08 December 2020

"Resilience in uncertain times" - EAIE Forum magazine editorial, Winter 2020

There is much talk of resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, be it personal, professional, or institutional. Indeed, many of us have been called upon to reflect on our own capacity to cope with change and uncertainty in a world turned upside down. But what does resilience mean in the context of international education, and is it a new concept?

International education is certainly no stranger to external threats, be they from natural disasters, economic recession or the evolving climate crisis and its connection to a set of activities and initiatives generally predicated on cross-border travel. In response to these challenges, institutions, staff and students have shown themselves to be both resilient and resourceful, working collaboratively to identify new solutions and sharing best practices as they arise.

What lessons have we learned from the past, and how are these being applied in the face of the current pandemic?