Prof. Dr. Irina Golubeva is Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (USA). She holds M.A. degrees in Teaching Spanish and English Languages and Literature and a Ph.D. degree in Languages with a focus on Intercultural Communication. Her main research interests concern the development of intercultural competence and multilingual awareness, internationalization of higher education, and conceptualization of active intercultural citizenship. In 2020, she was honored to receive the Pedagogy and Teaching Award and the title of “UMBC Innovation Fellow” for her contribution to fostering inclusiveness and intercultural dialogue on campus and for enhancing students’ engagement in Internationalization at Home. In 2023, Irina Golubeva was elected a Fellow of the International Academy of Intercultural Research in recognition of her scholarly achievements and service to the profession. She is strongly committed to non-profit work and served for seven years as a Vice-President of the European Association of Teachers and, most recently, as a member of the Board of the International Academy of Intercultural Research.