UCM represented Slovak higher education at the largest international education conference in the USA

From May 26 to 29, 2026, more than ten thousand experts, rectors, vice-rectors and international relations coordinators from hundreds of countries around the world met in Orlando, Florida, at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference. This year's theme "Global by Design" called on institutions to approach internationalization intentionally, strategically and innovatively. It was in this spirit that a delegation from the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava arrived at the conference as part of the Slovak booth.

UCM's participation in NAFSA is not accidental. Internationalization is one of the university's long-term priorities, and the ambition to expand partnerships geographically beyond Europe - towards Asia, America and other continents is explicitly enshrined in the valid UCM strategic documents. NAFSA 2026 was a concrete step in fulfilling this ambition. "We believe that internationalization is not just about student exchange. It is an integral part of the identity of a modern university. NAFSA gave us a unique opportunity to present UCM where decisions are made about future partnerships in global education," said Richard Brix vice-rector for international relations, who was present in Florida.

Marathon of interesting meetings throughout the week

Seven targeted bilateral meetings were held during the conference: with the Slovak Ambassador to the USA Andrej Drob (coordination of diplomatic support), with Texas Global University of Texas at Austin (virtual exchange COIL, media ambassador program), with The Education University of Hong Kong (perspectives of a partnership agreement), with Atilim University and Gazi University from Turkey (negotiations on Erasmus+ agreements), with La Marina de Valencia/EDEM from Spain (arrangement of an Erasmus+ agreement) and with St. Petersburg College from the USA, whose representative confirmed his interest in a working visit to UCM in Trnava. Participation in the conference brought direct results: two institutions expressed interest in concluding bilateral Erasmus+ agreements, one institution is planning a reciprocal visit to UCM, in addition, a basis for cooperation in the field of virtual exchange was created. UCM presented the unique media ecosystem of the Faculty of Mass Communication as a competitive advantage in the international environment. We evaluate the participation as extremely beneficial – within four days, contacts were established with seven institutions from five countries, which would otherwise have required several times higher costs for individual diplomacy.

For UCM, internationalization represents a long-term process of building the university's international reputation, creating new opportunities for students and teachers, and strengthening competitiveness in the global academic space. The established contacts and prepared partnerships have the potential to bring new mobilities, joint projects, virtual exchange programs, and international research activities.

Participation in the conference was carried out as part of activities aimed at supporting the internationalization of Slovak higher education and strengthening international cooperation between universities.

Photo: Viktor Mydlo, Tomáš Madeja