Higher education advances technology, strategy, and career development on the academic side, but the administration side tells a different story. Paulo Zagalo-Melo, the newly-appointed President of AIEA and the Senior Internationalization Strategist at VCU, sees a new frontier for international education: one that embraces technology to make strategic decisions and that advocates for university faculty to develop into the next generation of global education leaders.  

Key Insights & Timestamps: 

• [00:00] Podcast begins 
• [01:58] AIEA Strategic Plan: Embarking on new pathways for global ed leaders 
• [03:48] From Accountant to Education: Paulo’s journey to higher education in Portugal & the US 
• [09:13] New Role at VCU: Complimenting SIOs & enrollment advisors as a strategist 
• [12:56] Becoming Tech Savvy: How vital technology is in modern day higher education 
• [16:27] Challenge of Fear: International education is at risk of a panic-driven decision 
• [21:40] Rapid Fire Questions: Paulo talks personal passions & professional hopes  

Guest Spotlight 
Paulo Zagalo-Melo: 
Paulo Zagalo-Melo has exercised leadership in executive higher education administration positions for thirty years. He is the President of AIEA – the Association of International Education Administrators and is the Senior Internationalization Strategist for Virginia Commonwealth University.  

Paulo’s former roles include being the Associate Provost for Global Education at Western Michigan University, the Associate Provost for Global Education, Director of the Global Engagement Office, and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Montana. 

Paulo has a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Catholic University of Portugal (2012), and a Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard University (2004). 

Key Takeaways: 

• President of AIEA: “We want to show the leaders of international education where we go from here.” As the newly elected President of AIEA, Paulo is involved in their recent strategic planning and the organization’s newer focus on career pathways. For SIOs and aspiring international educators, AIEA wants to bring strong networking and professional development opportunities to create more leaders and inspire career advancements. 
• Senior Internationalization Strategist at VCU: “I add the strategic element and level that SIOs do not have the time to get to.” In a new contracted position at VCU, Paulo brings his experience as a former Provost to expand on strategic initiatives. VCU and other universities often struggle with the capacity of their international education team, and Paulo’s position adds capacity for faculty while enhancing strategic goals for the university. 
• Technology Integration in Higher Education: “Higher education institutions advance technology on the academic side, but on the administrative side, we’re very slow at absorbing.” No matter what role Paulo is taking on, technology is his top priority to deliver data-driven results with a level of excellence. Amongst his more technology-cautious colleagues, Paulo aims to be technology savvy and constantly seeks ways to improve his data for better decision making.  

Resources Mentioned: 
AIEA | aieaworld.org, Virginia Commonwealth University | vcu.edu 

Connect with Paulo: 

• LinkedIn 

For More Information: 
Learn more about the Association of International Education Administrators at AIEAworld.org. Visit ViaTRM.com to learn more about Via TRM and access to additional resources. 

Stay Connected: 

Support Via Voices by subscribing on 

• YouTube: youtube.com/@viatrm 
• Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/via-voices 
• Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3R0BcoxUC6Xzr1SW7CCT2t