Mirka Martel & Julie Baer: Developing data on mobility and disability

In our previous podcast episode, we talked to a representative from the Teiresias Centre (part of Masaryk University) in Czechia about the opportunities and challenges of providing maximum accessibility for all (international) students with a disability. There are still quite a number of challenges to overcome when looking at this particular part of the student and staff population, and one of these challenges is collecting valuable data to help influence future institutional strategy and policy.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is poised to publish a report on the mobility of students with disabilities. What are some of the challenges the researchers encountered in collecting this data? What was the aim of this research exercise, and how can we work together to establish a more effective collection of this important data in the future? Because one thing is clear: there is still a lot of progress that can be made when it comes to collecting useful data on international students with a disability and leveraging that information to enhance practice.

In this podcast episode we talk to Mirka Martel, IIE's Head of Research, Evaluation & Learning, and Julie Baer, a Research Specialist at IIE, to learn more about their latest research report on this important global topic.

About Mirka Martel

Mirka Martel is Head of Research, Evaluation & Learning at the Institute of International Education. She manages research and evaluation projects specializing in international education, leadership, and development. Dr. Martel’s oversight of key resources, including the historic Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange and the Project Atlas research initiative on global student mobility, advances the field and provides strategic insight into the future of academic mobility flows in the United States and worldwide.

About Julie Baer

Julie Baer is a Research Specialist on IIE’s Research, Evaluation, and Learning (REL) Team, where she serves as an expert on trends in international education mobility. She leads the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, a comprehensive resource on international students and scholars in the United States and American students studying abroad for academic credit. She also manages IIE’s signature snapshot survey series, which provides critical insights about the current landscape of international educational exchange designed to provide insights to higher education institutions, the press, and other stakeholders.

Additional resources

For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:

→ IIE/Open Doors website & link to research report

→ Mobility International USA (MIUSA)

→ Working at the crossroads of access, equity and inclusion

​​→ ​​​Learning from Flanders’ inclusive mobility roadmap​​