Dr. Fanta Aw

Dr. Fanta Aw is the Chief Executive Officer of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the world’s largest and most comprehensive association dedicated to advancing international education, with more than 10,000 members across 4,000 institutions in over 150 countries. A globally respected leader, Dr. Aw is a champion of innovation and transformation in higher education, emphasizing the urgent need to balance technological advancement with human-centered values. She speaks widely on the imperative for educators to cultivate empathy, ethical leadership, and social responsibility as artificial intelligence reshapes learning and society.

Prior to leading NAFSA, Dr. Aw spent more than three decades at American University in Washington, D.C., where she held several senior leadership roles, including Vice President of Undergraduate Enrollment, Campus Life, and Inclusive Excellence. A celebrated educator, she served as a Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer in the School of International Service and received multiple awards for her teaching and leadership.

Dr. Aw serves on numerous global boards, including World Education Services, Times Higher Education’s International Education Advisory Board, the Alliance for International Exchange, the World Education Forum, and the Expert Council of the Talent Mobility Fund.

Originally from Mali, she brings lived experience across East Africa, West Africa, and the United States and is frequently sought after by major media outlets worldwide.