WISE Conference
WISE Conference 2026
Enhancing Intercultural Learning at Home and Abroad
February 19-21, 2026
Our Focus
WISE is the pioneering conference for faculty leaders, program coordinators, and administrators to develop the knowledge and skills needed to help students advance their intercultural awareness and competency, for abroad experiences and/or life beyond college.
Our Audience
- Faculty who lead or teach programs abroad
- Study abroad directors and advisors
- Administrators and Faculty who support international experiences
- International student & scholar directors and advisors
- Educators interested in improving the intercultural skills of students
WISE Conference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free learning environment for every participant and adheres to the guidelines established by the Wake Forest University Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation policy.
Harassment includes but is not limited to:
- sustained disruption of presenters, speakers, or fellow participants;
- offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, political affiliation, or religion;
- deliberate intimidation, stalking, unwelcome following, harassing photography or recordings, inappropriate physical contact, or unwelcome sexual attention.
We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination in any form.
If you are being harassed, observe harassment or discrimination, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the Conference Planning Team immediately. Conference participants violating these rules may be reprimanded or instructed to leave the event at the discretion of the WISE Conference Planning Team, which reserves the right to take any appropriate action.
WISE Conference is committed to equal opportunity and providing a platform for diverse perspectives. We welcome participation from people of all genders, sexual orientations, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and abilities, as well as from a variety of institutions (public, private, HBCU, community college, etc.) and organizations, who are interested in bolstering the conversation on intercultural learning surrounding study abroad, on-campus programming, and the international student experience.
We believe all people should be able to meaningfully participate in WISE events regardless of ability. If you need accommodations to fully participate, contact organizers at wiseconference@wfu.edu immediately following your registration and no later than January 23 to discuss specific arrangements.
The Global Wake Forest Commitment to Inclusive Excellence may be found here.
“This statement honors the land on which Wake Forest University now resides and the land on which the original campus resided. This land served for centuries as a place for exchange and interaction for Indigenous peoples, specifically Saura (saw-ra), Catawba (ka-tah-buh), Cherokee (chair-o-kee), and Lumbee (lum-bee) in this location and Shakori (shu-kor-ee), Eno (ee-no), Sissipahaw (sis-suh-pa-hah), and Occaneechi (oak-a-nee-chee) in the original campus location. Today Wake Forest continues to be a place of learning and engagement for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff regionally, nationally, and globally.”
For more resources on indigenous land acknowledgments, visit https://interculturalcenter.wfu.edu/landacknowledgment/
This brief video, produced for the WISE Conference 10th Anniversary in 2018, provides some historical perspective as well as insight from international education colleagues.