Global education professionals know that one of the most important skills students cultivate while overseas is dealing with ambiguity. A big part of successful acculturation depends on learning to live with uncertainty and getting comfortable with the idea that cultural clarity and understanding will come on its own time schedule. Certainly, we all remember the gradual process of adjusting to new time priorities, and different ways of interacting with our hosts. Over time the ambiguity adjustment happens and students become even more confident and comfortable in navigating a new cultural landscape. Hopefully this is skill they can apply to other aspects of their lives they move on.

As we continue to slog through this pandemic, social unrest, and political upheaval one would hope that the skills of dealing with ambiguity that we nurture in our students are also present in ourselves. Our entire professional domain is at an unprecedented (mark your bingo cards!) standstill, with no end point in sight. We are absolutely wallowing in uncertainty. Many of us are facing the scrutiny of the campus budget office, circling above, waiting to peck away at our budgets or demand personnel restructuring. Additionally, students, faculty and staff are coming at us in every direction asking about spring 2020 and academic year 21/22 outbound programs. It is challenging enough trying to navigate the COVID-19 restrictions in our counties and states, let alone keeping abreast of higher education pandemic policy in the rest of the world.

One of the greatest joys of our profession is witnessing, the transformation that occurs as students push through the discomfort of acculturation.  We see the students struggle and ultimately emerge stronger, confident, and with a mastery of a new culture and language. Small changes daily made to adapt to a new landscape are now the skills that drive/power them forward to places they never thought they’d go.

It is now time for our own professional transformation.  How will we emerge from this disruption stronger, more focused, and confident with the new education abroad landscape?   It is now impossible to deny our profession is forever changed.  We must use this unexpected, professional pause to actively pivot education abroad to respond to:  the changes in pandemic travel, the imperative for diversity, equity and inclusion in our programs, and most importantly redefine global education for the post 2020 era.