Internationalisation, Diversity and Inclusion

Emerita Professor of the Internationalisation of Higher Education

@elspethjones

Elspeth Jones

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

What is ‘internationalisation?’

International student recruitment

League table positioning

International partnerships and

networks

Internationalisation of research

Study abroad and exchange

Curriculum internationalisation for all

Internationalisation which is

‘transformational’ rather than merely ‘symbolic’? (Turner and Robson 2008)

Domesticnon-

mobile students

Domestic students who have ‘studied’ abroad

Students from other countries who have

come to the UK to study

Diversity Wheel, Loden 1996

Domestic students who have ‘studied’ abroad

Domesticnon-

mobile students

Students from other countries who have

come to the UK to study

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

What do we mean by ‘intercultural

competence?

‘cross-cultural capability’, ‘intercultural sensitivity’ and ‘cultural fluency’

increasing body of literature linking internationalisation with multiculturalism, equity and diversity (Killick, 2006; Clifford and Montgomery 2011; Fitch and Desai 2012)

Intercultural competence - not knowledge of a

single culture but operating effectively

across cultures

Exposure to ‘otherness’

Making the familiar seem strange

Means challenging our own identity, values,

assumptions and stereotypes and those of

our students

Learning about cultural ‘others’ and seeing the world from their perspective

Intercultural competence required to operate effectively in global contexts is

equally important for increasingly diverse and multicultural local

communities

Multicultural classrooms - resource to be used

purposefully to help develop intercultural skills for all

students

Requires an inclusive approach to curriculum and pedagogy and to

recognise and value cultural insights which our students (and staff) can offer

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.

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

Fielden et al (2007)

What skills do employers want?Prospects: the UK’s official graduate careers website

Self-reliance skillsSelf-awareness Proactivity Willingness to learn

Self-promotion Networking Planning action

People skillsTeam working Interpersonal skills Oral communication

Leadership Customer orientation Foreign language

General employment skills

Problem-solving Flexibility Business acumen

IT/computer literacy Numeracy Commitment

Specialist skills Specific occupational skills Technical skills

These are precisely the skills developed through international

experience

Jones 2013, forthcoming

Confidence

Willingness to take risksPatienceSensitivity Flexibility and open-mindednessHumility and respectCreativityManaging personal expectations

Example of outcomes from ‘study abroad’ (Jones 2010 and 2012)

Intercultural competence

Team work and team leadership

Organisational skills and project management

Problem solving

Networking

Mediation skills and conflict resolution

Decision making (and communicating decisions which may not be popular)

Interpersonal skills

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 youej@elspethjones.com

@elspethjones

WWW.elspethjones.com