About This Episode
Join me on the latest episode, where I had the pleasure of hosting Jill Blondin, Associate Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at Virginia Commonwealth University [VCU]. Jill, a highly respected figure in international admissions, brings a wealth of expertise to the table.
As Chair of the Member Outreach and Awards Committee at AIEA, she's at the forefront of shaping global education initiatives. In our conversation, Jill shares invaluable insights on international education, the significance of the Indian student community in the study abroad landscape, and strategies for enhancing global education outreach. Don't miss out on this exclusive discussion!
Host & Guest
Jill Blondin
GuestDr. Jill E. Blondin is the Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she leads institution-wide efforts to advance global learning, cross-cultural engagement, and international partnerships. She holds a B.A. from Indiana University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
Dr. Blondin previously served as the inaugural director of VCU Globe, a globally focused living-learning program dedicated to developing students’ cultural agility. Under her leadership, VCU Globe earned national recognition, receiving the 2015 NAFSA Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award and the 2018 Andrew Heiskell Award from the Institute of International Education (IIE).
A globally sought-after expert in international education, Dr. Blondin has served as a Fulbright Specialist to Brazil (2018) and the Philippines (2025), and has been invited to speak by the U.S. Department of State, Fulbright organizations, and U.S. embassies around the world, including in Portugal, Guyana, the Philippines, and Turkey.
Dr. Blondin is a 2021–2022 AIEA Presidential Fellow and plays a key leadership role in national international education organizations, serving as Chair of AIEA’s Member Outreach and Awards Committee and as a member of NAFSA’s International Education Leadership Knowledge Community. In 2023, she was recognized as one of the PIE 50 Top Voices in North America, and received IIE’s Senior International Officer of the Year award.
Her areas of expertise include strategic budgeting and internationalization, global learning, and art history.
Key Highlights:
1. Vice Provost for Global Initiatives, Virginia Commonwealth University
2. Inaugural Director of VCU Globe, recipient of major national awards (2015 NAFSA Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award; 2018 IIE Andrew Heiskell Award)
3. Fulbright Specialist to Brazil (2018) and the Philippines (2025)
4. Invited speaker for the U.S. Department of State, multiple Fulbright programs, and U.S. embassies worldwide
5. AIEA Presidential Fellow (2021–2022); Chair of AIEA’s Member Outreach & Awards Committee
6. Member of NAFSA’s International Education Leadership Knowledge Community
7. Named among the PIE 50 Top Voices in North America (2023)
8. Honored as IIE Senior International Officer of the Year (2023)
9. Expertise: strategic budgeting & internationalization, global learning, and art history
Ashish Fernando
HostFounder & CEO, EDMO
Ashish Fernando is the visionary founder and CEO of EDMO, a revolutionary educational technology platform that's transforming how people learn and grow. With over 15 years of experience in education and technology, Ashish has dedicated his career to making quality education accessible to learners worldwide. Before founding EDMO, Ashish held leadership positions at several prominent EdTech companies and worked as an educational consultant for Fortune 500 companies. He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Master's in Computer Science from MIT. Ashish is a frequent speaker at educational conferences and has been featured in publications such as EdTech Magazine, Learning & Development Today, and TechCrunch. He's passionate about the intersection of technology and human potential, believing that the right tools can unlock extraordinary learning outcomes for everyone. Under his leadership, EDMO has grown to serve over 100,000 learners globally and has partnerships with leading educational institutions and corporations. Ashish continues to drive innovation in personalized learning, adaptive assessment, and educational analytics.
Key Achievements:
1. Founded EDMO in 2019, now serving 100,000+ learners globally
2. Named 'EdTech Innovator of the Year' by Learning Technology Awards 2023
3. Featured speaker at Global Education Summit 2024
4. Published researcher in educational technology and learning analytics
5. Advisor to multiple EdTech startups and educational initiatives
Show Notes
- 1 0:00 Jill opens with humor and self-awareness
- 2 1:34 Jill outlines her current role as Associate Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at Virginia Commonwealth University and describes their global campus structure.
- 3 3:13 She explains the innovative Global Learning unit she created, highlighting a holistic approach to global education.
- 4 6:16 Jill talks about the importance of interinstitutional collaboration, referencing COVID-19 as a turning point in understanding resource optimization across universities.
- 5 9:07 Mindset shifts from scarcity to collective problem-solving.
- 6 16:00 Jill shares her journey from an art history professor to an impactful leader in international education, showing how administrative roles amplified her influence.
- 7 23:00 She reflects on the India U.S. education partnership landscape, emphasizing reciprocity, sustainability, and student-centered growth.
Key Quotes
"We can all win. There are opportunities for everybody, and I'm always looking for those ways"
"I often say that I’m a trained intellectual assassin… I come to meetings ready to ask some really hard questions about why we’re doing what we’re doing."
Resources
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