Programmes

With the help of donors, we will design and implement these programmes under the guidance of MIIC International Advisory Board and in close collaboration with the Mestenhauser family and legacy initiatives. Our intent is to genuinely mirror the core values of Joe Mestenhauser as we extend his legacy within the field of International Education across continents and make international education truly inclusive.
We invite you to join us in this joint endeavor.

Communities

Mestenhauser Communities interconnect experts around the world to innovate International Education together

Mentorship

Mentorship Programme provides mentoring and peer community support for young professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds

Students

Student Leadership in International Education recognizes outstanding student contributions to international education

Communities

Mestenhauser International Educators’ Communities 

Join us in innovating International Education through transcontinental collaboration.

Communities of practice across continents align with Joe´s legacy of networking international educators across the world. By facilitating the transcontinental exchange of expertise we can innovate the theory and practice of International Education. These communities extend conversations launched by the editors of Mestenhauser and the Possibilities of International Education in Minneapolis through collaborations across the world.

Josef A. Mestenhauser in the Czech Republic 2008, supporting the development of the field in his motherland. With the courtesy of the Mestenhauser family.

Mentorship

Mentorship Programme

This programme will aim to make International Education more inclusive and fairer.

Please join us in developing this programme to support and connect young professionals in International Education with experienced international educators. The programme especially targets those from disadvantaged backgrounds such as from the Global South, unsupportive contexts such as Ukraine and underrepresented groups such as women and minorities, Our ‘Mestenhauser Mentors’ have all made significant contributions to the field of International Education through leadership roles in universities and professional organizations such as NAFSA, EAIE, and NUFFIC, and feel strongly connected to Joe’s legacy.

Josef A. Mestenhauser and Gayle Woodruff, the Inaugural Director of Mestenhauser Legacy Initiative at UMN, With the courtesy of Dr. Woodruff.

Students

Student Leadership in International Education

With the support of the Mestenhauser family, join us to celebrate outstanding student contributions to international education and internationalization in Europe and beyond, building on the model pioneered by Joe Mestenhauser at the University of Minnesota.

“My dad felt that students were not the future, but very much the present. Students contribute to the education of those around them (including their own faculty). Education is not linear (knowledge transferred from teacher/prof to student), but it is multidimensional.” (Patricia Bergh, daughter of Josef A. Mestenhauser, 2023)

Josef Mestenhauser was not “just a student” at Charles University; he was leading the resistance and politically active. This experience meant he understood how important students are as leaders of change. He always brought students to the table, supported them, mentored them, acknowledged them and learned from them.

An award with his name could inspire Czech and other universities to recognize students who engage in internationalization as volunteers and whose efforts, while frequently unacknowledged, contribute significantly to an internationally welcoming campus.

Josef A. Mestenhauser with students awardees of the Mestenhauser Student Award for Excellence in Campus Internationalization. With the courtesy of the Mestenhauser Legacy Initiative.