Opening Plenary Panel

Embracing and Transforming Conflict to Enhance Education Abroad Learning for All
Thursday, October 17, 8:45 - 10:00 A.M. 

Conflicts on many levels impact education abroad participants, faculty, staff, administrators, and host community members. We, as international educators often seek to avoid, minimize, or resolve conflicts. The panelists in this participatory plenary reframe conflict as necessary and productive.
From their experiences working in Cameroon, France, Jordan, and the US the panelists share model programs, classes, partnerships, internships, and student support structures for transforming conflict.

Plenary attendees will gain insights into how they approach conflict and leave with ideas for using conflict transformation to enhance programs, host community partnerships, internships, and student learning. 

Plenary Speakers

Jon Hutchinson

Christiane Magnido

Jon Hutchinson's bio

​Jon Hutchinson has worked in the field of International Education for three decades. Jon holds a BS in French and German language and society from the University of Aston (UK), and a Masters in Languages (English and Spanish), Interculturality and Cultural Marketing from the University of Reims (France). His studies and nationalities (British and French) inspired his career in intercultural communication, working with students from all over the world. Jon joined EUSA – Academic Internship Experts in 2011 and has held the roles of European Development Manager and the EUSA Paris
Director.

Christiane Magnido's bio

​Christiane is a native of Cameroon, and passionate about education. She holds a master’s degree in business management from the University of Dschang and a master’s degree in development and peace from the Protestant University of Central Africa. In 2023 she joined Middlebury as Director of the School in Cameroon after serving as Academic Director of SIT Study Abroad in Cameroon for 17 years. In her onsite leadership roles, she hires and trains program faculty, designs and teaches courses, and facilitates student learning in the classroom, during field activities, and in the community.

David Wick

Kerstin Wilsch

David Wick's bio 

David Wick worked for over 20 years at four U.S. universities to support or lead global learning programs. Since 2015, as an Associate Professor at the Middlebury Institute, he teaches graduate international education management and French courses focused on equity and justice in international education, student learning and development, interculturality, and inclusive educational practices. He conducts and publishes research on equity, diversity, and inclusion, student development, host community impact, and program design and serves on editorial boards for Frontiers and Global Impact Exchange

Kerstin Wilsch's bio 

​Kerstin Wilsch has spent many years in the Middle East and North Africa in various academic positions. Her Ph.D. is in Arabic Language and Translation, from the University of Leipzig and she has published many Arabic to German translations of literary works. Prior to becoming the founding Director of the program in Jordan in 2011, Kerstin worked as the Coordinator of the Translation Section at the German-Jordanian University in Amman. Kerstin has worked in teaching and administration roles at universities in Egypt, Morocco, and UK and has professional experience in Yemen.