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Transforming Conflict into Collaboration

The education abroad field has long acted as a catalyst to bridge cultural divides. Today's climate demands renewed conflict resolution strategies. Political and technological changes are deepening divisions, eroding trust in institutions, and making it harder to connect and agree on basic facts. When differences become seen as insurmountable, the essential work of educating students across cultures grows more challenging.

The Forum on Education Abroad’s new Beyond Polarization Residency will unite international educators to share frameworks and tools for productive engagement across differences. Participants will learn from both peers and experts from various fields, exploring ways to address polarization and build global understanding. By integrating insights from other domains, the program empowers mid-career professionals to senior international officers to lead conflict transformation in their institutions and communities.
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Organizations are encouraged to consider sending cross-functional teams.

Sponsors:

DIAMOND

PLATINUM

Middlebury is committed to addressing societal divisiveness through its Conflict Transformation initiative, engaging with over 100 partner institutions worldwide. The Kathryn Wasserman Davis  applies insights from this network to tackle pressing issues. ​

About the Course

Throughout the four-day Beyond Polarization Residency, participants will learn about neurobiology and emotion, new digital forms of persuasion, diplomacy and peace-building, and more from renowned experts outside the field of education abroad.

Additionally, participants will be mentored by a team of experienced educators to understand and discover new ways of engaging with difference and division. Participants will be able to bring this practice back to their own organizational contexts. 

Self 
The speaker will explore how our nervous systems shape connection, empathy, and intercultural understanding—essential foundations for education abroad. Drawing from relational neuroscience, this module invites participants to consider how physiological awareness influences our ability to navigate conflict, regulate emotions, and build meaningful relationships across difference. Through experiential activities and accessible frameworks like neuroception and co-regulation, participants will develop a felt understanding of embodiment and its practical relevance to their work. This session empowers educators to better support students, colleagues, and themselves—especially in moments of discomfort or change.​

Interpersonal Relationships 
This day examines how digital media and artificial intelligence influence human interaction, including moral outrage and communication challenges. Participants will engage in activities that explore how conflicts arise in various contexts and how to engage with them productively.

Case Studies on Diplomacy & Peace Building 
Participants will dive into real-world case studies, including conflict transformation in Northern Ireland and organizational approaches to peace building. This day highlights systems-level conflict transformation strategies.

Applications 
The final day will focus on applying the tools and strategies learned throughout the residency. Participants will leave with practical takeaways to implement in their professional contexts and foster productive engagement with conflict's generative potential.

Once the Residency ends, The Forum will offer online spaces for participants to engage and connect for the following 12 months.

Why You Should Attend

Over four days, participants will have the opportunity to:

• Explore and apply models and frameworks to education abroad policies, programs, and practices.
• Learn strategies to effectively navigate and engage with difference across institutions, partners, and organizations.
• Explore approaches from multiple fields to help students apply transferable career strategies of negotiating across differences.
• Develop skills for navigating conflict within technology and social media in the global landscape and help your students build those skills, too. 
• Design an action plan for working across difference and building better global understanding in your own work, within your organizational context, and/or among your students.
• Create a trusting network of colleagues to share successes, challenges, and resources over the year following the event. 

Competencies You (and Your Team) Will Develop

Individual Participants will have the chance to:

• Navigate generative conflict and productive discomfort effectively at work and with students.
• Recognize, discern, prepare and respond to divisions or barriers that can arise on campuses in cross-cultural and international work and learning settings.
• Implement strategies to address conflicts in their workplace or among students.

Teams Who Attend as a Cohort will have the opportunity to:

• Design unit or institutional policies for how to respond when conflict arises involving students or their families.
• Develop a unit or organizational strategy to incorporate deliberative practices into collaboration and teamwork.
• Create a resource list that can be used across academic disciplines or administrative units.
• Form an ongoing committee/group to assess how well these strategies are working and what other resources or strategies may be needed.

Areas We Will Explore

Questions to be addressed intentionally expand and deepen participants’ knowledge of these fields, with the aim of enriching our practice as Education Abroad professionals:

• How does divisive conflict affect our body, brain, and emotions? How can we use this awareness to respond more effectively and reduce negative physical reactions or burnout?
• How do ‘technologies of persuasion’ like smart phones and social media fuel divisions between people and keep us in constant states of anxiety and uncertainty? How can we address these causal factors of division in our work with students and in our own professional lives?
• What can we learn from peace-keepers and diplomats who are skilled in reducing tensions in high-stakes situations?

Cost + What's Included

Program Cost:
Members: $2,995
Non-Members: $3,995
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Included in the program fee:

• ​Four days of interactive coursework with expert faculty.
• Three nights (July 29 - August 1) at the , part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.
• Breakfast and lunch daily.
• Opening reception with faculty and staff.

Participants should plan to arrive in time for a 4pm start on Tuesday, July 29. Programming will end at 12pm on Friday, August 1. Optional lunch (included in the program fee) will be served on Friday.​

​ to see if your institution is a member of The Forum.

Cancellation Policy

​Cancellation & Refund Policy
If you need to cancel your registration, refunds will be issued according to:

• On or before April 27 – 90% refund of the original purchase amount
• April 28 – June 27 – 50% refund of the original purchase amount
• After June 27 – No refund available

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Meet the Residency Speakers

John Paul Lederach, Ph.D.
Conflict Resolution and Mediation Expert

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John Paul Lederach's Bio

Widely known for his pioneering work in conflict transformation, Lederach is involved in conciliation work in Colombia, the Philippines, and Nepal, plus countries in East and West Africa. He has helped design and conduct training programs in 25 countries across five continents. In August 2013, Lederach was appointed director of the  the Kroc Institute's unique source of comparable data on all comprehensive peace agreements that have been signed since 1989. He has served as senior fellow at Humanity United since 2015.

Lederach is the author of 28 books, including  (Herald Press, 2014), , (University of Queensland Press, 2010),  (Oxford University Press, 2005), The Journey Toward Reconciliation (Herald Press, 1999),  (USIP, 1997), and Preparing for Peace: Confliction Transformation Across Cultures (Syracuse University Press, 1995).
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Lederach holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Colorado (1988).

Aziz Abu Sarah
Co-Founder, ​InterAct International

Aziz's Bio

​Aziz Abu Sarah is the Co-founder of InterAct International, a Palestinian peacebuilder, author, and mission-driven entrepreneur whose personal story of transformation began after the tragic loss of his brother, who was killed by Israeli soldiers. From seeking revenge to championing peace, Aziz has dedicated his life to advancing reconciliation through innovative initiatives in Palestine, Israel, and over 60 other countries.

Aziz has been recognized among the “500 Most Influential Muslims in the World” by the Royal Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan annually since 2010 for his impactful work in cultural education and conflict resolution. As a National Geographic Explorer and TED Fellow, Aziz has demonstrated the power of travel as a tool for peacemaking. In 2009, he co-founded MEJDI Tours, a leader in responsible travel and creator of the pioneering Dual Narrative™️ method, which uses travel to foster understanding and dialogue. Recently he and his Israeli partner in peace were the first Israeli-Palestinian peace movement representatives to have an audience with Pope Leo.

In April 2024, at the annual TED Conference, Aziz and his Israeli partner, Maoz Inon, delivered the opening session's first talk, which became the third most-watched TED talk of the year. In May 2024, the two attended the ARENA DI PACE peace event in Verona, where they received a personal embrace and public support from the late Pope Francis, drawing international media attention to their shared vision for peace. Together, they have also led impactful conversations and events across the world and within their communities in Israel and Palestine.

Aziz is the co-founder of InterAct International, a nonprofit focused on advancing sustainability, education, and cross-cultural connections, and he has served as the Executive Director at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. He is also a former Chairman of the Parents Circle–Family Forum, a network of bereaved families advocating for peace. Aziz’s contributions to peacebuilding have been recognized by notable figures, including former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

Aziz is the author of two books: Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler’s Guide to World Peace (2020) and Strangers, Neighbors, Friends: Muslim-Christian-Jewish Reflections on Compassion and Peace (2018). Currently, he is co-authoring a book with Maoz Inon, expected to be published in 2026 by Crown Publishing House.

His groundbreaking work continues to inspire hope and action, demonstrating that transformative change is possible—even in the most divided regions.

He uses travel as a platform for peacebuilding, fostering understanding and dialogue in over 30 countries, including Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Israel-Palestine.

Jennifer McCoy, Ph.D.
​Regent’s Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University, Nonresident Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Research Affiliate at CEU’s Democracy Institute in Budapest

Jennifer McCoy's Bio

Jennifer McCoy, Ph.D., is Regent’s Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University and Nonresident Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, as well as Research Affiliate at CEU’s Democracy Institute in Budapest. She was named a 2024 Andrew Carnegie Fellow, one of 28 scholars nationwide who will explore political polarization as well as what might help tackle division and strengthen American democracy. A specialist on democratic erosion and polarization, mediation and conflict prevention, election processes and election observation, and Latin American politics, Dr. McCoy has authored or edited six books and dozens of articles. Her latest volume is Polarizing Polities: A Global Threat to  Democracy, co-edited with Murat Somer (2019). She teaches courses on democratic erosion, comparative democratization, international norms, and Latin American politics.

Dr. McCoy’s Andrew Carnegie Fellowship will fund a two-year project, “Mitigating Pernicious Polarization through Innovative Civic Educational Interventions,” with co-investigator Michael Evans to build student civic skills and dispositions to navigate the growing challenges of disinformation, distrust in government, divisive political rhetoric, and social fragmentation. It will measure the impact of innovative civic education assignments given to over 16,000 students over two years.

Dr. McCoy’s long-term research program on Polarized Democracies seeks to determine the causes, consequences and solutions to polarized societies around the world. She and Murat Somer developed the concept of  “pernicious polarization” to refer to the political polarization that divides societies into mutually distrustful “Us vs. Them” camps, undermines the capacity of democracies to address critical policy problems, and often incentivizes leaders and citizens to support democratic erosion. Leading a group of international scholars and funded by NSF, International Studies Association, and Central European University, McCoy organized two international workshops whose work was published as book-length volumes of the American Behavioral Scientist (Jan 2018) and Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (January 2019), co-edited by Jennifer McCoy and Murat Somer. 

She is currently working on two book projects with Murat Somer on strategies to prevent and overcome pernicious polarization and protect democracy at the macro level, and on opposition strategies to challenge incremental autocratization. In another project, McCoy examines the micro-foundations of severe polarization and democratic erosion, looking at causes of citizen support for democratic-norm violations, as well as possible antidotes to the hostility and distrust of the “Other” and decreasing support for democracy caused by Us vs Them polarizing strategies of populist political leaders.  This collaborative work includes online survey experiments in the U.S. and Hungary with Gabor Simonovits and Levente Littvay.

McCoy has been a visiting scholar at Koc University in Istanbul, Collegio Carlo Alberto in Turin, Italy, and both the Democracy Institute and the Institute of Advanced Studies at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. She was named a GSU Distinguished University Professor in the inaugural class of 2013 and served as inaugural director of the Global Studies Institute (2015-16). 

In 2016, Dr. McCoy completed a research project funded by USAID and NSF on Legitimacy Deficits in Transitional Justice in the Colombian Peace Process, with Ryan Carlin, Jelena Subotic and Greg Love.  Dr. McCoy also participates in Team Populism — an international research team on Causes and Consequences of Populism, comparing Latin America, North America and Europe. She has received research grants and awards from NSF, USAID Center for Democracy, US Institute of Peace, Rockefeller Foundation, North-South Center, and Fulbright Association.
Dr. McCoy served as Director of the Carter Center’s Americas Program (1998-2015), leading projects on democratic strengthening, mediation and dialogue, and hemispheric cooperation. She created the group of Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter; directed The Carter Center’s projects on Mediation and Monitoring in Venezuela 2002-2004, Ecuador-Colombia Dialogue Group 2008-2010, and U.S.-Andean Dialogue Group 2010-2011; led over a dozen election monitoring missions and organized former President Carter’s historic trips to Cuba in 2002 and 2011. She served as a mediator in Venezuela, and between Ecuador and Colombia, and published with Francisco Diez a book analyzing the Venezuelan conflict: International Mediation in Venezuela (USIP Press, 2011).

McCoy is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations; member of the International Women’s Forum; and founding co-chair of the Atlanta chapter of the Scholar’s Strategy Network. She currently serves on the editorial board of Journal of Democracy and several task forces and advisory committees focused on improving democratic resilience in the United States.

Lori (Binky) Walker, LMFT, RPT, ATR
Behavioral Health Therapist

Lori (Binky) walker's Bio

​This session is led by Lori (Binky) Walker, LMFT, RPT, ATR, a practicing child and family psychotherapist based in Olympia, Washington. Trained at the University of Michigan with a degree in Psychology and Antioch University Seattle with an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy, she has additional training as a Registered Art Therapist and Registered Play Therapist. She completed two years of study in relational neuroscience and its application in the field of Psychotherapy under Bonnie Badenoch, Ph.D., author of Being a Brain Wise Therapist: A Practical Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology and The Heart of Trauma: Healing the Embodied Brain in the Context of Relationships. 

Binky’s international experience includes two years in the Middle East as an artist-in-residence on archaeological digs in Jordan and Yemen, a year as an English Instructor at Udorn Thani Teacher’s College in Thailand, and two years as the artistic director of a small cultural arts foundation based in Paris, France, where she developed and implemented community-based arts projects for children in difficulty in Morocco. 

Binky directly applies whole-body concepts from relational neuroscience in her therapeutic work with patients of all ages.

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Meet Our Residency Faculty

The residency faculty members will serve as both mentors and subject matter experts, providing guidance, context, and critical insights throughout the residency. They will facilitate discussions, lead workshops, and share strategies drawn from diverse fields to help participants deepen their understanding and apply concepts effectively.

Troy Gordon, Ph.D.
Director of Global Teaching & Learning
​Syracuse University Abroad

Troy's bio

Based in London, Dr. Troy Gordon is the Director of Global Teaching & Learning for Syracuse University Abroad. He served as the onsite director of the Syracuse University London Center for 10 years, overseeing all operations, academics and student support. Troy has held full-time teaching appointments at UCLA and at Hult International Business School, where he also served as department chair and undergraduate associate dean. Across his teaching, academic leadership and onsite experience abroad, Troy integrates big-picture perspectives of the changing field of education abroad with applied knowledge about how to make all elements of a program work effectively. Currently, his research and public speaking try to make sense of the dramatic historical changes we are experiencing - populism, political extremes, social divisions, climate disasters, the dominance of Big Tech -  and how all of us in education abroad can leverage our field's unique strengths to respond to these tumultuous times.

Angelina Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Provost for Global Learning; Teaching Associate Professor
​Lehigh University

Angelina's bio

Angelina Rodríguez is the Assistant Vice Provost for Global Learning at Lehigh University where she also holds an appointment as Teaching Associate Professor. She has held leadership positions in global education in the UAE, Mexico, Venezuela, and the US. Her PhD is in Cultural Studies, and her research and creative interests revolve around how we make sense of our constant contact with difference. A practicing integral coach, she also teaches, coaches and consults around the intersections between personal and social transformation. She is the author of four books, the latest of which is about coaching and global education pedagogy, due out in summer 2025.

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.

David Wick, Ed.D.
Associate Professor; Program Chair, International Education Management
Middlebury Institute of International Studies​ at Monterey

David's bio

David Wick has worked in international education since 1988. His experience includes leading study abroad efforts at a youth exchange organization, Arkansas State University, San Francisco State University, and Santa Clara University. Additionally, Wick brings private sector experience from a decade as a project manager and account executive in advertising and design.

Wick’s international experience includes study in Mexico, France, Germany, Austria, and the UK. He has also taught in Hungary and France, where he participated in the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) from 1991-92 at Lycée Yves-Kernanec in Marcq en Baroeul. Wick has given lectures or workshops in Azerbaijan, Hong Kong, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey. He is also a Fulbright Scholar who participated in the 2011 International Education Administrators’ Program in India. 

Volunteer service is central to Wick’s professional engagement. Wick has held appointed and elected leadership roles for NAFSA: Association of International Educators with the Academy, Trainer Corps, Annual Conference Executive Committee, Region III and Region XII teams, and the Education Abroad Knowledge Community. He has supported Diversity Abroad’s work since inception as a conference planner, workshop designer and facilitator, and content developer. Wick currently serves as president of Macalester College’s Alumni Board, as a Quality Improvement Program peer reviewer for the Forum on Education Abroad, and on the Institute for Study Abroad’s Inclusive Excellence Advisory Group. He has received multiple awards from NASFA in recognition of his international education policy leadership.

Residency Advisor
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.

This residency is made possible through the contributions of Mary F. Price, Ph.D., the thought leadership of the , and the generous support of Residency Faculty and their subject matter expertise. Special thanks to their institutions:

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Hosted by:

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Sponsorship Opportunities

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of this event, . A member of our team will be in touch with you!​