It is our pleasure to announce that the 9th volume of Beyond, the ISI Florence and Umbra Institute peer-reviewed journal on international education, is now available!

Introduced this year by a preface from ISI Florence Director Dr. Stefano Baldassarri, and with diverse contributions from scholars, administrators, faculty, and alumni, this issue weaves together three broad themes that reflect evolving concerns of international education today.

The first is sustainability and responsibility. From carbon neutrality in study abroad programs to food policy in a post-COVID world, several contributors ask what it means for educational institutions – and the students they send abroad – to engage seriously with the environmental and ethical challenges of our time.

The second theme explores cross-cultural encounters. Highlighting East-West relations, articles from this issue trace the deep historical roots of Italy’s connections with Asia, as well as the contemporary reality of multicultural life on Italian soil. These articles remind us that the study abroad experience sits within a much longer history of cultural exchange and dialogue.

Finally, a theme of inclusion and the humanities is woven throughout. Several contributions reflect on diverse perspectives of the international experience – whether through the lens of disability awareness, the transformative power of a semester abroad, or the enduring civic value of art, literature, and history. Together, they make a compelling case that study abroad is not just an academic exercise but also a profoundly humanizing one.

All articles are available online, alongside all previous issues of Beyond.