Developing International Partnerships

at Oulu UAS

27 May 2013

International Staff Training Week in Oulu

Allan Perttunen

Director of International Affairs

allan.perttunen@oamk.fi

”Strategy for the Internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions

in Finland 2009–2015” : Why internationalisation?

Our own mental and financial resources are limited and a significant part of the

information we need comes from abroad

International cooperation is the best way to improve quality, remove overlapping

activities and pool Finnish and foreign resources for joint projects. Our own high-level

competence is a necessary condition when seeking interaction with leading global

centres and actors

Higher education institutions are key to the internationalisation of the economy and

society. They attract a highly educated labour force and foreign investments. By

international networking higher education institutions consolidate the development

potential of their region, their overall competence level, available resources,

competitiveness and innovation ability as well as make business life in the region

more varied

Nurturing and promoting Finnish culture as part of the diversity of global cultures is

among the duties of educational and research institutions.

International mobility provides opportunities to work and network with the top experts in

the field, to participate in their teaching and utilise high-quality infrastructures as well as

to become acquainted with the most recent research methodologies, fields of research

and ideas.

A non-Finnish researchers and teachers bring new kinds of competence and new

Influences in the operation of the higher education institutions.

Studying and working abroad improve the individual’s language skills and position in the

labour market and increase understanding between cultures and societies.

A great deal of tacit knowledge is connected to diverse international networking, which is

necessary for the development of education and research as well as societal renewal.

Internationalisation promotes the mental growth and understanding of global

responsibility in an individual.

The solving of global problems requires international cooperation

Participation in the globalisation of education, science and technology and influencing it

in the EU, OECD, UNESCO and in other international forums is in the best financial and

cultural interest of Finland.

Now we Finns know Why

How and with whom ???????????

The Changing Landscape of

International Partnerships

Old Definition: “Cooperative agreements between a higher

education institution and another distinct organization.”

(Kinser and Green, 2009, The Power of Partnerships)

New Definition: “Bi-national (or multinational) communities of

higher education in which there is a constant flow of people,

ideas, and projects back and forth, as well as the

development of new projects and common goals.” (IUPUI,

Office of International Affairs)

International partnerships

– Collaborative partnerships and projects are a key feature of almost every institutional

international(isation) strategy.

– As competition in the higher education market intensifies and diversifies, it is

becoming increasingly important for universities to liaise strategically with partners

around the world.

– Successful strategic partnerships help to boost your institution’s profile and

international reputation.

– The complexity of these relationships however, poses significant management

challenges at both strategic and operational levels.

A need to define:

– initial objectives and strategic priorities

– identify and evaluate opportunities for collaboration

– select appropriate partners

– ensure that the partnerships portfolio is both effectively

managed operationally, as well as strategically focused

OUAS’ international collaboration

– Oulu University of Applied Sciences has signed bilateral agreements with ca.

• 160 European partners

• 8 Asian partners

• 3 North American

• 3 African partners

– Altogether there are exchange and other co-operation opportunities in over

30 countries.

Some questions in the air

• What is the place of international partnerships, networks or consortia in our university’s international/internationalisation strategy? • Are these relationships strategic? • Do they increase our institutional competitiveness? or do they just happen??

Internationalization in the Strategy 2015 of OUAS

- “In addition to the focus areas, Oulu UAS’s key development targets in all fields of education are entrepreneurship, sustainable development and internationality. All of these support the development objectives in the region.”

- “Oulu UAS is an internationally networked developer of vocational expertise and the most significant applier and disseminator of new knowledge in the regional innovation system “

Development target 5: International co-operation Objective: Oulu UAS strengthens and extends its competence in co-operation with international partners. Measures 5.1 Selecting international strategic partnerships 5.2 Improving the international competence of the personnel 5.3 Developing joint studies and degrees with international partner universities 5.4 Improving the integration of international students 5.5 Increasing student and expert exchange with selected strategic international partners 5.6 Promoting international enterprise co-operation Evaluation perspective: Impact of international activities

Oulu UAS´ criteria for strategic partnerships - Our partner’s profile is in line with the Oulu UAS´ Strategy

- Oulu UAS and its partner are committed to collaboration

mutual trust and respect at the personal and the university level

willingness to deepen and widen the partnership

- Both will benefit from each other’s strengths to make both universities stronger in the long run

- Oulu and its partner will identify the strategic areas in which both universities have particular

strengths or where they can complement each other (win –win ) What WE can offer to a

partner!!?

- Partnership will create synergy in the common education and research & development areas

Extension of cooperation to include more fields of education

Joint development projects in education (programmes, pedagogical development)

Increase in mobility (students, teaching and administrative staff)

Joint research and development activities in shared focus areas

Shared expertise, Faculty Development Activities (workshops, conferences)

Joint development projects in regional development

- Quality

Quality assurance system

Evidence of quality in operations of interest

- Procedure for an agreement of an intensified partnership

Oulu UAS’s management team and board of directors’ discussion on criteria and

objectives

Evaluation of the partners

Selecting the strategic and key partners (bottom-up approach rather than top-down

decision, actual involvement creates a solid foundation for strategic cooperation)

Negotiations

Presidents/Rectors sign the agreements

What makes a partnership strategic ??

- Broad and versatile collaboration

- Broad participation within the university ( several disciplines, schools, departments)

– Collaboration is also supported financially from the university’s own funds

– Collaboration is conducted and evaluated

– Responsible persons have been named and the actions are structured

– Resiprocity ( both recognize each other as a strategic partner and both parties gain

from the collaboration)

The achievement of their strategic goals

The achievement of mutual benefits !!!

– Collaboration brings added value and synergy, thoughts of improvement are shared

– Commitment, sustainability and trust

Co-operation Interests with Good Partners

• Multidisciplinary co-operation agreements including not only mobility, but also other

forms of co-operation

• Strengthening of the existing well-functioning co-operation with good partners

• Student, teacher and staff exchange

• Curriculum development and joint/double degrees

• Intensive Courses

• International Research and Development projects with local SMEs

International aspects have been taken into account in curricula

We have 5-10 Strategic Partnerships

5 Bachelor -programmes taught in English

Each educational field has at least one double-degree agreement

7 % out of all degree students are from abroad (national objective, too)

Student mobility (out&in) reaches ~560 (at least 30 credits accomplished abroad)

2/3 of teachers and experts working abroad once a year for a week

Resources for staff mobility are allocated equally in all schools of OUAS

Education offered in english 2500 cr. (2009-2010: 1473,5 cr.)

Joint study modules with partners at least 10 % out of all modules in all fields of education.

Active participation in Education Export in diffrent export clusters

Mobility and Ed. Export are also used as a mean for recruiting new degree students

OUAS´Objectives 2015 based on ”Strategy for the Internationalisation

of Higher Education Institutions in Finland 2009–2015”

Due to the follow-up indicators, mapping of present situation and our target level we need to focus on the following:

Agreement and result indicators (by the Ministry) :

1) Staff mobility ( min. 5 days)

2) Student mobility, in & out over 3

months 3) Number of credits accomplished abroad 4) Number of credits accomplished in foreign languages at OUAS 5) Number of foreign graduates

Increasing the volume and reinforcing the content of staff mobility

Increasing the volume of student mobility and the number of cedits accomplished abroad

Add teaching in English (volume and quality)

Increase the number of foreign degree students

Action Plan for OUAS` Internationalization 2013-15, up-dated in January 2013

Contents:

Background Operational objectives Actions Funding

Appendix 1 Allocation and the basis of usage of extra funding for Staff Mobility in the year 2013 Appendix 2 OUAS´efforts in intensifying collaboration with the chosen partners Appendix 3 Detailed action plans 2013 by every School of OUAS Appendix 4 International goals and actions of every focus area of OUAS

International networking

Networks

– The University of the Arctic (UArctic)

– Nordplus Networks

– EAIE, European Association for International Education

– Nordic Interprofessional Network (NIPNET)

– European Interprofessional Education Network (EIPEN)

– European Association of Telematic Applications (EATA)

– SPACE, European Network For Business Studies and Languages

– IIOHEI Consortium for Erasmus Student Placements at Oulu UAS and the University of Oulu

– Leo-Net Leonardo Network for Academic Mobility

Thank you!

Allan Perttunen

Director of International Affairs

Oulu University of Applied Sciences

allan.perttunen@oamk.fi

+358 50 529 0988