International education fosters global perspective in all that we do. Global can literally mean international, but it is also an emphasis on systems and perspectives beyond our own. International education primes learners to make connections unimaginable where experiences are only centered upon what is local. Through researching and understanding others, we can better understand ourselves. My academic and professional work centers on global engagement in higher education. I recognize a need and advocate for a renewed focus on the value of international education and engagement: advocating for more than moving students across borders; instead, emphasizing faculty engagement, global mindset development, and investment in deep, lasting relationships with partners abroad. Under this framework, global competencies are developed among students, staff, and faculty alike, enriching our classrooms, our culture, and our lives.
George F. Kacenga
George F. Kacenga is a PhD alum from the Social and Comparative Analysis in Education program, class 2017. Since 2018, George has served as the first Executive Director of Global Engagement at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) in Indiana, where he works to further internationalization and support global awareness. In 2019, George was designated co-chair of the American Council on Education Internationalization Laboratory at PNW, which is developing a comprehensive internationalization strategy and an ontology for tracking/assessing success.
George’s career in international affairs in higher education is impressive. Prior to PNW, he was the Director of International Enrollment Management at the University of Colorado Denver, Assistant Director of International Admissions at the University of Pittsburgh, Higher Education Consultant at Point Park University’s Office of International Education, and Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Saint Vincent College.
His dissertation titled, “Globalization of Foreign Academic Credential Placement Recommendations for Graduate Study in the United States, 1932- 2015” has been downloaded 896 times between May 2017 and February 2020 from the University of Pittsburgh repository D-Scholarship@Pitt (http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/31826/).
George’s research interests include international comparative education, foreign credential evaluation, international economics, higher education, and globalization.