CAS

Wallace

Dr Ray

International Placements in Chemistry

International Placements in Chemistry

The University View

and “Kultur Brillen”

Presentation (with minor editing) given at the University Network with Industry in Chemistry and the University Network with Industry in Biosciences Meeting in Idstein, Germany 28th October 2016

Why do I feel that there is no overarching university view?

Because we all see things differently and from our own perspective. Hence a definitive ‘University view’ is impossible although many of us will identify common themes of importance

Whilst you might be right in thinking that the majority of universities would say that international placements are a good thing, when it comes to their practical commitment to them and the resources that they put into them then a different story can start to unfold

• Many university websites enthusiastically describe the benefits for students of a placement abroad –often this refers predominantly to study at a foreign university

• Valuing specifically a work placement abroad is much harder to identify although examples of employment are included in case studies on placements abroad

• Subject disciplines/departments (for example business) where a work placement is part of their culture do highlight these opportunities and their benefits independently on their websites

The latter websites are generally aimed at students. Finding examples of policy and opinions is much more difficult but they can be found

….. three examples

What are the benefits of a quality placement?

BENEFITS FOR THE INSTITUTION

• Improvement in the university’s reputation amongst students• Raising the institution’s profile• Increased positive contact with employers• Form part of a broader, institution-wide emphasis on business engagement

The National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) is an independent and not-for-profit membership organisation that promotes, develops and supports university-business collaboration across the UK

International (work) Placements in Science

One Academic’s View

We can imagine opinions on placements and commitment to them will diverge even further if we look at things on an international basis

This is because:

• No two universities are alike• No two countries are alike, indeed no two

regions are alike• Universities differ in the power and autonomy

of individual faculties & departments• Some universities are ‘central management’

led, others are academic led

Firstly some data from the UK

Twenty Higher Education

Institutes provided

approximately 70% of all

placements to businesses and

industry. Table lists the

institutions and average

number of placement students

over the period 2002-10

JACS (the Joint Academic Coding System)

Some snippets from

So what are my personal reflections and conclusions from over 30 years experience of sandwich courses?

Additional benefits of work experience abroad over and above employment and technical skills

• Culture and community - working abroad shows a student’s desire to get stuck in and work alongside local people

• Sink or swim - demonstrate to potential employers that they can cope in a multicultural, multilingual working environment

• Language skills - these are hugely valuable to employers • Get up and go - moving abroad and finding work experience shows motivation, independence,

maturity and adaptability• Travel - a bonus• Graduate employability – the student will became an applicant that stands out from the crowd

“Working in another country forces students to step outside their comfort zone, which opens up opportunities to develop new skills and have new experiences.”

This is where I come at last to raise the issue of “Kultur Brillen”A term coined by the German-American

anthropologist Franz Boas many decades ago

This idea has been developed and expanded in recent years by Martin Lindstrom a Dutch brand strategist and author

• “When we spend too much time in the same environment, we tend to become blind to our surroundings. In reality, our cultural glasses are out biggest handicap.”

• “The reality is that the roadblock holding back progress and transformation isn’t our surroundings. Rather, it’s our own minds. Our perspective. Our Kultur brillen.”

• “Humans are ruled by inertia. We have a tendency to cling to what is comfortable, to what seems to be working – until finally, the pain of remaining the same outweighs the pain of change.”

These things are none the less true when it comes to international work placements and apply to students, academics, employers & university managers

What might be seen as perfectly normal or possible in one academic environment or by an employer in one country because of their local conditioning, history and culture might seam alien and at best, impractical to others

On my final slide I will show you why many British chemistry students will not want to undertake an industrial placement abroad which might not have been apparent to you because of “Kultur Brillen”

……… but first some data again from the E4E Education for Engineering report

Barriers to placements (quotes from the report)

Students

The overwhelming barrier to increased take-up of Sandwich Courses is down to

students, despite the fact that there are substantial benefits for the individual in taking

up placement opportunities. The issues cited are in the main, practical. The barriers

include the need to fill out application forms during busy periods of the year, uncertainty

in securing a placement, strong peer group pressure to opt out of taking up placements,

finding a placement close to the university or parents’ home, a preference to

concentrate on undergraduate studies and a desire to finish studies early to start work.

Institutions

For Institutions, there is a need to commit substantial human resource to developing

and maintaining relationships with employers. There is a need for close personal

contact with employers from academic and administrative staff. Where this relationship

exists, there are often repeat placements, as employers know that they will receive

good quality students. In terms of developing new business, there is again substantial

effort required to convince employers of the value of placements (particularly SMEs)

and to build relations and trust.

“Increasingly universities are using a careers

and placement team to find newemployer partnerships.”

“A developing problem is the lack of industrial

experience of a growing percentage of academic

staff. They have little knowledge of,

or empathy with industry and can consciously (or

sub-consciously) discourage

students from even considering Sandwich Courses”

Benefits

Problems

• Culture and community• Sink or swim• Language skills• Get up and go• Travel• Graduate employability

• Expense/further debt• UK placements pay full salary, most

foreign ones don’t• Poor foreign language skills• Loss of peer group as most students

will not spend a year out• Student from disadvantaged

background• Far from home & friends and travel

home difficult/expensive• Feeling like an outsider

Thank you for

reading

CAS

+44 (0) 7531860983

dr_ray_wallace@hotmail.com

© Ray Wallace 2016