Welcome to Gateway Spotlight

Join us for Gateway Spotlight, our occasional interview series where we explore pioneering approaches, transformative initiatives, and visionary ideas that are reshaping the global education landscape. Whether you’re a senior international officer, administrator, faculty, or industry professional, Gateway Spotlight is designed to bring you new insights, inspiration, and tools. Subscribe for enlightening episodes, and together, let’s advance international higher education.

Recent Episodes

Episode 32

Career-Ready Education Abroad: Bridging Academic Rigor and Professional Outcomes

Oct 22, 2025 12:00 PM Eastern Time

Education abroad has the greatest impact when classroom theory builds into career traction. This Gateway Spotlight examines how program models integrate immersive site visits, structured reflection, and professional preparation to enhance learning, networking and future employability. Drawing on the Fribourg Institute’s summer programs as a case study, we will explore how education abroad offices can align credit-bearing structures with institutional goals and deliver tangible career benefits for students. For education abroad professionals, this episode highlights strategies to connect academic rigor, institutional credibility, and student employability.

Speakers

Brooke Roberts

Gateway Spotlight Host

Inside Study Abroad

Prof. Andrej Lushnycky

Executive Director

American College Program, Univ. of Fribourg

Dr. Andrew Armstrong

Founder & Executive Director

Fribourg Institute

Upcoming Season 3

Don’t miss this chance to shape education’s future. Tune in to ‘Beyond Tradition: Pioneering Change in International Education” on Gateway Spotlight, charting a course to an innovative era.

Throughout Season 3, we will reveal institutions embracing digital advancements, fostering inclusive environments, and redefining international learning. Whether you’re a senior international officer, administrator, faculty, or industry professional, gain insights, inspiration, and tools to drive transformative change in your institution.

Subscribe for enlightening episodes, and together, let’s advance international higher education.

Previous Episodes

Missed an episode or want to look back over previous seasons? Click here.

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Sponsor an Episode

If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of our podcast, you’re taking an exciting step to align your brand with our engaging content and reach our dedicated audience. Our podcast provides a valuable platform for sharing information, insights, and stories, and sponsoring an episode allows you to connect with our listeners in a meaningful way.

As a sponsor, you’ll enjoy several benefits. Download to find out all the details.

To initiate the process of sponsoring an episode, please reach out to our Producer who will work with you to understand details about your brand, your goals for sponsorship, and any specific ideas you have in mind. We can then create a sponsorship package that aligns with your objectives and ensures a successful partnership.

Suggest a Topic

Ignite the Conversation. Join the driving force behind our shared journey of exploration in international higher education. “Suggest a Topic” is your opportunity to evoke conversations on diverse student perspectives, innovative teaching methodologies, challenges of globalization, and the role of international higher education in shaping global citizens. Your idea is not just a suggestion; it’s a catalyst for thought-provoking discussions, a testament to your engagement, and a beacon of inspiration for fellow listeners. If your proposed episode idea becomes part of our production, your contribution will be acknowledged during the broadcast!

Thank you for being an integral part of our journey.

Connect with our Producer

Jonathan Auffarth

Friends of Gateway

Friends of Gateway can discover exclusive benefits from our sponsors. Click on the profiles to find out what deal or discount each sponsor has for friends of Gateway. Simply mention ‘Friends of Gateway’ to claim your offer when you make contact.

insendi is an ethical company, a socially oriented enterprise guided by a
set of values that include honesty, integrity and passion for education and a
commitment to innovation.

Through world-leading technology and innovative solutions, Safeture helps more than 4,000 companies and organizations to manage employee safety and risk/crisis management.

Podium Education partners with universities to deliver
online global education programs that expand access, increase enrollment, and produce great outcomes for students.

SAA makes the world your new interactive
classroom through faculty-led study abroad programs, international educational
experiences, and 360° global learning materials.

Jonathan Auffarth

ASSOCIATE

Jonathan Auffarth has built his career at the intersection of language, culture, and international education. For over a decade in Santiago, Chile, he led teams of ESL educators and developed as an educator, writer, editor, and translator. Fluent in Spanish and English, he creates compelling narratives and purpose-driven content for global audiences. With skills in marketing, communications, and visual design, Jonathan helps organizations engage effectively in international education. He holds a B.A. in English from Covenant College.

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Episode 29: Cultural Lens on U.S. Higher Education: Analyzing International Perceptions of 'Anti-Woke’ Discourse

Dive into a nuanced exploration of the global discourse surrounding higher education in the United States. Join us for a panel discussion with esteemed international educators as we embark on a journey through the lenses of culture and international perspective, examining how global audiences interpret and engage with the ‘anti-woke’ discourse within the context of U.S. higher education. This engaging panel discussion will delve into the intersections of culture, ideology, and education, and the complex landscape of how international audiences perceive the ‘anti-woke’ narrative that has emerged within U.S. academia.

Whether you’re a senior international officer, or simply curious about the diverse viewpoints shaping U.S. higher education, this podcast episode will provide an invaluable space for critical analysis and insightful conversations.

Speaker Biography:

Fanta Aw is a distinguished leader in international education, renowned for her extensive contributions to global learning, cross-cultural understanding, and educational equity. With a deep commitment to fostering connections between diverse cultures and promoting educational excellence, she has significantly impacted the international education community.

Fanta Aw’s career has been characterized by her dedication to advancing global education initiatives, promoting diversity and inclusion, and nurturing partnerships that transcend borders. She has held influential roles in various organizations, advocating for the importance of international collaboration and learning experiences that empower individuals to navigate an increasingly interconnected world.

As a thought leader and visionary, Fanta Aw’s insights and expertise have shaped discussions on the future of international education, emphasizing the significance of equitable access, cultural exchange, and lifelong learning. Her work has not only elevated institutions but has also inspired countless individuals to embrace the transformative power of global education.

Date: September 14th, 2023
Time: 12 noon ET

Sponsored by:

Mark Beirn

AFFILIATE

An experienced global researcher and administrator, Mark Beirn brings a critical approach to risk management, factoring structural racism and identity-based violence into his rubric for supporting equitable global mobility.

Specialization Areas:

– Global Risk Management
– Education Abroad
– Diversity, Equity, Inclusion in International Education
– Health and Safety
– Curriculum Development

 

Stephen Appiah-Padi

AFFILIATE

Stephen Appiah-Padi is an international educator with several years of teaching and administrative experience in both 4 and 2-year HEIs. An experienced global education practitioner-scholar, with a demonstrated history of success in the field.

Dr. Appiah-Padi has a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada in Educational Policy & Administration with a specialization in International/Intercultural Education.

At Northwestern College, he provided oversight in the administration of education abroad and international student services. In Lansing, Michigan, he first oversaw diversity and intercultural education at Lansing Community College, and later created the Center for International and Intercultural Education (CIIE) which merged intercultural engagement and international education programs of the institution, and he became its first director. Additionally, Dr. Appiah-Padi taught a course, “Diversity in the American Workplace”, to undergraduate management students of the College. In his current position, he provides leadership and vision in advancing strategic internationalization initiatives, including international partnerships and study abroad programs at Bucknell University.

Dr Appiah-Padi has created and facilitated several workshops for faculty and staff development in higher education and in business organizations. He has presented at several national and international conferences. In NAFSA, among several volunteer leadership positions, he has served as Dean of the Fundamentals of Intercultural Communication Workshop, the Leadership Development Committee member, Chair of the Africa Special Interest Group, and a Fellow of the Global Fellowship Program for mentoring emerging leaders of internationalization in African HEIs. He currently serves as a member of the NAFSA Board of Directors.

Rosa Almoguera

AFFILIATE

Dr. Rosa Almoguera has worked as an international educator for over twenty years. She was trained as a Hispanic Philologist at the Universidad Complutense, in Madrid, and did her M.A. at the University of Pennsylvania. Her Ph.D., from Universidad Complutense included a field study and edition of written balladry “Romancero”. During many years Rosa combined teaching and her role as a senior administrator at the Fundación Ortega-Marañón in Toledo, Spain. At the Foundation, Rosa directed and, in many cases created, programs for the University of Minnesota, Notre Dame, Princeton, Ohio State, Arcadia, and the University of Chicago. She has also been a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota, University of Portland, and Interamericana de Puerto Rico.

Beginning in 2016, Rosa works as an international education consultant for both public and private European and US higher education institutions. Rosa has been successful in developing new partnerships and programs, as well as helping improve already existing ones.

Rosa is a member of Forum and NAFSA and has presented with higher education professionals on innovative academic and research programming, STEM in study abroad and Nationalism in Europe. Rosa is currently completing the final Professional Certification from the Forum on Education Abroad.