AASAP is excited to launch a new virtual Lunch & Learn series, celebrating the knowledge, research, and expertise within our member community. On select Thursdays from 12:00–1:00 p.m., we’ll spotlight faculty and staff from AASAP member organisations who would like to share their research, knowledge, or expertise with colleagues. These informal sessions are designed to support continued education and learning while fitting easily into the working day. Grab your lunch, tune in, and hopefully leave with a new idea, perspective, or conversation starter.
October Lunch & Learn: Thriving Through Change
Thursday, 29 October | 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Presented by Ruth Hughes, MSc (MAPPCP)
We’re delighted to welcome Ruth Hughes for our October session, Thriving Through Change. Ruth is an Adjunct Professor with AIFS and a lecturer on the PACE MSt in Coaching at Cambridge University. An international speaker, she has presented at major education and wellbeing conferences worldwide, including ICEF Berlin, English UK events, BPS Coaching Group conferences, ESA Cape Town, and ILCA conferences across Europe. Ruth brings extensive experience as an executive coach, consultant, educator and professional speaker, specialising in leadership, coaching psychology, positive psychology, cultural transition and international wellbeing.
Please join us using the following link: https://meet.google.com/jma-xwid-nqj
November Lunch & Learn: Who Gets to Feel Transformed by Study Abroad?
Thursday, 19 November | 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Presented by Kimberley Aparisio
For our November session, we’re pleased to welcome Kimberley Aparisio, Program and Student Services Director at CEA CAPA London and a final-year PhD candidate at the UCL Institute of Education. With 20 years of experience in international education across the UK and United States, Kimberley has held leadership roles at Minerva University, NU London, IES Abroad London, and CEA CAPA.
In Who Gets to Feel Transformed by Study Abroad?, Kimberley will draw on her doctoral research exploring how study abroad from the United States to London shapes the identities of Black women in higher education. A scholar-practitioner, her wider work focuses on broadening access to global education and fostering student belonging through research, programme innovation, and inclusive practice.
Kimberley earned her BA in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania, including a study abroad experience at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She later completed an MA in Education and International Development at the UCL Institute of Education. She has shared aspects of her work at the 2025 World Education Research Association (WERA) conference in Brazil, DA Global’s annual conference and London Regional Summit, and in a recent opinion piece for The PIE News, Who Gets to Feel Transformed by Study Abroad? Alongside her work in higher education, Kimberley is a yoga instructor whose approach to student development reflects a longstanding interest in wellbeing, identity and personal growth.
Please join us using the following link: https://meet.google.com/dra-dekn-jrz
Looking Ahead: Call for February Speakers
With our October and November Lunch & Learns lined up, we’re already looking ahead to February and would love to highlight another voice from within our member community. We’ll take a break for December and January due to the holidays and the busy arrivals period in these months, but look forward to picking back up in the new year!
Have research, a project, or an area of expertise you’d be interested in sharing with the AASAP community? We’d love to hear from you. Whether your work is directly connected to international education or simply offers something interesting for colleagues to learn from, we welcome your ideas.
Interested in presenting at our February Lunch & Learn? Get in touch and tell us a little about your proposed topic by sending an email to events@aasapuk.org.