Rajika
Bhandari
Bridging Research, Strategy, and Lived Experience
I am an international education expert, scholar-practitioner, and advisor with over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of global student mobility, institutional strategy, and the international student experience.
Building upon a successful career in the higher education and nonprofit sectors, I decided to branch out on my own and launched my research and advisory firm, Rajika Bhandari Advisors, which has given me the opportunity to partner with colleges and universities, global nonprofit organizations and mission-driven companies in varied and interesting ways, all the while focusing on the educational and social issues I care deeply about.
I bring to my work a combination of data, storytelling, and a deep understanding of global issues, having lived and worked in the U.S. and India.
Where I Have Spent My Professional Career
I work with institutions, organizations, and individuals to navigate the complexities of international education in a rapidly changing world. My areas of focus include:
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Internationalization strategy and global engagement, with a focus on the U.S. and South Asia
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Research, evaluation, and impact studies of international education initiatives
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International student success and experience
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Thought leadership and storytelling
Across all of my work I aim to connect:
Data-Driven Insights With Action
Scholarship With Practice
Strategy With Implementation
Institutional Goals With Student Outcomes
This perspective allows me to understand international education from multiple angles, and to translate that understanding into practical, meaningful solutions.
Highlights
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For 10+ years, I led the largest and most longstanding survey of the field of international higher education and exchanges in the U.S., the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, a project spanning a 100 years and reflecting data from 9,000+ U.S. campus respondents.
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Led the design and launch of a groundbreaking alumni study of the Ford Foundation's International Fellowships Program (IFP) to study the longitudinal impacts of international higher education fellowships and opportunities on social justice and social change, covering 4,305 emerging and marginalized leaders from 22 countries.
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Building upon my professional work and my personal experience as an Indian immigrant, I recently Co-Founded the South Asia International Education Network (SouthAsia-IEN), bringing together leaders, practitioners, scholars, and entrepreneurs in the global higher education space whose origins and/or work touch upon the countries of South Asia.
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120+: the number of global events that I have spoken at as a keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator.
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100+: publications and thought leadership products, ranging from six books to peer-reviewed journal articles to op-eds to an award-winning memoir and personal essays.
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60+: The number of times I was quoted in the global press between 2023 and 2025.
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32: the number of U.S. colleges and universities where I have spoken or delivered workshops for senior administrators, faculty, and hundreds of international students.
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22: The number of countries that my research and evaluation projects have covered.
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$11.5 M: The total amount I have brought in through fundraising and revenue from foundations, U.S. and foreign governments, social impact companies, universities, and multi-lateral organizations.
Author & Thought Leader
In addition to my five other books,I am the author of America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility, an award-winning memoir that explores the international student experience in the United States and has been described as a "must read" for anyone on an American campus. The book has been widely used by campuses and organizations to spark conversations about:
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Belonging and identity
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The challenges international students face
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The need for more holistic and student-centered approaches
The book inspired my podcast, the World Wise Podcast on the intersections of education, culture, and migration whose episodes have been adopted as curriculum for courses in international higher education. Storytelling through writing, podcasting, and speaking extends my work, bringing research, insight, and lived experiences into dialogue with the field.
Awards & Recognitions
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Inaugural winner of the John and Anne Hudzik Prize for Sustained Leadership in Higher Education Internationalization (the "Hudzik Prize") awarded by NAFSA, 2025
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Appointed to the National Academy for International Education, a mission-driven learned society whose membership consists of distinguished practitioners and thought leaders engaged in shaping international higher education, 2024
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Asia Society's Asian Americans Building America series, 2022
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IIE Centennial Medal, marking the Institute’s 100th anniversary, 2019
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International Fellowship, American Association of University Women (AAUW), 1995I
My Formal Bio
Short Bio
Dr. Rajika Bhandari is a scholar-practitioner in international higher education and the Principal of Rajika Bhandari Advisors, an international education research and strategy firm that partners with nonprofits, multilateral organizations, and higher education institutions around the world. Quoted frequently in the global press, Dr. Bhandari is also a widely published author and speaker on issues of international students and international education; the global competition for talent; skilled immigrants; and educational and cultural diplomacy. She is the author of the award-winning book, America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility, described as a "must read for anyone on a U.S. campus," and the host of the World Wise podcast on education, culture, and migration. She previously spent over a decade at IIE where she led the Institute's research, evaluation and thought leadership portfolio. She has also served on the US National Commission to UNESCO, and as an adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. In 2024, Dr. Bhandari was appointed to the National Academy for International Education, and recently received NAFSA's inaugural 2025 John and Anne Hudzik Prize for Sustained Leadership in Higher Education Internationalization.
Long Bio
Dr. Rajika Bhandari is an award-winning international education expert, author, and founder of Rajika Bhandari Advisors, an international education research and strategy firm. With over 30 years of experience advising global nonprofits, foundations, and governments, she transitioned into consulting after leading major research, evaluation, and thought leadership efforts at the Institute of International Education (IIE), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and MPR Associates (now part of RTI). A thought leader with real-world consulting experience, Rajika has served as a trusted partner to nonprofits such as NAFSA, IIE, the Alliance for International Exchange, the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration; to mission-driven companies such as MPOWER Financing and Oxford International; multilateral and global organizations such as the World Bank and the Qatar Foundation; and over 30 U.S. colleges and universities. A widely regarded expert in her field, Rajika is quoted frequently in the global press, is a keynote speaker on international students, global talent, and Asian American identity; is a widely published author, most recently of the award-winning memoir, America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility; and is the host of the World Wise podcast on the intersections of education, culture, and migration. Teaching is a passion for Rajika. Throughout her career, she has mentored international education professionals, has guest lectured at several U.S. colleges and universities, and served as an Adjunct Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her work has also received significant recognition: in 2019 she was one of 100 individuals globally to receive IIE's Centennial Medal for contributions to the field; she was appointed to the National Academy for International Education in 2024; and in 2025 received NAFSA's inaugural John and Anne Hudzik Prize for Sustained Leadership in Higher Education Internationalization. She received a B.A. (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Delhi, India, and a doctoral degree from North Carolina State University in the U.S.
My Writing Bio
Rajika Bhandari is a writer whose work explores migration, travel, and cultural identity. In addition to four academic books, she is the author of two nonfiction books, The Raj on the Move: Story of the Dak Bungalow (Roli Books, 2012) and America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility (She Writes Press, 2021). Her essays and commentary on culture, global mobility, and the human experience have appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Passionfruit: A Women's Travel Journal, HuffPost, Ms. Magazine, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Guardian, Poets & Quants, and the New York Times, among others.
Seen and heard on...
