and as an elected member of the EAIE Expert Communities for Cooperation for Development (2018-2020) and Admission and Recognition (2020-2022).
Serge Sych
Serge is Vice President for Enrollment Management, Career Services and Alumni Relations at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. He has been Chair of the EAIE Expert Community Alumni Relations for the past several years and has recently been elected to serve on the EAIE General Council and CASE Europe Board of Trustees. Serge has graduate degrees in history, international relations and European studies, as well as comparative law. He is in the final stage of completing his Doctorate degree in Education. Serge currently manages a diverse portfolio of student recruitment, admissions, financial aid, career, alumni and fundraising programmes. With students coming from more than 100 countries and alumni residing on six continents, these programmes are strikingly international. Based in Hungary, Serge pioneered alumni relations in Central Europe and has more than 15 years of experience in higher education advancement and extensive international experience as a speaker, trainer and consultant.
Serge received the Bo Gregersen Award for Best Practice in 2016 in recognition of the demonstrated impact of his alumni relations model and more importantly how he has made it accessible to others.
Isabell Majewsky Anderson
Isabell Majewsky Anderson was born in Germany but raised in Malaysia and Singapore. She came to Scotland in 1988 to study at the University of Stirling and went on to receive a distinction for a Masters in Entrepreneurship. Since leaving university, she has taken on a variety of roles mainly in higher education, both in internationalisation and innovation, most notably as Director of Connect Midlands at the University of Warwick. She is currently the University of Edinburgh’s Head of Go Abroad and Director of Summer School. In the last two years, she has developed a portfolio of activities through an innovative, large-scale scholarship programme – the Principal’s Go Abroad Challenge – aimed at incentivising students to engage with an international educational experience.
Isabell received the Bo Gregersen Award for Best Practice in 2015 for her work creating the Principal’s Go Abroad Challenge (PGAC). Isabell designed PGAC to create an immediate impact and long-lasting enrichment to the student experience, offering a range of short-term, accessible international experiences in lieu of the traditional full year and semester long exchange options.
Green Cockatoo
Cacatua Verda (Green Cockatoo), a name under which the Heads of the International Relations Offices of most Catalan universities come together, received the Bo Gregersen Award in 2014. A bottom-up initiative aimed at sharing experiences, problems and best practices, the group was acknowledged for their innovative way of supporting each other on a local level in order to be more efficient and effective in their work in international higher education.
The Green Cockatoo consists of the following Catalan Universities:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya; Universitat de Barcelona; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Universitat Ramon Llull; Universitat Abat Oliba; Universitat Rovira i Virgili; Universitat de Lleida; Universitat de Vic–Universitat Central de Catalunya; Universitat de les Illes Balears; Universitat de Girona.
Jeroen Torenbeek
Jeroen Torenbeek received the Bo Gregersen Award in 2013 in recognition of his efforts in setting standards for establishing and improving summer schools. At the time he received this award, he was Director of the Utrecht Summer School and was acknowledged as helping to develop it into the premier European summer school. The Awards Committee commended Jeroen for his willingness to share his expertise with others and make his best practices available to all through various EAIE workshops, training courses and publications.
Julia González Ferreras
Julia González Ferreras was awarded the Bo Gregersen award in 2011 for elaborating, designing and coordinating the innovative project Tuning Educational Structures in the World, with Robert Wagenaar. Based on close cooperation of hundreds of academics from Europe and around the world, Tuning has contributed to the modernisation of higher education by developing an approach for designing and implementing curricula using the student-centred approach and the concept of key competences and learning outcomes as focal points. She was Vice-Rector for International Relations at the University of Deusto at the time that she received this award.
Robert Wagenaar
Robert Wagenaar was awarded the Bo Gregersen award in 2011 for elaborating, designing and coordinating the innovative project Tuning Educational Structures in the World, with Julia González Ferreras. Based on close cooperation of hundreds of academics from Europe and around the world, Tuning has contributed to the modernisation of higher education by developing an approach for designing and implementing curricula using the student-centred approach and the concept of key competences and learning outcomes as focal points. When he received the award he was Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies at the Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen.
Arnold Persoon
Arnold Persoon was awarded the Bo Gregersen Award in 2009 as one of the founding Board members of the EAIE Professional Section Marketing and Recruitment (M&R). The Awards Committee recognised him for his extensive experience in both strategic and practical aspects of the international marketing of higher education. When he received this award he was Associate Director International Relations and Communication at Leiden University.
Christopher Price
Christopher Price was awarded the Bo Gregersen Award in 2009 as one of the founding Board members of the EAIE Professional Section Marketing and Recruitment (M&R). According to the Awards Committee, "he has worked in the field for 17 years and is a member of several organisations. He was also an elected member of the executive of the British Universities International Officers Liaison Association (BUILA)." When he received this award, he was one of the directors of MJD Consultancy Ltd, an education marketing consultancy.
Thijs van Vugt
Thijs van Vugt was awarded the Bo Gregersen Award in 2009 as the founding Chair of the EAIE Professional Section Marketing and Recruitment (M&R). According to the Awards Committee, "Thijs has been heavily involved in international education and has worked with many educational organisations as a trainer. Together with Tim Rogers, Thijs published a book entitled The Impact of Tuition Fees on International Student Recruitment (2006)." At the time that he received this award, Thijs was Director of iE&D Solutions BV, the leading educational consultancy firm in the Netherlands.
Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans
Jeanine Gregersen–Hermans is a researcher and practitioner focusing on the internationalisation of higher education, intercultural and global competence development, and education for sustainable development. She is currently connected to the research centre Sustainable International Business at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. She is also on the Supervisory Board of Thomas More University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands), holding the portfolio for quality of education and research. She has participated in several EU-funded projects, most recently as a partner in the ICI Project - Inclusive Comprehensive Internationalisation (2022- 2025) and coordinator in the IBE_ReGloMi project- Innovating Business Education for Responsible Global Minds (2022-2025).
Jeanine Gregersen-Hermans received the Bo Gregersen EAIE Award for Best Practice in 2008 for her contributions to education and training.
Since 2024, Jeanine has been a member of the EAIE Thematic Committee Research on internationalisation.
Institutional Award for Innovation in Internationalisation
This award recognised higher education institutions which had a demonstrable track record in strategic innovation in the internationalisation of higher education.
Bournemouth University
Bournemouth University (BU) is based on the south coast of England, with an ethos of creating a unique fusion of education, research and professional practice. BU has a community of almost 19,000 students from over 100 different countries and was named as one of the top 200 young universities in the world in the THE Young University Rankings 2018. All undergraduate students have the opportunity to undertake a work placement as a part of their degree; BU is in the top five universities in the UK for the number of students currently undertaking a work placement, with 5% of all university work placements in the UK filled by a BU student. In the latest Research Excellence Framework, 96% of Bournemouth University's research was rated as internationally recognised or above, with 18% deemed to be world-leading. BU’s teaching excellence has also been recognised with a TEF Silver Award.
Bournemouth University won the 2018 Institutional Award for Innovation in Internationalisation for its ability to implement innovative projects that developed strong societal interaction and stakeholder relations in addition to their standard internationalisation activities.
Ghent University
Ghent University is a top 100 university and one of the major Belgian universities with over 41,000 students and 9,000 employees. Located in Flanders, Ghent University is an active partner in national and international educational, scientific and industrial cooperation. With a view to cooperation in research and scientific service, the university has founded numerous research groups, centres and institutes over the years, several of which are world-renowned in various scientific disciplines such as biotechnology, aquaculture, microelectronics, and history. The university’s 11 faculties are composed of 117 departments offering more than 230 high-quality study programmes in every one of their scientific disciplines, each inspired by innovative research. In 2017 Ghent University celebrates its 200th anniversary. It distinguishes itself as a socially committed and pluralistic university in a broad international perspective. Strong participation in EU programmes in education and research is a major objective.
Ghent University received the Institutional Award for Innovation in Internationalisation in 2017 for being at the forefront of the implementation of all European higher education funding programmes since the start of the Erasmus programme, and their continued to contribution as coordinators of critical projects such as the EGRACONS and the eQuATIC tool.
University of Porto
The University of Porto, founded in 1911, is the second largest higher education and research institution in Portugal with around 32,500 students, 2,300 academics and researchers, and 1,500 administrative staff within its 14 Faculties, one Business School and 59 Research Units. U.PORTO is also a leading producer of science in Portugal, responsible for 24% of the scientific articles. Internationalisation is one of U.PORTO’s strategic pillars and objectives, allowing the development of existing collaborations, as well as the establishment of innovative cooperation activities through the creation of active links with institutions from all over the world. In recent years, U.PORTO has coordinated and been involved in several projects, namely within Erasmus+ and Erasmus Mundus, which represented a direct management by U.PORTO of roughly €36 million. U.PORTO has opened its doors to the world by consolidating its internationalisation process through the development of projects and initiatives with higher education institutions from nearly 150 countries.
University of Porto received the Institutional Award for Innovation in Internationalisation in 2016 for its solid example of good practice in all aspects of internationalisation. Recently, the university has increased its internal cooperation, investing in integrated actions and collaboration of the International Office with other internal structures and departments. It has also extensively expanded its visibility worldwide, through coordinated activities, namely within Erasmus+ and Erasmus Mundus.
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen is a globally recognised university. On the basis of its achievements in research and teaching, it seeks to heighten its international reputation by concentrating on its special strengths: internationality, research-based teaching and learning, interdisciplinarity and diversity, autonomy and cooperation with non-university institutions. In 2007, the university received funding from the German Excellence Initiative to implement a new internationalisation strategy. ‘Göttingen International’ was one of four measures within this strategy, whereby Göttingen regenerated its internationalisation policies in order to internationalise the university as a whole. The project, ‘Internationalisation 2012’, defined ten key internationalisation measures for providing research support to young academics, teaching staff and administration. To advance and qualitatively enhance the ongoing processes of internationalisation, Göttingen participates in benchmarking activities within its strategic U4 network as well as in the audit ‘Internationalisation of Universities’ of the German Rectors' Conference. Additionally, it established an International External Advisory Board on internationalisation.
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen receuved the Institutional Award for Innovation in Internationalisation in 2015 for its exceptional efforts to promote internationalisation. In the last few years, Göttingen has extensively regenerated its internationalisation strategy, developing ‘Göttingen International’ to ensure internationalisation within the university as a whole.
Coventry University
Coventry University's comprehensive internationalisation strategy, where the starting point is not international mobility for a minority but international experience for all, earned them the Institutional award in 2014. Within this innovative approach students are central, active partners in internationalisation activities.
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki received the Institutional Award for Innovation in Internationalisation in 2013. A leading multidisciplinary research university, it was recognised for its adoption of embedded internationalisation, a concept in which internationalisation is the responsibility of each and every member of the university community and is an integrated part of all core activities and support measures. The Awards Committee acknowledged the university as being a true pioneer in this approach and well deserving of this award.
Masaryk University
Established in 1919, with almost 37 000 students and approximately 1300 fields of study, Masaryk University is a dynamic, modern, student and research-orientated university based in Brno, Czech Republic.
In addition to its systematic emphasis on internationalisation of the curriculum, research with international partners, expansion of inbound and outbound mobility and hiring of international staff and lecturers, Masarysk University is also a core member of the EDUC alliance. This comprehensive focus on internationalisation underpins the MUNI HELPS centre, originally established in response to COVID-19. During the pandemic, MUNI HELPS coordinated volunteer work at hospitals, on crisis hotlines and in nursing homes, but also focused on everyday needs like childcare and tutoring children, helping people with shopping, and delivering medicine and masks. More recently, when the Russian government invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the centre pivoted to focus on helping Ukrainian refugees by disseminating information about vacancies for Ukrainians and scholarships for Ukrainian students, as well as interpreting services and a crisis hotline for psychological assistance.
Masaryk University received the 2022 EAIE Award for Excellence in Internationalisation for the work done by its MUNI HELPS volunteer centre.
Tony Adams Award for Excellence in Research
A valued member of our international community, Tony Adams was a policy innovator, an inspiring leader and a mentor to many in international higher education. His work on implementing international programmes and developing partnerships between higher education institutions worldwide was far-reaching and opened up the world to many students. His work as co-editor of the Journal of Studies in International Education has had an enduring impact. Tony was a regular trainer and presenter at EAIE conferences over a number of years. Tony sadly passed away in 2011, and the Tony Adams Award for Excellence in Research commemorated his passion and dedication to international education.
Ellen Hazelkorn
Ellen Hazelkorn is joint managing partner at BH Associates education consultants, and Professor Emeritus at Technological University Dublin, Ireland. She is also Joint Editor of Policy Reviews in Higher Education. Ellen works with, inter alia, the European Commission, OECD, UNESCO, European Investment Bank and numerous national governments. Ellen is currently a member of the Co-ordinating Council for Higher Education in Portugal and the Expert Panel on Further Education and Training (FET/TVET) Practitioners Staffing Structures (Ireland). She is also a member of the Committee for Strategic Advice, EURASHE and the HEInnovate Expert Group (EU/OECD). Ellen was policy advisor to, and board member of, the Higher Education Authority (Ireland), and consultant to OECD. She previously served as Vice President at Dublin Institute of Technology, overseeing the Faculty of Applied Arts, and then research, innovation, and enterprise development. She has published widely on higher education policy, governance, rankings, science and innovation. Ellen was awarded a BA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the University of Kent, UK, respectively.
Ellen received the 2018 Tony Adams Award for Excellence in Research for her outstanding work on the rise of international university rankings.
Betty Leask
Betty Leask is Professor Emerita in the School of Education at La Trobe University, Melbourne, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Studies in International Education, the leading journal in her field. She is also a Research Fellow at the Centre for International Higher Education (CIHE) at Boston College, USA; an Honorary Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy; and a Senior Research Fellow at Curtin University in Perth, Australia.
Betty's work has uniquely bridged theory and practice. In 2010, as part of a senior Australian Government-funded fellowship, she developed the first research-informed framework and process for internationalizing the curriculum. Her work has been widely used by researchers, universities, and schools across the world to inform their efforts in internationalizing curriculum, teaching, and learning at home. Along with Jude Carroll, formerly of the Oxford Centre for Educational Development, Betty also developed a set of Good Practice Principles in Teaching Across Cultures, which are relevant in diverse contexts, along with a series of Quick Guides exploring these principles in practice.
In 2016, Betty received the Tony Adams Award for Excellence in Research in recognition of her outstanding research achievements.
Elspeth Jones
Elspeth Jones received the 2014 Tony Adams award in recognition of her extensive research on many aspects of the internationalisation of higher education. She was acknowledged for making her research widely and easily available as a frequent contributor to publications such as University World News and the Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as being a prolific tweeter. When she was presented with this award, Elspeth was Emerita Professor of the Internationalisation of Higher Education, Leeds Beckett University, and Honorary Visiting Fellow, Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan.
Rahul Choudaha
Rahul Choudaha was awarded the Tony Adams Award in 2013 in honour of his research in the field of international recruitment and marketing. The Awards Committee acknowledged the stringent approach in which he bases his research and analysis of international markets as well as his work defining target groups and clusters of potential students, remarking on the direct applications it has for universities active in international recruitment. At the time he received this award he was Director of Research and Strategic Development at World Education Services (WES) in New York.
Stephen Wilkins,
Stephen Wilkins received the Tony Adams Award for Excellence in Research in 2011 for his innovative work as a PhD student applying insights from business studies – particularly marketing and strategy – to the field of higher education. The Awards Committee remarked that, "his research shines a light on the dynamics of competition between home and international branch campuses. His research on student choice will have a practical impact for institutional marketeers and strategy-makers and for national policy-makers." At the time that he received this award, he was a PhD candidate at the International Centre for Higher Education Management, University of Bath, UK.
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award honoured recent members of the EAIE who had made a noteworthy contribution to international education in recent years.
Tanja Reiffenrath
Cultural studies meet internationalisation efforts
Tanja Reiffenrath works as Project Coordinator at the University of Goettingen, Germany. She works in student and academic services and is the coordinator of the project ‘Internationalisation of the Curricula’. Tanja has taught and published on diversity issues, transnationalism, and the representation of the ‘other’. While teaching at the University of Paderborn in 2012, she was part of a team that was awarded the Teaching Award for Young Academics by the university’s presidential board for internationalisation and diversity in the classroom. In 2016, she organised the conference ‘Internationalisation of the Curricula in Higher Education: Concepts, Initiatives, and Actions’ at the University of Goettingen jointly with the German Academic Exchange Service and the German Rectors’ Conference. Tanja holds a PhD in American Studies and has studied at the Universities of Paderborn and Siegen, Germany, as well as the University of Oklahoma, USA.
Tanja has been involved with the EAIE in different roles and since 2024, she has been a member of the EAIE Conference Programme Committee.
Adriana Perez Encinas
Adriana Perez Encinas completed her MBA and PhD on strategies for welcoming international students, with a special focus on services provided and volunteer associations. She is lecturer and researcher on business organisations and internationalisation of higher education. Adriana was formerly head of the International Relations Office in the Faculty of Business and Economics at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) in Spain, and is currently an evaluator for Spain’s Erasmus+ national agency. Since 2005 she has volunteered for the Erasmus Student Network, serving as a national representative, president of the UAM chapter, project coordinator and researcher.
She has been involved in different roles within the EAIE, including winning the EAIE Rising Star Award in 2017, and is currently a member of the EAIE General Council.
Ceren Genc
Ceren Genc is the Team Leader for International Student Admissions at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. For over a decade, Ceren held positions as an admissions officer at a prominent university and as an academic partnership coordinator. Over the years, she has built up a strong international network and gained expertise in different aspects of internationalisation of higher education. She has delivered several sessions and workshops on admissions and on recognition for refugees. Her professional interest lies in informal and non-formal learning recognition, as well as formal learning recognition. She has been awarded the EAIE Rising Star Award in 2016.
Ceren was a previous member of the EAIE Thematic Committee Social responsibility and since 2026, has been a member of the EAIE Thematic Committee Marketing and admissions. Ceren was appointed as Chair of this Committee for the 2026-2029 term.
Edyta Lachowicz-Santos
Edyta is the Director of Internationalisation Strategy at the University of Economics in Katowice, Poland. She has been engaged in diverse activities related to the internationalisation of higher education institutions within various positions for the past 20 years. She has coordinated and participated in many international projects involving higher education institutions and employers. She has also co-founded and is a board member of the Silesian Universities Network (SUN).
Since 2018, Edyta has cooperated with the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) as an expert and consultant. She has been involved with the EAIE since 2002, received the EAIE Rising Star Award in 2015, and is currently a member of the EAIE Board.
Frank Haber
Frank Haber works as Psychological Counsellor and Interculturalist at Jacobs University Bremen, where he provides culture-sensitive counselling and psychotherapy, psychological crisis response, skill-building workshops, need-assessments as well as staff and faculty consultancy. Frank studied Social Work at Fulda University of Applied Sciences and Psychology at the University of Waikato and the University of Bremen. After graduating with a diploma in Psychology (equivalent of MSc), Frank received his post-graduate psychotherapy training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Prior to assuming his current position in 2002, Frank worked as therapist and trainer in community psychiatry, vocational rehabilitation and family counselling. Frank is (co-)author of various papers and publications on intercultural competence and mental health promotion in higher education. He is a certified cross-cultural coach (Rosinski), stress management trainer (Kaluza) and has been involved with the EAIE as an Academy trainer and on the EAIE Expert Community.
Frank was presented with the Rising Star award in 2015.
Jennifer Valcke
Jennifer Valcke was recognised as the 2014 EAIE Rising star. A member of the LICOM Steering group, Jennifer was commended for her ability to come up with new ideas, for always trying to improve whatever she is faced with and for her efforts in bringing fresh faces to the EAIE. At the time she received the award, she was a pedagogical adviser and teacher trainer in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
Alva Bruun
Alva Bruun was awarded the 2013 Rising Star Award in recognition of her dedication and clear vision for the EAIE Professional Section Educational Cooperation with Developing Countries (EAIE) where she started as a Resource person in 2010 and became Vice-Chair in 2012. The Awards Committee acknowledged high potential for her future contributions to both EDC and the Association as a whole. They described her as being a young leader with integrity who is not afraid to stand up for her views. She was Senior Programme Adviser at the Centre for International Mobility (CIMO) in Finland at the time she received the award.
Edwin van Rest
Edwin van Rest received the 2013 Rising Star Award for having covered a lot of ground despite his relatively recent involvement with the EAIE. The Awards Committee acknowledged his work as Vice-Chair of the EAIE Professional Section Marketing and Recruitment, describing him as smart, driven and extremely committed to international education. He was founder and CEO of StudyPortals – the International Study Choice Platform – in the Netherlands at the time he received this award.
Ramon Ellenbroek
Ramon Ellenbroek was awarded the Rising Star award in 2012 as "a young and enthusiastic EAIE member who in a short time has become very active within the EAIE", according to the Awards Committee. "As one of the initiators of the EAIE Outreach Turkey project as well as the EAIE-wide mentorship programme, Ramon is a prime example of the new generation of young and active EAIE members who the EAIE needs to foster and embrace." He was Coordinator for the International Office of the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences of the VU University Amsterdam when he received this award.
Laura Paternoster
Laura Paternoster received the Rising Star Award in 2011 for her efforts to put the EAIE at the forefront of the field. The Awards Committee acknowledged her service as a Board member of the EAIE Professional Section Management of Programmes in Lifelong Education (MOPILE), as a trainer at one of the EAIE training courses and as a speaker at sessions and workshops at the EAIE conference and at meetings and conferences of other international organisations such as AIEA and APAIE. She was the Head of the International Relations Division at the University of Trento at the time that she received the award.
Simone Ravaioli
Simone Ravaioli was awarded the Rising Star Award in 2011. The Awards Committee acknowledged him for his efforts as a founding member of RS3G – an international group of higher education implementers focusing on data exchange standards, as well as for being the Chair of what was a new EAIE Task Force, Digital Student Data Portability (DSDP). At the time that he received this award, he held the position of International Affairs Manager and Country Manager KION Turkey Ltd.
Léa Senn
Léa Senn was awarded the Rising Star Award in 2011. The Awards Committee recognised her as an active Board member of the EAIE Professional Section Study Abroad and Foreign Student Advisers (SAFSA) and as a speaker EAIE conference sessions, as well as at meetings and conferences of other international organisations such as AIEA, AIEC and NAFSA. She was Head Manager Inbound Programs and International Communications at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan at the time that she received the award.
Adele Browne
Adele Browne was awarded the Rising Star Award in 2010 and was recognised by the Awards Committee as a young enthusiastic member of the EAIE whose "knowledge and dedication make her a valuable asset." As one of the founders of the Special Interest Group Disability Issues Worldwide—now Access and Inclusion in international higher education (ACCESS), the committee noted that she "engages actively in the variety of tasks that her appointment as contact person brings." She was Executive Officer for European Programmes at the University of Sussex when she received this award.
Marina Casals Sala
Marina Casals Sala is Director of Member Relations for Europe and the United Kingdom at ISEP Study Abroad. With more than 25 years of experience in international higher education, her expertise includes internationalisation strategy, institutional change, study abroad, and global partnership development. She has held leadership roles across Europe and North Africa and previously served as Director of International Relations at Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain.
Since 2026, Marina served on the Board of the EAIE and has previously been a member of the EAIE Thematic Committee Leadership, strategy and policy 2024-2026.
Stephen Orme
Stephen Orme is the Vice-President of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) and is Head of Business Development and Operations at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences after previously being employed by Studyportals, Navitas, Study Group, Nuffic and Leiden University. He has a wide range of experience in the field, covering admissions, international recruitment, pathway education and management. Stephen was born in Northern Ireland but was educated in the Netherlands. He holds a Master of Arts degree in English Language and Literature.
Stephen has been involved with the EAIE in different roles. He won the EAIE Rising Star award in 2009 and was a member of the EAIE General Council for two terms, from 2020-2024. Since 2024, he has been a member of the EAIE Board.
Transatlantic Leadership Award
The Transatlantic Leadership Award was supported by a substantial endowment from Jim Frey. The award was dedicated to his pioneering work nurturing transatlantic relations between higher education institutions in Europe and North America. Jim is an admired researcher and trainer within international education. He founded Educational Credential Evaluators Inc. in 1980, a non-profit that evaluates international educational credentials to ensure qualifications are fairly recognised across borders. Jim received the first ever EAIE President’s Award in 2008 for his years of service as a leader, advocate, advisor, colleague and friend.
Thomas Buntru
Thomas Buntru is the Dean of International Programs at University of Monterrey (UDEM), where he has worked since 1988. Before taking over his current position in 2004, he served as Coordinator of Student Exchange from 1997 to 2003. Before that, he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Languages at UDEM, where he taught English and German. In 1996 he received the Premio Pro-Magistro Roberto Garza Sada, UDEM's annual award for excellence in teaching. Under his leadership, UDEM has become the Mexican university with the highest student participation rate in study abroad programs. His strategic plan for the internationalisation of UDEM received the 2009 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education from the Institute of International Education. He has been an active member of AMPEI, the Mexican Association for International Education, since 1997 and served as its president from 2009–2011. In 2015 he received the Premio AMPEI in recognition of his contributions to the internationalisation of higher education in Mexico.
Thomas was recognised with the Transatlantic Leadership Award in 2018 for his notable work as an international bridge-builder between Mexico and Europe.
Peter Kerrigan
Peter R. Kerrigan is the Deputy Director of the German Academic Exchange Service's (DAAD) Regional Office in New York and is the Director of Marketing and Outreach for DAAD in North America. He is responsible for marketing German higher education and research and DAAD's scholarship programmes in the U.S. and Canada. Peter served as Vice President of Membership Development and Services at The Forum on Education Abroad, Assistant Director of the Higher Education Resource Group at the Institute of International Education (IIE) and Senior Program Coordinator in the Work Abroad Division of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE).
He served as Chair of the EAIE's Professional Development Committee, Chair of the Inclusion and Diversity Expert Community, a Resource Person on the Marketing and Recruitment Expert Community, and as a member of the EAIE General Council. In September 2016, Peter received the EAIE's Transatlantic Leadership Award. Peter was awarded a Master's degree in Political Science by the Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and German by Bates College, Maine, USA.
Since 2026, Peter has been a member of the EAIE Thematic Committee Social responsibility, was previously Chair of this Committee 2024-2026 and was reappointed as Chair for the 2026-2029 term.
John Hudzik
A well-known figure in the world of international higher education on both sides of the Atlantic, John Hudzik was honoured with the Transatlantic Leadership award in 2014. He was acknowledged as an outstanding advocate for mutual understanding and respect, and was recognised for maintaining and investing in beliefs, values and benefits between and for organisations in both North America and Europe. John was a Professor at Michigan State University (MSU) and a NAFSA Senior Scholar for Internationalization at the time he received this award.
John Yopp
John Yopp received the Transatlantic Leadership award in 2012 in recognition for his many years of devotion to the international education sector and in particular to the relations between the USA and Europe. According to the Awards Committee, "he has become a well known reference for everyone in the field who wants to base the transatlantic cooperation on documented facts, statistics and in-depth studies." He was Associate Provost for Educational Partnerships and International Affairs at the University of Kentucky at the time that he received the award.
Dennis Dutschke
Dennis Dutschke was awarded the Transatlantic Leadership Award in 2010, for his role as founder of the transatlantic dialogue in 2005. This initiative was a first of its kind that has developed into a format used by many and a tool for understanding and cooperation throughout the world. When he received this award he was founding Dean of Studies of The College of Global Studies, Arcadia University.
William G. Davey
William G. Davey was awarded the Transatlantic Leadership Award in 2010, for his role as founder of the transatlantic dialogue in 2005. This initiative was a first of its kind that has developed into a format used by many and a tool for understanding and cooperation throughout the world. At the time that he received this award, he had recently retired from his position as Director of the International Programs at Arizona State University.
Giancarlo Spinelli
Giancarlo Spinelli received the Transatlantic Leadership award in 2009 for his extensive work initiating and developing cooperative projects with the United States. The Awards Committee acknowledged his ventures as "an example of good practice, beneficial to all interested in setting up joint or double degrees. Giancarlo has, in his professional and respectful approach to transatlantic cooperation, achieved results that inspire others to follow in his footsteps." When he received this award he was Rector’s Delegate for International Relations at the Politecnico di Milano University, Italy.