“Orientation isn’t just a welcome, it’s a call to belong, to dive in, and to say yes to opportunities that will shape who you become here,” said Oren Pizmony-Levy, Program Director of the International and Comparative Education Program (ICEP) at Teachers College.
With that spirit, ICEP launched Orientation 2025 and welcomed a new class of students whose perspectives stretch across the globe. Hosted by second year doctoral student Javieria Zamora Iturra, the program blended introductions with deeper reflection, asking why international and comparative education matters in this moment and how students can position themselves to engage with the world’s most pressing challenges.
The incoming cohort of 37 students represents more than 15 countries across six continents. From North and Latin America to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean, the group reflects ICEP’s tradition of connecting global reach with local engagement. Students bring backgrounds in teaching, policy, advocacy, and research, and arrive eager to explore the intersections of education, identity, and social change.
Faculty panels carried that momentum forward, offering a window into the department’s cutting-edge work. Professors Gita Steiner-Khamsi, Regina Cortina, Mary Mendenhall, Susan Garnett Russell, Oren Pizmony-Levy, Prem Phyak, and Amanda Earl shared their perspective on issues such as displacement, educational equity, war–peace and human rights, and the politics of belonging. They also spoke candidly about what first drew them to the field and how their scholarship responds to today’s shifting landscapes of migration, conflict, and education reform.
Students responded in kind, asking how they might translate their own experiences into meaningful engagement both inside and outside the classroom. Faculty encouraged them to join projects, pursue fieldwork, and connect scholarship to practice in New York City and beyond. They also connected with one another and formed bonds during the lighthearted Student Handbook Scavenger Hunt, which sparked laughter and camaraderie.
Students discuss belonging during ICEP Orientation 2025
As ICEP celebrates more than 125 years as one of the oldest programs of its kind, Orientation 2025 underscored both its tradition and its future. “Belonging is not simply about being present,” Pizmony-Levy told students. “It is about building connections with your peers and with faculty — connections that will sustain your learning, growth, and success throughout your time at Teachers College and beyond.”
The Program proudly welcomes the new cohort and looks forward to the conversations and innovations they will bring to Teachers College and beyond!
To carry that sense of connection forward, we invited students to share their favorite songs and created a collaborative soundtrack for the semester ahead. 🎶 Explore the Orientation 2025 playlist on Spotify!