Dear Colleagues, Partners, and Friends of International Higher Education

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 28th Annual Conference of the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA), taking place from 25 to 28 August 2026 in KuGompo City (East London), Eastern Cape. This year’s conference is convened under the theme: “Rewriting the Agenda: Internationalisation through a Global South Lens.”

At a time of profound geopolitical shifts, economic uncertainty, technological disruption, and growing debates about the future of higher education globally, this conference arrives at a critical moment. Across the world, universities are being called upon to rethink their role within increasingly complex societies and rapidly changing global systems. Questions of mobility, equity, knowledge production, partnership models, and institutional relevance are no longer peripheral discussions; they sit at the centre of international higher education dialogue.

For South Africa and the African continent, these developments carry particular significance. We are witnessing the continued emergence of a more multipolar world, where the Global South is increasingly asserting its intellectual, political, and developmental agency. At the same time, global conversations around migration, talent mobility, research collaboration, and institutional autonomy are becoming more contested and more urgent. Within this environment, internationalisation cannot remain a passive or inherited project. It must be intentionally shaped in ways that are ethical, inclusive, contextually grounded, and responsive to both national priorities and global realities.

This year’s conference theme challenges us to move beyond traditional models of internationalisation and to critically examine whose voices, knowledge systems, and experiences shape global higher education. “Rewriting the Agenda” is therefore not merely a conceptual exercise. It is an invitation to collectively reimagine internationalisation through perspectives that emerge from our own contexts, histories, and aspirations as institutions of the Global South.

As African institutions, we bring important contributions to the global knowledge community. Across the continent and broader Global South, universities are advancing innovative approaches to teaching and learning, digital engagement, climate resilience, public health, community partnership, multilingualism, and socially responsive research. Increasingly, South–South collaboration is reshaping the nature of academic cooperation, while new forms of mobility and partnership are opening opportunities for more inclusive participation in international higher education.

This conference provides a critical platform for engaging these developments thoughtfully and strategically. It invites us to reflect not only on global trends, but also on the responsibilities and opportunities that come with positioning South Africa as an active contributor to the future of internationalisation. It calls on us to strengthen partnerships grounded in reciprocity and mutual benefit, to support more equitable systems of mobility and collaboration, and to ensure that internationalisation continues to serve broader academic, developmental, and societal goals.

Importantly, this conversation also comes at a time when higher education institutions are navigating increasingly complex national and global policy environments. As a sector, we must continue to articulate clearly the value and purpose of internationalisation within the South African context. Internationalisation is not a singular activity, nor can it be reduced to narrow interpretations of global engagement. It is a comprehensive and strategic endeavour that strengthens research, enriches teaching and learning, supports innovation, develops globally competent graduates, and contributes to South Africa’s participation within the global knowledge economy.

The 2026 conference will create space for robust dialogue across a range of critical themes, including Global South cooperation, decolonial approaches to internationalisation, student mobility and inclusion, digital and AI-enabled international education, knowledge diplomacy, sustainable partnerships, and the future of international collaboration in a changing geopolitical landscape. Equally important, it will provide opportunities to strengthen professional networks, share institutional practices, and collectively shape future directions for the sector.

I warmly invite you to join us in KuGompo City, a city rich in cultural heritage, resilience, and possibility, as we come together to reflect, engage, and imagine new pathways for international higher education. Let us use this moment not only to respond to change, but to shape it with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Together, let us contribute towards an internationalisation agenda that is collaborative, future-focused, and firmly grounded in the realities and strengths of the Global South.

I look forward to welcoming you to the IEASA 2026 Conference.

Yours sincerely,

Normah Zondo
President
International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA)