Haruna MUROTA

Abstract: Effective international programs are not built on agreements alone, but on the complex, ongoing work of aligning people, priorities, and practices across institutions. This session explores how synergy, innovation, and sustained partnerships across institutions drive impactful international education initiatives. Through two case studies—the long-standing Kwansei Gakuin University Cross-Cultural College (KGU CCC) and newer collaborations between Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) and the University of Toronto (U of T), including the Engineering Pathway and an AI-focused International Entrepreneurship Bootcamp—we demonstrate how collaboration across faculty, leadership, academic units, and international offices enables co-creation and innovation. The KGU CCC highlights how consistent, multi-level engagement over 16 years has built trust, institutional visibility, and a shared commitment to intercultural learning. The SKKU–U of T initiatives show how intentional alignment among stakeholders—from senior leadership to program coordinators—can unlock new program models and rapidly expand participation. These examples illustrate that innovation emerges not from isolated efforts, but from dynamic partnerships where diverse perspectives intersect and inform program design. While AI enhances efficiency in administrative and communication processes, it is the human capacity to align diverse perspectives and sustain engagement that transforms partnership into meaningful, innovative action. Learning objectives: - Analyze how sustained, multi-level partnerships contribute to innovation, trust-building, and scalable program outcomes in diverse institutional contexts. - Describe practical mechanisms for achieving cross-institutional synergy, including intentional co-design, inperson and online engagement, and cross-functional collaboration among faculty, leadership, and international offices. - Gain insights from case studies and identify both enabling factors and challenges in partnership-driven program development. - Identify how AI can play a supporting role across program development — from curriculum design and student learning to administrative efficiency — without displacing the human relationships that make partnerships work. Target audience: International education professionals—from coordinators and administrative staff to faculty and leaders—who want practical ideas to strengthen partnerships, think more creatively, and feel empowered to take their work to the next level in developing meaningful programs.