By DKU Staff
NAFSA, the world’s largest nonprofit association of international educators, has elected Jessica Sandberg, dean of international enrollment management at Duke Kunshan, as chair of its International Enrollment Management Knowledge Community.
Sandberg will serve a three-year term starting Jan. 1.
NAFSA, based in Washington, D.C., has more than 10,000 members worldwide. The association works to build an environment in which every student and scholar seeking the benefits of international education finds a path, and every institution of higher education integrates international perspectives into its teaching, research and service missions.
‘I am honored to be chosen for this role at such a crucial time for global education,’ said Sandberg. ‘It’s well-established that higher education is the best pathway to individual growth and prosperity, and an international education can foster understanding and respect among people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
‘The challenges we face today are not small: A global pandemic, climate change, poverty, ethnic violence. Global solutions are the only way forward,’ she added. ‘It’s through international education that we can develop the globally competent individuals needed to address the challenges that face our world today and in the future.’
A seasoned international education leader, Sandberg joined Duke Kunshan in 2018 from Temple University in Pennsylvania, U.S., where she served as the inaugural director of international admissions. Previously, she held roles at the Community College of Philadelphia and Vesalius College in Brussels, Belgium.
In 2017, Sandberg featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education’s ‘Influence List’ for her development of the #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign to promote U.S. higher education and an associated scholarship program.
‘It’s a wonderful honor for Jessica and for DKU that she has been elected to serve as a leader of NAFSA,’ said Alfred Bloom, executive vice chancellor of Duke Kunshan. ‘Her commitment and ability to recruit superb students from across the globe, who will contribute importantly to making that globe a more successful, responsible and cooperative place, make us at DKU deeply proud to have Jessica as our colleague.’
Esther Brimmer, NAFSA executive director and CEO, said, ‘NAFSA’s strength derives from our members like Jessica who provide the association with formal and informal leadership, encourage collaborative dialogues, and promote knowledge creation to strengthen and serve the field.’
