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Cultivating Connection: Encouraging Deeper Student Engagement in Popular Education Abroad Destinations​

Barcelona, Spain 
Friday, January 31, 2025
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CEST (GMT+2)

Attendees are invited to an Opening Aperitivo  Reception on Thursday, January 30.

Join us in Barcelona for this one-day event where we will tackle the challenge of helping students authentically engage with Europe’s most popular destinations. Cities like Barcelona, Paris, and Florence are rich in history and culture. However,  the combination of high student volumes, linguistic diversity, and booming tourism come together to create unique obstacles for education abroad.

​Hosted in collaboration with CEA CAPA and The Forum on Education Abroad, this Regional Seminar will offer fresh perspectives and foster dialogue on how to position learning in these high-demand locations. Participants will leave with practical strategies to enhance student engagement, support their learning and development, and create more impactful education abroad experiences. 

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Why You Should Attend

Led by senior education abroad leaders and local university staff and faculty, this full-day seminar explores key questions including:

• How can international educators help students engage with popular European education abroad destinations to maximize their learning and development? 
• What strategies, tools, and techniques can be used to design programs, classes, and student support systems that effectively situate student learning and development in popular and/or education abroad locations with high volumes of tourism?  
• How do on-site staff and faculty develop support systems that help students engage with their education abroad locations in a meaningful way?

Outcomes you can expect

At the end of the day, participants will be able to:

• Grasp current trends and best practices for managing education abroad programs in high-tourism destinations;
• Apply strategies and tools to enhance students’ learning, development, and cultural immersion in popular study abroad locations;
• Understand the perspectives and unique challenges faced by host communities, educators (both U.S.-based and local), and students in areas with heavy tourism;
• Explore models for turning location-based challenges into opportunities for deeper engagement.​

Agenda & Location

Thursday, January 30
Opening Aperitivo Reception (time and location TBA)

Friday, January 31
Agenda is tentative and subject to change.
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m CEST 
9:00   | Welcome + The Day’s Agenda
9:30   | Navigating Education Abroad in Popular Tourist Destinations: Insights from U.S. and Spanish Perspectives
10:15 | The Tourism Phenomenon: Exploring Community and Environmental Impacts
11:00 | Coffee Break
11:30 | The Language Learning Decline: Academic Barriers and Cultural Disconnects
12:15 | Lunch on your own
2:00   | Strategies and Solutions: Addressing the Tourism Phenomenon in Education Abroad 
2:45   | Case Studies in Coursework and Experiential Learning
3:45   | Reflections and Next Steps: Collaborative Discussion and Action Planning​
4:30   | Conclude 
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Location:
CEA CAPA Barcelona Study Center
Plaça Catalunya, 20, 2nd floor
​08002 Barcelona

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Speakers

Cèsar Alegre Alsina, Ph.D.
Barcelona Center Director & AVP for Program Development, IES Abroad

Cèsar's Bio

Dr. Cèsar Alegre Alsina has been the Director of IES Abroad Barcelona programs since 2008. He is originally from Barcelona and speaks Spanish, Catalan, and English fluently. He brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education to IES Abroad, including a noteworthy teaching career in the United States, experience in student services, and a strong research portfolio. Before coming to IES Abroad, Dr. Alegre Alsina taught Spanish language, as well as Spanish and Hispanic Culture and Literature at Amherst College for 16 years. He is the author of a book on Hispanic Americans (Scholastic), and has contributed to the Encyclopedia of Hispanic Americans (BRG Oxford) and numerous articles and reviews in American and international journals. Dr. Alegre Alsina received his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University, his Master’s degree in Hispanic Literature at Auburn University, and his doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Rich Kurtzman
Founder & CEO, Barcelona Study Abroad Experience (SAE)

Rich's Bio

​Currently based in Barcelona, Rich (he/him/his/él) grew up in the great city of Chicago, Illinois, but has been lucky to call Barcelona his home for over 15 years. His studies in Spanish and Russian Language and Culture led him on a path toward study abroad ever since high school. Starting with a summer in St. Petersburg, Russia then a semester in Madrid, Spain, there is no doubt that his study abroad experiences shaped his future. He later did an internship in Milan, Italy, led student groups through Spain, and volunteered in the Philippines. After earning his M.A. in Spanish Applied Linguistics, Rich taught Spanish History and Culture to study abroad students in Barcelona. Since 2002, Rich has organized and directed all aspects of study abroad in Barcelona. Rich regularly presents at International Education conferences on various topics and also works as an intercultural consultant for multinationals in Spain.

Josep Ibáñez Muñoz
Commissioner for Eutopia and International Programmes, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Josep's Bio

As commissioner for Eutopia and international programmes, Mr. Muñoz coordinates and oversees the following matters:

• The monitoring the work of the different work packages of the Eutopia More project and other Erasmus+ projects and actions related to Eutopia.
• The integration of Eutopia More, or similar projects, into the Eutopia initiative as a whole as a European University, together with the vice-rector for Internationalization.
• The strategic steering of UPF’s international programmes, in coordination with the vice-rector for internationalization"

​Josep Ibáñez has been a senior lecturer in International Relations at the Department of Law since 2012 and is a member of the Public International Law and International Relations Research Group. He became a doctor of Law (UPF) in 2003 having previously completed a masters in Political Science (1999); a degree in Social and Political Science at UAB (1995); a BA in Modern Languages from the University of the West of England (Bristol, 1991) and a degree in Langues Étrangères Appliquées from the University of Rennes II - Haute-Bretagne (1990).

He has mainly developed his teaching at UPF, but has also taught at numerous other universities and educational institutions, such as Binus University (Jakarta, Indonesia), the Josef Korbel School of International Studies / University of Denver (USA), the National University of Seoul and the University of Korea (South Korea), the Barcelona Institute for International Studies (IBEI) and the Centre for International Studies (CEI) - International Affairs. 

His lines of research in international relations include studying non-state actors and authorities in world politics, the political dimension of information and communication technologies, global governance, and the analysis of foreign policy. His publications include various case studies and numerous articles, book chapters and working papers, within a dozen national and international competitive research projects.

In addition to teaching and research, he has carried out consultancy activities, has been a translator for case studies on international political economics and has occupied various other roles, such as academic secretary of the Spanish Journal of International Law (2019-2023), editor of the Orbis Working Papers (since 2015), member of the Internet Governance Forum  - Spain (IGF-Spain, 2009-2014) and of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group of IGF Spain (since 2014). He has also been a Fulbright scholar of the American Studies Center (since 2004); he has been an International Visitor at the US State Department (2005); as well as an intern at the Foreign Affairs and International Commerce Department/Ministry of Canada (2002) and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1995).

Prior to becoming the UPF commissioner for Eutopia and international programmes, he was academic director of international programmes (2023-2024), academic coordinator of the LL.M. in European and Global Law (2017-2023), and mobility coordinator at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences (2009-2017).

Enric Figueras
Vice President of Regional Programs - Spain, CEA CAPA

Enric's Bio

​As Vice President at CEA CAPA, Spain, Mr. Figueras establishes a country strategy to ensure consistency among all sites, and to lead and support all program development initiatives geared toward enhancing quality. Mr. Figueras also monitors the academic standards of our programs and ensures that CEA CAPA policies are in place to serve the CEA CAPA community and deliver study abroad programs of quality and rigor.

Mr. Figueras has over 10 years of experience in the field of academia. Before joining CEA CAPA, he taught at Boise State University (Idaho), where he created an online language teaching program, developed Spanish course curriculum in the fields of Spanish Linguistics and Spanish for Heritage Learners, coordinated the Spanish Language Program, and served as the Director of the Undergraduate Spanish Program. Mr. Figueras also contributed to the development of a variety of teaching tools for various U.S. publishing companies, including two published workbook manuals for U.S. college students.

Mr. Figueras sees study abroad as a magnificent opportunity for personal growth and development, alongside academic advancement. Exploring new horizons not only opens doors to new ideas and views, but also helps you calibrate your potential and abilities in a new environment. This experience supports the development of a lifelong set of skills highly transferable to the personal and professional arenas.
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Mr. Figueras holds an Executive MBA from La Salle (Universitat Ramon Llull, Spain), a master's in Spanish from Middlebury College (Vt.), and a bachelor's in Communications/Journalism from Boise State University (Idaho). He is trilingual in English, Spanish, and Catalan, has extensive knowledge of Portuguese, and working knowledge of French.

Marissa Lombardi, Ed.D.
Vice President and Chief Learning Officer, The Forum on Education Abroad

Marissa's Bio

Dr. Marissa Lombardi serves as the Vice President and Chief Learning Officer, implementing an impressive array of programs, resources and materials related to the Standards of Good Practice, equity, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, and other topics that promote and facilitate the highest quality education abroad programs.

Prior to joining The Forum’s team, Marissa was with EF Education First, where she served as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Partnerships.Previously, Marissa was an Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Global Studies and International Relations program at Northeastern University, where she developed a concentration and certificate in Global Student Mobility. She also served as a faculty scholar and lead scholar at the university’s Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning through Research.

​She served as dean of students at Lorenzo de’Medici Italian International Institute in Florence, Italy, where she was part of a senior leadership team responsible for the oversight of campuses in Florence, Rome, Venice, and Tuscania. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bennington College, a Master’s of Arts in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University and a Doctorate of Education, with a specialization in International Education, from Northeastern University.

​Rebecca Swanson, Ph.D.
Director, Specific Programs for International Students, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Rebecca's Bio

Born in the UK, Rebecca moved with her parents to Sabadell as a child, residing since in Catalunya. She has a PhD in Art History by the Universitat de Barcelona, and has studied abroad in Rome and Paris, specializing her research in Medieval Art and Culture through the Institut de Recerca en Cultures Medievals at UB. After finishing her thesis, she started working in the Study Abroad field and International Higher Education, first at CIEE as a Program Manager for the Business & Culture Program, and afterwards directing CAPA Barcelona. Keen reader, in her spare time she enjoys rock climbing and mountain trekking.

Martha Johnson, Ph.D.
Chief Academic Officer and Provost,
​CEA CAPA

Martha's Bio

​Martha Johnson, PhD, has worked in education abroad since 1991, including onsite at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and as the Study Abroad Coordinator at Leeds Metropolitan University in Leeds, England. She managed institutional relations for several U.S.-based educational organizations and consortia including Regent’s College in London and AustraLearn previous to going to the University of Minnesota in 2001.

From 2009-2022, Martha served the Assistant Dean for Learning Abroad at the University of Minnesota and oversaw one of the largest education abroad offices in the U.S., sending over 4000 students abroad annually. She played a key leadership role in the highly successful and internationally recognized Curriculum Integration initiative, as well as developing the Career Integration project and subsequent conferences.
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Martha holds a PhD in American Studies with an emphasis in drama and the performance of gender, race, and cultural identity from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. Martha has presented and chaired numerous sessions and workshops at national and international conferences, served on a variety of education abroad program boards, and authored articles and chapters for publications including Frontiers and NAFSA guides and resources. She previously served in leadership roles and chaired multiple committees in NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, Diversity Abroad, the Global Leadership League, and the Fund for Education Abroad. She is currently serving a term as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Forum.

Raquel Medina
Dean of Area Studies & Assistant Dean of Faculty, IES Abroad Barcelona 

Raquel's Bio

​Raquel Medina is a visiting research fellow at Aston University and Dean of Area Studies at IES Abroad Barcelona. She is the author of Cinematic Representations of Alzheimer’s Disease and Surrealismo en la poesía española de posguerra. She has served as co-editor of Sexualidad y escritura Envejecimientos y cines ibéricos, Tecnologías de la edad and The Bloomsbury Handbook to Ageing in Contemporary Literature and Film. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, and reviews on cultural representations of ageing and dementia, contemporary Spanish poetry, women writers, film, and cultural studies. She is the director of the research network CinemAGEnder and co-director of the Dementia and Cultural Narrative Network.