International Education: Balancing Collaboration and Innovation with National Security
Thursday, February 19
Western Michigan University, Student Center, Ballroom B
- PANEL I, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- PANEL II, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Refreshments provided
Open Q & A follows
For more than a century, the United States and Western Michigan University have partnered with countries around the world to welcome international students to campus. These students enrich our classrooms, strengthen cultural understanding, and contribute to global collaboration and innovation.
International students play a vital role in STEM and many other fields, helping to expand the nation’s talent pipeline and drive research breakthroughs. Their presence also generates significant economic benefits at the national, state, and local levels.
At the same time, shifting immigration policies and other barrier have made it challenging to recruit and retain global talent. These obstacles not only affect higher education but also influence the national security concerns related to educating international students in some subject areas and allowing access to particular research labs.
This event will explore these themes, highlight the value international students bring to WMU and beyond, and discuss the evolving landscape of global education. Open to campus and the community!
Guiding questions to be addressed by panelists:
Should the U.S. continue to promote robust higher education collaboration with other countries/allies to attract talent, ideas and innovation?
If so, how does the U.S. protect its national security interests as it pertains to international education?
PANEL I—Benefits and challenges of providing international education today
3 to 4:30 p.m.
- Dr. Reetha Raveendran—WMU Dean of Students, host and moderator
- Dr. Rosemary Max, Assoc. Vice President, WMU Haenicke Institute for Global Education, overview of the issues, impacts at WMU
- International Student testimonial—tbd, a WMU graduate or post-graduate international student in a STEM field.
- Dr. Theresa Cardinal Brown, former Senior Advisor for Immigration and Border Policy and author of the report, Bipartisan Efforts to Keep Talented International Students in the U.S. After Graduation report. Overview of report on retaining international STEM graduates
- Mr. Andy Richards, EVP and COO, Duncan Aviation, Battle Creek
PANEL II—Joint Institutes/Divided Loyalties—National Security Risks and Policy Overview
5 to 6:30 p.m.
Jeff Breneman, WMU VP for Government Relations, to interview John Sava, senior investigator for the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, about the Joint Institutes/Divided Loyalties committee report released in September 2025. The report reveals how U.S. universities are continuing to aid China's military ambitions through joint institutes and academic partnerships. Sava leads investigations and legislative initiatives focused on foreign influence, research security, technology transfer, and intellectual property theft. He is widely recognized within the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement communities as a subject-matter expert on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) technology transfer apparatus and defense research and industrial base. The Select Committee was chaired by Congressman John Moolenaar (R-MI).