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Going mobile: Internationalisation and mobility in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Simon Sweeney. HEA Associate/UK Bologna Expert. Bristol, 6 June 2013. Aims of the Seminar. To better understand the Bologna Process/EHEA in relation to internationalisation and mobility
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Going mobile: Internationalisation and mobility in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) • Simon Sweeney • HEA Associate/UK Bologna Expert • Bristol, 6 June 2013
Aims of the Seminar • To better understand the Bologna Process/EHEA in relation to internationalisation and mobility • To note benefits of mobility and consider different types of mobility • To identify barriers to mobility • To explore ways of overcoming these barriers • To gain insight on institutional strategies that can promote internationalisation and mobility
Going mobile: internationalisation, mobility and the EHEA Bologna and the EHEA Internationalisation at home and abroad Different types of mobility Benefits of mobility Barriers to mobility Ways to overcome these barriers Institutional strategies to develop internationalisation and mobility
Bologna Process and the EHEA Council of Europe initiative Lisbon Recognition Convention 1997 European Council (European Union) 1999 Aim to establish the European Higher Education Area by 2010 Bologna Action Lines
Bologna Process • 3 cycles (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral) for international comparison and equivalence • Credit transfer principle • Mobility/international exchange • Compatible qualification frameworks • Transparent quality assurance processes • EHEA - a common frame of reference
Main tools of the Bologna Process • European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) • Erasmus programme Erasmus for All • Qualifications frameworks: compatibility with and between national frameworks • (cf. EQF for LLL adopted by European Commission) • Quality assurance mechanisms – European Network for Quality Assurance (ENQA) • Recognition/transparency: Diploma Supplement (DS)
Challenges facing UK HEIs Qualifications Framework for the EHEA Diploma Supplement/Burgess HEAR ECTS (arguments) and flexibility Course length, credits/outcomes… Internationalisation and the student experience Fees (not strictly a Bologna issue, but...)
Internationalisation challenges facing the UK… Consolidating Bologna (ECTS, DS) Establishing a mobility culture Offering an intercultural, international experience Foreign language opportunities Linguistic and cultural diversity Internationalisation ‘at home’ and ‘abroad’ Graduates as ‘global citizens’ Employability and international graduate attributes
Bologna Action Lines • 1. Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees • In the main Universities match this but complicated by range of 'choice' • 2. Adoption of a system essentially based on two cycles • Established history of BA/MA, but are we clear on specification of Masters? • 3. Establishment of a system of credits • A credit system and now a credit framework exist but we avoid using ECTS • 4. Promotion of mobility • Most UK Universities score badly on Erasmus mobility • 5. Promotion of European co-operation in quality assurance • At UK level this is strong • 6. Promotion of the European dimension in higher education • Difficult to assess but likely to be weak • 7. Lifelong learning • Most UK Universities score strongly on LLL (but will they continue to?) • 8. Higher education institutions and students • Involvement of HEIs and students with Bologna Process is patchy • 9. Promoting the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area • At university and national level, almost non-existent • 10. Doctoral studies and synergy between the EHEA & ERA • UK Universities mostly score high on this
Challenges for EHEA up to 2020 New Erasmus for All programme Leuven 20/2020 target Increasingcompetition/competitiveness Student-led, demand-oriented Lifelonglearning, employability Mobilitywith flexible learningpaths Global visibility, internationalistoutlook Strategic vision, partnerships Research/EuropeanResearch Area (ERA)
Internationalisation challenges • ABROAD • Home students studying abroad • Staff mobility, research and teaching • Courses abroad jointly with partner HEIs • Joint Awards/accreditation • Research and scholarship partnerships abroad • Capacity building/technical assistance projects • International volunteering and charity work • AT HOME • Internationalising the curriculum • Foreign language study opportunities • Mix of international students • Engage international students in teaching and learning processes • International academic staff • Intercultural campus events • Student placements with ethnic groups/organisations
Bologna Process information British Council Bologna Process webpage http://www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus-bologna-process.htm European Commission http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/bologna/bologna_en.html Bologna Secretariat http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/secretariat/ ECTS http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/ects/index_en.htm OR http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc48_en.htm DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/rec_qual/recognition/diploma_en.html UK HE Europe Unit http://www.europeunit.ac.uk/bologna_process/index.cfm European Students’ Union (ESU) http://www.esib.org/index.php/issues/european-processes/79-bologna-process EMAIL simon.sweeney@york.ac.uk
Going mobile: Internationalisation and mobility in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
Types of Mobility Staff mobility – librarian exchange Brunel – staff mobility annual visits on EM prog Erasmus IP/Summer School for PGs consortium Intensive programme with 6 universities Volunteering/short/long term/year/semester work study placements SKYPE links/e-partnering field trips in Geography 1 week to 6 weeks / mapping projects Norway, SE Spain, Brittany Summer Camps Gap Year Holidays Conferences and seminars Leonardo Talks to specific audiences sharing student experience Mobile learning e-supported learning EU backed staff development (see British Council Euroclio, etc) Federation of International Nurse Educators / Engineering without Borders / humanitarian engieneering Volunteering Franchise exchange Campus abroad International speakers Flying Faculty secondment international student
Benefits of mobility Intercultural understanding , networks, friendships Self actualisation soft skills confidence self efficacy Employability – also specific skills Language skills life skills, independence, communication Employability Staff development PPD added value to degrees Opps for marketing global branding making a better offer European shared identity goals cultural understanding Communities of practice International Relations IRIS Tempus (Israeli Arabs) Socio-cultural benefits CULTURAL CAPITAL respect for others New and different pedagogies Team working, partnerships, Welsh Govt example Global Health Workers
How to develop a mobility culture Build team and subvert the management Student ambassadors – involve and engage beneficiaries Multinational cohorts, study teams, establish links Structural issues – build structures, means Field trips, support to students IO / SU links/partnerships / peer mentoring / embedding internationalisation Addressing parents / Open Days / press / schools Universal targeting towards a mobility experience – (Coventry University) performance review of staff, part of which is curriculum reform and mobility VLE with international orientation / specialist staff / training International champions / Languages for All is FOR EVERYONE!! PVC for internationalisation and VC steer TOP lead MONEY/FUNDING Institutional VISION shared by all stakeholders
Barriers to mobility Financial barriers Language barriers Institutional barriers/calendar/programme structures Family barriers/friends/home network/jobs (staff too) Low numbers coming in? USA…(gateway to tourism!) Bureaucracy/risk averse society/H&S, risk assessment/Visas Professional body requirements/need to meet Professional and Academic recognition/ethical issues/auditing and QA issues
Going mobile: Internationalisation and mobility in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
Ways to overcome these barriers Financial barriers Assistance with accommodation EUC – assistance – role of Int Office – funding/resources Long lead in – preparing for going abroad/planning/ Swapping of accommodation Administrative issues health/EHIC transport guidance/tips Ambassadors/mentoring/website to help, guide and inform Social media / Facebook pages / virtual communities / student driven Staff mobility – lack of incentive
Language barriers Languages for All Recognition credits certification awards, etc Structured Advertise, encourage Cultural and educational benefits Cognitive benefits Transferable skills Erasmus must be open for all, including students who don’t know a language Support for community languages (spoken by ethnic communities)
Institutional barriers Calendar/programme structures Examinations – venue alternatives? One year out / 4 year degrees Flexibility Recognition/trust/negotiation Admin/software/systems are very conservative Inertia – we need the will to be flexible Flexible pathways / articulation with professional bodies where appropriate
Personal barriers E.g. Family barriers/friends /home network/jobs (staff too) Internationalisation at home Staff workload issues/money E-learning – module sharing with partner institutions Video conferencing, Skype, shared VLE – needs staff training, investment, specialist IT support – full inter-institution support Extend paid placement/internship/summer jobs/with credits Work on campus (common in USA), also in UK Volunteering / Employability benefits/CV enhancement/PPD Buddying/mentoring / home-sickness / adaptability / resilience (IT help?) Accommodation issues – needs landlord/university partnership Accommodation ‘swap’
Institutional strategies to promote internationalisation and mobility Every student is an international student Steer from the top / funding Funding projects Internationalisation in strategic plan Languages for All Welcome week for international students/activities/IO Global Citizenship Award/volunteering/SU initiative Staff as ambassadors / open door policy / promoting Erasmus, mobility and internationalisation Trans and Inter faculty dialogue, SIGs within university / HEA site Revalidation requiring international dimension
Students required to engage with an on-line link to abroad Field trip – credit bearing Language learning All programmes with a 10 credit extra curricular module Paid or rewarded student ambassadors Promoting the institution Promoting opportunities Summer Schools Embed internationalisation in the curriculum across all depts.
Seminar summary Three key actions for future work on internationalisation, establishing a mobility culture and helping to boost mobility 1 2 3