I am very lucky to be working at a university where I have access to conference opportunities where I can contribute in discussions about educational best practices at the higher education level.
One national example is last year, when I presented my From EAS to Collaborative Internship: Lessons and insights where bicycles create change (a pilot international student program I developed and delivered) at the English Australia state teaching conference. It won the Queensland 2018 Bright Ideas Award and EA sent me to present the same session at the national conference.
This year, I am looking further a field.
The International Exhibition and Conference in Higher Education (IECHE) is an annual international exhibition organized by the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This week, I applied for a IECHE Fellowship.
Up to 100 IECHE Fellowships are being awarded by the Saudi Kingdom so overseas higher education professionals to attend and join in conversations about global best practices.
What is the IECHE?
The adoption of the new by-laws in Saudi Arabia will make the 2019 conference particularly important as local universities will be managing more autonomy and facing a significant cultural shift in the process.
The Saudi Cultural Mission sees this event as being invaluable to encourage participation, enhance collaboration and build partnerships between Saudi and international higher education institutions, and to develop mutual understanding about the issues that govern and influence the quality of higher education worldwide.
Each year an international advisory panel helps select a theme for each conference, design the program, and invite international experts and scholars who are shaping higher education policy and practice throughout the world.
Apparently over 3, 300 people attend this event. Past IECHE speakers and
The theme for the 2019 IECHE is Transforming Saudi universities in an era of change.
What is the IECHE Fellowship?
The fellowships are offered to international educators, researchers and policy makers in higher education and cover a costs for airfares, accommodation, meals and conference participation.
Fellowship selection is based on diversity in geographic location, gender, age and experience.
I worked hard on my application. Given that I am at the intersection of many of the selection criteria, I think I have as good a chance as anyone else in being awarded.
I am genuinely interested in attending this event and in the opportunity to experience Saudi Arabia for the first time.
It will take a fortnight for the fellowship applications to be processed.
Fingers crossed!
