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Internationalisation , Diversity and Inclusion. Emerita Professor of the Internationalisation of Higher Education. Elspeth Jones. @ elspethjones. www.elspethjones.com. University of Sheffield Learning and Teaching Conference 2013. Programme introduction.
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Internationalisation, Diversity and Inclusion Emerita Professor of the Internationalisation of Higher Education Elspeth Jones @elspethjones www.elspethjones.com
University of Sheffield Learning and Teaching Conference 2013. Programme introduction • ‘students who have experienced different life paths come with different expectations, different needs, different learning styles, and different ambitions.’ • ‘a crucial dimension of our discussions today is concerned with embracing diversity, and turning the diversity of our students and staff into a resource to enrich the university as a whole and everyone who has a role within it.’ Professor Paul White, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Learning and Teaching
Internationalisation which is ‘transformational’ rather than merely ‘symbolic’? (Turner and Robson 2008)
Domestic students who have ‘studied’ abroad • Students from other countries who have come to the UK to study • Domesticnon-mobile students
Students from other countries who have come to the UK to study • Domestic students who have ‘studied’ abroad • Domesticnon-mobile students Diversity Wheel, Loden 1996
Curriculum internationalisation is for all students Even if domestic graduates never leave their own country, on graduation they will be forced to compete in international, or multinational, work and discovery environments. Zimitat (2008) • Intercultural competence • Global perspectives
increasing body of literature linking internationalisation with multiculturalism, equity and diversity (Killick, 2006; Clifford and Montgomery 2011; Fitch and Desai 2012) ‘cross-cultural capability’, ‘intercultural sensitivity’ and ‘cultural fluency’
Global perspectives, culture and inclusive curriculum • Influence of cultural background on values and actions • Understanding of professional, cultural and national contexts • Questions of cultural dominance and the implications for the subject • Issues of sustainability and global impact • Cultural considerations in professional practice
Internationalisation and employability Employers are looking for graduates with first-hand experience of living and working among other cultures. Fielden et al (2007) 79% of chief executives and board level directors of businesses in the UK think that in recruiting new employees, knowledge and awareness of the wider world is more important than achieving a high degree classification British Council/Think Global, 2011
What skills do employers want?Prospects: the UK’s official graduate careers website
These are precisely the skills developed through international experience Jones 2013, forthcoming
Example of outcomes from ‘study abroad’ (Jones 2010 and 2012) Intercultural competence
Example of outcomes (Jones 2010 and 2012) Employability skills
If we view internationalisation as one dimension of diversity, it is clear that domestic environments could play an equivalent role in offering opportunities for experiential learning in an inter-cultural context, taking people beyond their comfort zones, and creating ‘disorienting dilemmas’ (Mezirow) by engaging with cultural otherness.
Offering intercultural experiences for non-mobile students How do we encourage domestic/international student interaction within and beyond the curriculum? Engagement with local multicultural society – do we ask our students and make the most of their contacts? Are we using what students returning from overseas have learned and can offer others?
Resources Higher Education Academy – International pages (especially on working with international students) Internationalisation of the curriculum (Betty Leask OLT fellowship) www.ioc.net.au Jan Goddard www.tlc.murdoch.edu.au
Thank you ej@elspethjones.com @elspethjones WWW.elspethjones.com