Faculty, students and alumni from GSEHD’s Master's in International Education (IEP) and PhD in Comparative and International Education (CIE) programs presented research and practitioner insights at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) 2026 Conference. Their contributions spanned topics including refugee education, global policy, higher education and cross-cultural learning, reflecting GSEHD’s commitment to advancing scholarship and practice in international and comparative education.
Among GSEHD’s conference participants, Dr. Jihae Cha, Assistant Professor in International Education and International Affairs, was awarded the Joyce Cain Award for Distinguished Research on People of African Descent. The award recognizes outstanding scholarship that advances understanding of the experiences of people of African descent through rigorous, comparative and interdisciplinary research.
Dr. Cha earned the honor for her article, “What’s pushing them out of school? A mixed methods approach to examining primary school dropout in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya.” Her research explores the factors contributing to primary school dropout among children and youth in Kakuma Refugee Camp, highlighting how structural and institutional barriers can limit students’ opportunities to remain in school. The study also underscores the resilience of young people and the vital role of teachers, peers, and community networks in supporting education in contexts of displacement. Her work contributes to broader global efforts to address educational inequities affecting forcibly displaced populations.
In addition to Dr. Cha’s recognition, doctoral candidate InJung Cho (Ph.D. in Education, Comparative and International Education concentration) received the 2026 East Asia SIG Graduate Student Travel Award at the same conference. Her paper, “Exploring Public Perceptions and Media Representations of People with Displaced and Refugee Backgrounds and Their Education in South Korea,” was presented as part of the East Asia SIG highlighted session.
Co-authored with Dr. Cha, Cho’s research examines how public discourse and media narratives shape understanding of refugee education in the South Korean context, offering important insight into the social and cultural dimensions that influence educational access and inclusion.
The conference participation and recognition of Dr. Cha and Cho highlight the depth of GSEHD’s international and comparative education community and its contributions to research and practice addressing complex global education challenges.