Shanna Saubert & Dorothée Brac de la Perrière: International education and the Olympic spirit

During the summer of 2024, many of us soaked up the energy and excitement of the Olympic Games in Paris, France. As a global event where people from all over the world come together to compete, collaborate, learn, and enjoy, the Olympics can, in some ways, be compared to international education, which also brings together individuals with shared interests and passions. Upon closer inspection, what are some of the key parallels between the worlds of international sports and international higher education? What particular opportunities do big sports events such as the Olympics bring to international students? And what are the challenges of being a student and a professional or highly competitive athlete?

In this EAIE podcast episode, host Laura Rumbley talks to two sports and IHE fans: Shanna Shaubert, who works as Associate Director of Research and Scholarship at NAFSA, and Dorothée Brac de la Perrière, European Projects Manager at INSA-Lyon. We take a moment to look back at Paris 2024 and ahead to Los Angeles 2028 and why the combination of sports and international higher education can be challenging but also makes a lot of sense.

About Shanna Saubert

Shanna Saubert, PhD, is the Associate Director of Research & Scholarship at NAFSA: Association of International Educators. She leads NAFSA’s thought leadership and resource development for scholars and practitioners in international education and collaborates with the Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship Knowledge Community.

About Dorothée Brac de la Perrière

Dorothée Brac de la Perrière has been the European Projects Manager at INSA-Lyon in France for the past seven years. As of September 2024, she is also a member of the EAIE’s Thematic Committee on European-funded Programmes. 

Additional resources

For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:
→ Matjaž Pečovnik: Let’s talk European university sports
→ SAMEurope: facilitating mobility for student athletes
→ Shanna Saubert – Breaking Records and Building Bridges
→ International Olympic Committee (IOC), 2024 - "Olympic Values."