WES-CIHE Summer Institute

WES-CIHE Summer Institute brings together graduate students and early career researchers in international and comparative higher education from all over the globe.

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The WES-CIHE Summer Institute supports the development of the next generation of international higher education scholars, by connecting graduate students and early career researchers with seasoned professionals and senior scholars from around the world. Please consider joining us for the next Summer Institute, which will be held at Boston College on June 25 and 26, 2025!

WES-CIHE supports the community of future leaders in higher education research. Over the 6 past years, we have hosted participants from 174 participants from 37 countries. Watch the video to see what participating in the WES-CIHE Summer Institute is like!

Summer Institute Info

What to Expect

The theme of the 2025 Summer Institute is Reimagining Boundaries: Decolonization and Internationalization in Higher Education.

This year's event will explore the critical intersections between decolonization and internationalization efforts in higher education and foreground the implications of these conceptual debates for both policy and practice. At the Summer Institute, young scholars from around the world convene to share insights, challenge traditional paradigms, and propose innovative approaches to creating more inclusive and equitable global academic spaces.

At the Summer Institute, participants can expect to:

  • engage in substantive discussions about this important topic,
  • share their work, in a supportive environment, and receive both written and oral feedback from established scholars, 
  • network with other early career researchers, and
  • participate in discussions about important developmental topics, such as innovative methods, disseminating your scholarship, and the international job search.

Event Program

The Summer Institute combines individual paper presentations, panel discussions with expert speakers and opportunities for group discussion and networking for participants and presenters. 

The full program for the 2025 Summer Institute will be available later in 2024 but will likely follow a similar schedule to the 2024 program (below).


DAY ONE

10:30 a.m.

ARRIVAL AT BOSTON COLLEGE

11:00 a.m.

WELCOME & OPENING PANEL DISCUSSION
 
12:15 p.m.Lunch, and Participant and Presenter Introductions
 

1:15 p.m.

PARTICIPANT PAPER SESSION #1 
 

2:30 p.m.

Break

2:45 p.m.

PANEL DISCUSSION
 
3:45 p.m.Break
 
4:00 p.m.PARTICIPANT PAPER SESSION #2
 

5:30 p.m.

Optional Campus Tour
 

DAY TWO

8:30 am

Coffee, Light Breakfast, and Networking

9:00 am 

PANEL DISCUSSION  
10:00 amBreak
10:15 amPARTICIPANT PAPER SESSION #3
 

11:45 am

LUNCH and PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION
 

1:15 pm

PANEL DISCUSSION

2:15 pm

Break
2:30 pmPARTICIPANT PAPER SESSION #4
 
3:45 pmLESSONS LEARNED, CONCLUDING THOUGHTS, and NEXT STEPS 
 
4:45 pmSummer Institute Ends
 

Paper Submission

Any graduate student or early career professional* is invited to participate in the 2025 WES-CIHE Summer Institute. Participants who wish to participate should submit a 1,000-word paper representing original research relevant to the conference theme, as well as an up-to-date CV.

Selected participants will be invited to present their paper at the Summer Institute. Selected papers will also be considered for publication in a future edition of CIHE Perspectives.

The paper submission portal is now open! Interested participants should submit their materials via the link above. Completed applications are due by December 1, 2024. 

Selected participants will be informed by January 15. Limited travel funding and two nights’ free accommodation will be offered to selected participants based outside the Boston area.

There is no option to register/attend without submitting a paper.

* Early career professionals are eligible if they completed their terminal degree within the past five years.

Registration Fees

No registration fees will be collected. All accepted participants can attend the event, free of charge. Space is limited.

 

Venue

The WES-CIHE Summer Institute is held on the campus of Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, MA, just 20 minutes from Boston’s Logan Airport.

Accommodations

Selected participants will receive two nights' free accommodation in the Boston University dormitories in downtown Boston for the nights of June 24 and 25. (A shuttle service will be provided to bring participants to Boston College from the BU dormitories).