From November 17-21, 2025, AFS Intercultural Programs convened global experts, educators, and youth from around the world for our annual International Education Week (IEW), a premier, free, week-long virtual webinar series. In 2025, these conversations felt more critical than ever. In a world that is simultaneously hyper-connected and increasingly polarized, the need for mutual understanding, empathy, and global competence has never been more urgent.
The series demonstrated AFS’s commitment to thought leadership, advocacy, and its core mission: building a global community of active global citizens equipped to create a more peaceful and just world.
Over five days, the virtual event enjoyed over 1,000 individuals joining 7 live sessions, and an additional 1,200 engaged with the content asynchronously, demonstrating a powerful commitment from audiences worldwide.
We invite you to access the full playlist of the 2025 International Education Week sessions on the AFS YouTube channel.
The Pulse of Global Education: Overarching Themes of the week
The AFS IEW 2025 series showed a clear consensus on four central pillars, focusing on engaging and preparing people for a complex world.
- Intentional Kindness as a Disruptive Force: The “Global Disruptors: The Act of Kindness” session reframed kindness not as mere niceness, but as a deliberate methodology for creating a more compassionate and just world. This theme challenged the field to move beyond traditional, often elitist structures and actively embed empathy and care into professional practice and pedagogy, disrupting systems that nurture discrimination.
- Human-Centric Skills in a Digital Age: Sessions like “Unpacking Global Competence” and “Building Digital Sanctuaries” highlighted the urgent need for distinctly human skills. As technology and AI reshape our interactions, the ability to communicate across cultures, demonstrate empathy, and think critically becomes fundamental. This theme underscored a profound shift, validated by the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, which notes that “geoeconomic fragmentation is also driving a need for human-centred skills” like resilience and global citizenship. This urgency is matched by the parallel need to create intentional, safe online spaces where learners can connect, share, and grow with confidence.
- Bridging Education and Employability: A strong focus on tangible outcomes was evident, particularly in the session “Measuring the Career Impact of Education Abroad.” This webinar addressed the critical need to articulate the return on investment for international experiences in terms that resonate with all constituents– students, families, and institutions. By linking global learning to concrete career success, higher salaries, and measurable economic impact, the conversation shifted from a valuable experience to an essential component of lifelong career readiness.
- The Voice of the Next Generation: The “Gen Z and Global Education” panel centered the unique perspectives of today’s young learners. This theme explored how a generation shaped by social media and global events searches for authenticity, social proof, and tangible impact. Their reliance on peer testimonials and their focus on post-program opportunities are reshaping how organizations must design, market, and deliver transformative educational experiences.
These thematic pillars brought forth tangible and actionable commitments through the practical frameworks and proven strategies shared by expert industry speakers. The power of translating theory into practice was not lost on participants, whose feedback powerfully affirmed the real-world value of the week’s discussions.
Voices from the Community: Something for everyone!
The perspectives of our global community of participants offer the most direct and compelling evidence of the webinar series’ value and impact. See what resonated most with attendees here:
“I learned a lot from this webinar especially since I am working as a teacher the learnings are eye opener for me to be more mindful about how I do things with kindness.”-Annonymous
“The challenge and importance to handle ourselves with kindness in a daily basis, starting with kindness towards ourselves.”-Daniela S.
“This webinar reminded me that global competence isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a mindset. The panel helped me see how empathy, adaptability, and cross-cultural communication are now core to professional growth. It challenged me to think beyond technical skills and start cultivating the kind of awareness that truly connects people across borders.”-Francine K.
So, where do we go from here? AFS’s vision for a more just and peaceful world was center stage through IEW’sdialgoues and connections that drive impact. Together we strive to expand access to intercultural education, globalize institutions, and build an engaged community of active global citizens. This IEW 2025 webinar series is integral to achieving this strategy for a more inclusive and equitable future. A huge thank you to all of the experts, panelists, empowering educators and students who partnered with AFS to develop the Active Global Citizens the world urgently needs.
Join the Movement for Active Global Citizenship
- Learn More: Explore AFS programs for students and professionals, access our free resources for educators, find scholarship opportunities, and discover how to volunteer at afs.org.
- Understand the Framework: Download the AFS Framework for Active Global Citizenship to discover our educational approach.
- Empower Young Leaders: Find out more about the AFS Youth Assembly, a global gathering for changemakers aged 18-35.
- Get Involved: Contact your local AFS office to learn how you can become a host family and welcome an international student into your home, or contribute your time and skills as a volunteer.