Vanderbilt’s Office of Global Safety within the Office of Undergraduate Education will bring together global risk professionals from academic institutions across the country for the Overseas Security Advisory Council’s Academia Sector Committee spring Health, Safety & Security Seminar on campus April 13–14.
The program will feature keynote speaker Elizabeth J. Zechmeister, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science and director of the LAPOP Lab, who will explore security trends in Latin America through the lab’s extensive survey data. Other sessions will highlight security trends in Europe, best practices for faculty-led programming and supporting travelers of different identities abroad. There also will be workshops on how to make the best use of OSAC and ASC resources.
The seminar is a vital venue for professionals from across the country to gather to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities in this dynamic field, said Jason Hope, director of global risk and strategic operations in the International Center at the University of Kentucky and a member of the OSAC’s ASC leadership team.
“Vanderbilt’s Office of Global Safety is staffed by thought leaders in the field of higher education international safety and security, and we’re excited at the opportunity for colleagues from OGS and from across campus to share their expertise at this program,” Hope said. “We hope that hosting it in Nashville will also provide the chance for members of the regional higher education community, who may not normally attend international risk-related conferences, to attend and share their experiences.”
For seminar attendees, the discussions will provide an opportunity to build community, as well as collaboratively consider the risks and mitigation strategies needed to best support international travel for their institutions.
We will “talk about the real-world, minute by minute changes to our research and engagement landscape,” said Andrea Bordeau, OGS director. “This is a great moment for us all gather as the experts at these institutions and ask each other: How are you making your decisions?”
About the OSAC
The Overseas Security Advisory Council is a public-private partnership dedicated to helping U.S.-incorporated organizations protect their assets, employees and operations outside the United States. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service offers this resource free of charge to all U.S.-incorporated organizations and their employees, as well as all U.S. government, law enforcement and military personnel. Learn more at www.osac.gov.