With nearly 15 years of experience in higher education — including the past decade dedicated to international education — Khwaja Umam brings extensive leadership and global engagement expertise to the field. Prior to transitioning into international education, he served for four years as Deputy Registrar for a group of educational institutions in India, where he gained valuable experience in academic administration and institutional management.

As Director of International University Relations and now CEO of KAN Global, Khwaja has actively contributed to the international education community through multiple roles at the annual NAFSA: Association of International Educators conferences, including Presenter, Reviewer, and Poster Fair Organizer. He has been a regular attendee of the NAFSA Annual Conference since 2016 and has also participated in several regional NAFSA events, including the Tri-Regional Conference in Denver.

In addition to NAFSA, he regularly attends leading global conferences such as Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), International Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC), and American International Recruitment Council (AIRC).

His work in international student outreach has taken him across India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, where he has visited more than 100 high schools annually, engaging directly with students, counselors, and parents to foster meaningful global education partnerships.