Keshia Abraham, Ph.D.
Industry Partner
Dr. Keshia Abraham is a visionary scholar-practitioner and global education leader dedicated to building inclusive international communities. With a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and a career spanning roles from tenured professor at an HBCU to Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion at a major study abroad provider, she brings both depth and creativity to the field. Now President of the Abraham Agency, Dr. Abraham is also a two-time Fulbright Fellow, seasoned traveler to nearly 50 countries, and co-editor of the book The Half Yet to Be Told: Study Abroad at HBCUs. Honored with the 2022 Peter A. Wollitzer Award, her work bridges scholarship, artistry, and advocacy—shaping global learning with care, purpose, and impact.
“I see study abroad as a universal human right that each one of us has the very real possibility of advancing in some way. To be free, to feel and know what it is to be truly free as a human being, includes having the ability to learn about oneself and the world regardless of birth origin, passport, complexion, economic status, or other social circumstance. When we engage study abroad as a human right advancing justice and equity with dignity and intention the whole world gets to breathe more easily—and what is more basic, more human, more leveling than breathing? It’s easy this way...Personally I am deeply committed to ensuring that within our lifetimes we see such a great transformation in access, understanding, and opportunity, no one ever has to endure what I did being the only one of any versions of ourselves in international education again. I mean this in terms of individual students, professionals and institutions. To me, global learning through study abroad is a key aspect of well-being cultivation because to know what truly matters for each of us requires that we leave what we know as home for a while to learn who we really are and what we actually need to feel appreciated, seen, heard, and engaged. My personal and perpetual commitment to global learning is to ensure that it feels and works better for each of us while growing an assets-based framing centering the lived and learning experiences of global scholars worldwide.”Keshia Abraham, Ph.D.