Women as Intercultural Leaders: Imagination, Innovation, Integrity

September 30 - October 2, 2010

The second interdisciplinary conference explored the intersections of women's studies, international and multicultural education, entrepreneurship, and leadership development, and was hosted by the Center for Women's Intercultural Leadership, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN  USA

About CWIL

In 2010 the Center for Women's Intercultural Leadership (CWIL) marked 10 years of fostering the intercultural competence critical for the next generation of women leaders across the Saint Mary’s campus, connecting with communities at the local, state, national, and global levels. To promote transformational intercultural engagement, CWIL builds collaborative relationships and encourages partnering across departments, disciplines, and other traditional dividing lines. The Center bridges global and domestic diversity issues, mindful of the distinctions between these but also of their commonalities.  It highlights the roles of women and studies the interconnections between gender and culture.  Rooted in a developmental approach, the Center challenges and supports individuals and groups to take the steps toward deeper intercultural experience, more sophisticated grappling with issues of difference such as power and privilege, and greater appreciation for the diversity and richness of human experience.

Conference Themes

This interactive conference celebrated ten years of accomplishments and welcomed fruitful new collaboration by bringing together theorists, scholars, professionals, educators, community activists, practitioners, and students who are interested in women's intercultural leadership.  For three days participants imagined and innovated while networking, sharing best practices, and joining a national conversation about cutting-edge work.  The conference focused on five particular themes and their intersections:

• Thinking in new ways about women’s leadership and promoting women as change agents
• Developing women’s entrepreneurship
• Articulating ethical and spiritual foundations
• Internationalizing and interculturalizing the curriculum and co-curriculum
• Building collaborative relationships between colleges and communities and across disciplines

Description of types of session:

• Panel - presentations and/or discussions by three people with contrasting or complementary points of view.
• Interactive Workshop - a demonstrations rooted in audience participation and active learning.
• Roundtable - 10 to 15 minute presentation followed by a facilitated discussion with session attendees.
• Poster - a visual display of a program, paper, or project that is set up in an exhibit space and staffed by the creator(s) during a designated time.

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, Keynote Address

Conference Schedule