Symbiosis International (Deemed University) SIU and Association of Indian Universities (AIU) are happy to announce the fifth edition of their annual international conference on Internationalisation of Higher Education (IHE 2021) in collaboration with OBREAL GLOBAL and The World Bank. This SIU-AIU IHE series of conferences is a prominent annual international event on internationalisation of higher education, providing a platform for Indian vice chancellors, senior academics, faculty and experts from India and across the world to engage with critical ideas, policies and structures that would support HEIs to internationalise their curricula and campuses.

The tumultuous year that has gone by provides the background and impetus for this year’s conference. Titled ‘Reimagining Internationalisation: Blended Education as a Catalyst, IHE 2021 will bring together academics, university administrators, practitioners, vice chancellors and policy makers to discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as they face what is likely to be one of the most challenging situations faced by higher education in recent times.

Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, and interactions with faculty and experts from across the world’s best institutions, IHE 2021 offers an opportunity to reimagine what the future of internationalisation of higher education can be. Lockdowns across many countries will continue, safety of travel and the need for social distancing will continue, and the urgent need to incorporate online/virtual technologies into course delivery will only heighten. Through the sessions at IHE 2021, experts will discuss and deliberate over practical and viable solutions to this changing learning ecosystem; and receive inputs and insights that will support their planning for the coming academic years. Not often do we get an opportunity to review and reimagine (and maybe completely overhaul) our ‘role’ in society. This promises to be one such opportunity.