In my July/August 2020 column, I wrote to you about OneCASE and the critical importance of having a unified board and being a single global organization. The last three years have proven that global issues bring us together in ways we never could have imagined. We are now more aware than ever before that working together across borders creates opportunities for growth and innovation that enrich our work and enhance our institutions’ impact.

In this issue of Currents, you will see articles addressing topics that by their very nature cannot be addressed in isolation, like environmental sustainability to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. These areas are inherently global, both in terms of  impact and importance. Our research through CASE Insights, featured as well in this issue, provides you with deeper understanding because it is global.

This is not new thinking for CASE. For many years, we’ve grown and deepened our commitment to serving our regions around the globe. As we wrote in our Oxford Accord in 2007, “CASE will pursue its growth and development as both an international organization (one that incorporates international perspectives into its overall operations) and as a global organization (one that provides services appropriate to various regions around the world).” These principles are more salient now than they were 15 years ago, advanced today by our new Strategic Intent and the CASE Global Reporting Standards, published in 2021. Currently, CASE members can be found in 80 countries, working, collaborating, and learning from CASE and each other, whilst respecting the unique history, perspectives, and educational advancement needs of their geographic regions and institutions. 

My own professional journey has led me from Wales to Scotland to England, then to Australia and on to the U.S. When I was at institutions as a member, CASE provided me with extensive global experiences and opportunities to learn from colleagues and volunteers for the betterment of the universities for which I worked. The chance to interact and learn from colleagues outside our own regions enriches all our work and brings great value to our profession.