By Aly Rajab
Chairman, CPIEA & CLLC

Date: June 23, 2025 – 8:15 PM Halifax time

📌 Update: Ceasefire Announced (June 23, 2025 – 8:03 PM Halifax Time)

Just hours after Iran’s missile strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar, President Trump declared an end to the conflict.

Iran and Israel have now agreed to a ceasefire, with Qatar acting as a mediator in a move welcomed globally.

Let us take a moment to pray, not just for the end of war, but for the beginning of wiser leadership, deeper compassion, and renewed global cooperation.

May this ceasefire hold, and may peace, mobility, and opportunity return stronger than before.

The article below was written earlier today and remains relevant as a call to leadership in international education.

Date: June 23, 2025 – 11:00 AM Halifax Time

As the world shifts toward deeper conflict, many in international education are asking:
What does this mean for us, and what must we do next?

In the past 48 hours, the world has entered a dangerous new phase: direct U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, retaliatory missile exchanges, and growing warnings from global powers like Russia. The risk of a broader war is no longer theoretical, it’s unfolding in real time.

For those of us in international education, an industry that relies on peace, trust, and mobility, the implications are serious.

But this is not the time to panic.
It’s the time to prepare, strategically, calmly, and together.

Agencies and Schools: Two Sides of One Coin

Agencies and schools have always been partners in global education. But in moments of crisis, that partnership is not just a channel for student recruitment, it becomes a pillar of trust and stability for students and families.

• Agencies must anticipate client fears and offer informed, timely guidance.

• Schools must be ready to support both students and agents with flexibility, empathy, and clarity.

This is not the time to wait and see.
This is the time to lead together.

Not All Impacts Will Be Negative

It’s true: a global conflict could disrupt air travel, visa processing, and financial systems in affected regions.

Some families may cancel their plans or delay them.

But here’s the other side of the story:

In times of unrest, many parents choose to send their children abroad for safety.

We’ve seen this before. In 2006. In 2014. In 2020. And now again, in 2025, mobility may slow, but it doesn’t stop. It just shifts.

Agents in unstable regions may see a surge in urgency from families wanting to send their children to safe, structured environments abroad, especially countries like Canada, Australia, the UK, and parts of Europe.

Four Recommendations for Schools & Agencies Now

1. Reassess Your Market Portfolio
   Don’t wait for disruptions to hit. If 40–60% of your students come from one or two countries, build contingency plans today.

2. Strengthen Communication Lines
   Agents: keep parents calm by staying informed.
   Schools: keep agents empowered with honest, flexibility, regular updates.

3. Prepare Flexible Entry and Deferral Options
   Families facing uncertainty need reassurance. Offer rolling intakes, hybrid models, or clear and relaxed refund policies.

4. Position Your Institution as a Safe Haven
   This isn’t just marketing. This is a reality for many families. Highlight your city’s safety, healthcare, housing, and community support.

Final Thought: This Is a Test of Leadership

The international education sector has always been more than an industry, it’s a global community. We serve dreams, not just enrollments. And in times like these, the world looks to us not for perfection, but for leadership.

As Chairman of CPIEA, I’m proud to see our community of awarded and accredited agencies already leading with clarity, values, and vision, setting a new global standard in a time when it’s most needed.

In moments like these, leadership is not optional. It is our duty.

This war may disrupt flights,
But it doesn’t have to disrupt our mission.

This is the time to lead together.

Let’s not just respond. Let’s lead the response.
And let’s do it together, as a global education community.

Let’s not just ride this wave.
Let’s shape the next phase of international education, with dignity, courage, clarity, and compassion.