Global Practice Community

As the architectural profession continues to grow globally, I respectfully encourage the Architects Foundation and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to establish a dedicated International Travel & Financial Hardship Fund for AIA Conference 2027 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

International architects and emerging professionals contribute diverse perspectives, technical expertise, and cultural knowledge that enrich the architectural community. Unfortunately, many are unable to attend the AIA Conference because of the high costs of international airfare, visas, accommodation, and travel expenses.

I hope AIA Conference 2027 will introduce initiatives such as:

• International travel grants or airfare assistance.
• Financial hardship scholarships for qualified architects and students.
• Hosted or subsidized accommodation through local AIA chapters and member networks.
• Sponsorship opportunities for international participants from developing countries.
• Volunteer programs that help reduce the financial burden of conference attendance.

Creating an International Travel & Financial Hardship Fund would promote greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and global collaboration while strengthening AIA's commitment to the worldwide architectural profession.

As an International Architect and NCARB Architect Licensing Advisor, I believe that investing in international participation is an investment in the future of architecture. By helping talented architects overcome financial barriers, AIA and the Architects Foundation can empower professionals from around the world to learn, collaborate, and contribute to the advancement of our profession.

I respectfully hope this proposal will be considered for AIA Conference 2027 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, making the conference more accessible and truly representative of the global architectural community.

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Shiv Kumar, M.Arch., Assoc. AIA, AIAS,
NCARB ARE
International Architect Pathway,
Delhi, New Delhi, India
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Thank you for your message. Broader international participation strengthens the profession, and it's a conversation worth having.

On the specific idea of a dedicated fund, I'd offer a different angle to consider.
Attending a conference involves real costs for members everywhere, not only those traveling internationally, and any support structure works best when it's built around fairness rather than a fixed category of who qualifies.
A more sustainable approach might be to treat conference attendance as a goal each member works toward, using whatever combination of tools and resources fits their situation, and to focus the American Institute of Architects (AIA)'s role on making those tools easier to find and use, for anyone, anywhere.

Concretely, that could look like a few things. AIA national already provides invitation letters to support visa applications, and continuing that is valuable, even though visa timelines and outcomes remain outside AIA's control. Beyond that, AIA could help consolidate and publicize the paths members already use to fund attendance: chapter level fundraising, volunteer programs that offset registration costs, professional development grants, and outside funding sources such as economic development agencies or industry sponsorships in members' home regions. Making these options visible in one place, rather than something each member has to discover independently, would benefit the whole membership equally.

AIA26 saw significant attendance from members sponsored by economic development agencies outside the US, with sponsorships covering travel, registration, lodging, and meals.

This kind of approach keeps the door open to more voices and more diversity at the conference, while treating every member's path to attendance on the same terms.

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Juan Ricardes Intl. Assoc. AIA
2025-2027 Committee Member | AIA National Equity & Future of Architecture Committee (EQFA)
2024-2027 AIA Florida EDI Advisory Council
2022 to present Tampabay Comunity Design Center Trustee
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