Internationalization at Home – Positon Paper

6th ANIE Pre-conference Workshop, 7TH OCTOBER, 2015 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

JACKLINE K.A. NYERERE

Kenyatta university, Kenya

Push for Internationalization

Political, economic, and social developments are exerting pressures on higher education to “perform”, “respond”, “innovate”, “incubate”, “evaluate” and “lead”.

These require an ‘international university’

An International University?

Internationalization now appearing in international rankings: e.g the Times Higher Education (THE) - Ranking the level of Internationalization; and

U-Multirank - the international orientation universities.

The two use the similar quantitative indicators

As indicators: Times Higher Education uses; number of international students, number of international staff and number of internationally co-authored publications.

U-Multirank uses; strong incoming and outgoing mobility, a high proportion of international staff and doctoral graduates, and a strong record of research publication in collaboration with academics abroad.

‘Internationalization is seen as..

a process that helps universities to increase the quality of their education, research and service to society meaning it is not a goal itself.

What is an International University?

In a publication by OECD ‘The State of Higher Education 2014’, Knight identifies three “generations” of International University:

an internationalized university with a diversity of international partnerships, international students and staff and multiple collaborative activities (COOPERATIVE);

universities with satellite offices in the form of branch campuses, research centres and management or project offices (ACTIVE); and

standalone institutions co-founded or co-developed by two or more partner institutions from different countries (OPERATIVE) E.g our centers of excellence-PAU

Where is the world in terms of internationalization?

Many countries & institutions are now putting emphasis on internationalization policy and practice

Lately, there has been a growing mobility of students across the world indicating that the trend is likely to continue into the future

OECD, 2014

..And where is Africa in this?

Africa is seen as the next frontier for internationalization mainly due its demographic composition

Africa will enjoy a growing 18- to 22-year-old population for the next 10 years (Therin, 2013)

..but are there efforts to internationalize at home?

Which efforts have your institutions put in place?

New developments in the recent past:

The World Bank is sponsoring centres of excellence among African universities, each receiving US$8 million to strengthen its research and develop new programmes.

Lancaster University has is opening of a campus in Accra, Ghana,

CEIBIS (the China Europe International Business School) has been offering an executive MBA in Accra for the past few years.

Webster University this year announced the opening of its first campus in Africa in Ghana.

a prominent private Malaysian university (Limkokwing) has opened campuses in Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.

India has invested in the Pan-African e-Network of the best business schools in the

How Africa Could Benefit from Internationalization at Home

Source of Revenue (US-$24b in 2013/2014; UK- US$21b & Australia- US$17b in 2011)

Address skills shortages

Achieve intercultural competencies

Enhance global competitiveness

WHAT IS THE POSITION?

The African Higher Education Summit in Dakar, Senegal, agreed to promote harmonization

the African Union Commission informed the delegates that the continental strategy for harmonization had been adopted by all African countries and the roadmap for curriculum development was underway.

the African Union expressed keenness to strengthen intra-African academic mobility and collaboration as a key initiative towards harmonization.

Key outcome of the Summit ‘Revitalizing Higher Education for Africa’s Future’ was the resolution to develop criteria for categorizing tertiary institutions in accordance with internationally recognized benchmarks of excellence.

The Conference of Rectors, Vice Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP) held in Kigali, Rwanda in June, 2015

 

Focused on ‘Internationalizing African Universities:

COREVIP noted that efforts to internationalize in Africa had been hampered by the slow pace of harmonization of HE in Africa

African Universities urged to use internationalization to expand access, improve institutional governance through sharing of best practices

This will revitalize the 1981, UNESCO Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and other Academic Qualifications in Higher Education in African States, popularly known as the Arusha Convention.

a new version of the Arusha Convention of 2007 was agreed on late last year.

In addition…

We have, in support of internationalization at home:

Continental and Regional agreements

South-South initiatives

North to South investments

UNESCOAAUAUC EAC, SADC, ECOWASDAADWorld bank ANIE among others

UNESCOAAUAUC EAC, SADC, ECOWASDAADWorld bank ANIE among others

Through Through

ISSUES HAMPERING REGIONAL MOBILITY

They include:

Lack of coherent governmental policies,

Inadequate financing

lack of quality benchmarks

Lack of assessment criteria

–(Jenny and Chika 2015)

THE, U-Multirank, Certificate for Quality in Internationalisation, or CeQuInt by European Consortium for Accreditation

Members input?

1.What has been realized in terms of IaH in your institutions?

2.What are the various regional initiatives put in place to realize IaH?

3.Where is Africa today in terms IaH?

4.What must be done for Africa to benefit from internationalization at Home?

5.What do you expect from ANIE in enhancing IaH?

Initiatives to support Internationalization

at Kenyatta University

Internationalization Policy

The University has an internationalization policy which guides the internationalization agenda in the University

Centre for International Programmes Centre for International Programmes & Collaboration

established in the year 1994, facilitates linkages &

partnerships

The Centre is key in facilitating internationalization

efforts in the University

A good idea to have a home for the programmes

Centre for International Programmes & Collaboration

Under construction, to be officially opened in September, 2015

KU “Summer” Programme

The KU Summer Programme is an initiative whose courses are tailor made by the University to accommodate international students

The programme mostly runs between May and August annually

Through the programme, students are offered teaching, accommodation, service learning opportunities by the University

They also are exposed to family and cultural experiences through home stays

Some KU International students

Internships The Centre for International

Programmes organizes for internship sessions for international students

In this initiative, international students are hosted in departments and laboratories for period

Cultural Exchanges

Kenyatta University hosts an annual Culture Week event where international participants from foreign countries perform

The event promotes cultural integration and appreciation among participants

We have had cultural troops from Botswana, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia. Rwanda, China, Korea, and many others countries

KU offers courses in various international languages e.g.

French, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, German, Korea and English to support our foreign students/staff

Foreign Languages

NEW EFFORT:

Intra-Africa Student Exchange Program

The Intra-Africa Semester Abroad Program (IASAP) is a student mobility program that focuses on encouraging movement of undergraduate students within African universities

The program was started in 2012 with signing of Memoranda of Understanding between Kenyatta University and several partner universities (see table)

S/No. Country Institution1 Ghana University of Cape Coast

2 Uganda Uganda Martyrs University

3 Nigeria University of Ilorin

4 Tanzania University of Dar Es Salaam

5 Uganda Makerere University

6 Rwanda National University of Rwanda

7 Tanzania Sokoine University of Agriculture

8 South Africa University of Kwa-Zulu, Natal

9 Uganda Kyambogo University

10 Nigeria Delta State University

11 Nigeria Kwara State University

12 Egypt University of Alexandria

13 Ethiopia St. Mary’s University College

14 Ethiopia Jimma University

15 Zimbabwe Bindura University of Science Education

16 Somaliland Gollis University

IASAP is aimed at building networks that are useful in;

future endeavors,

opening up the student’s mind to new ideas and diverse cultures, and

allowing sharing of experiences and best practices.

The Programme was started to address the imbalance created by student exchanges between African universities and those from outside Africa

The focus of this programme is for students at 200 and 300 levels

Providing opportunities for students to experience academic and social environments other than theirs for one semester and to promote continental collaborations.

Programme Structure

The programme is open to only 2nd and 3rd year students who spend an equivalent of one (1) semester abroad, that is, in an institution other than their own but within Africa.

The exchange students are allowed to enroll in courses that are agreed on by the heads of departments of the two institutions, the home institution and the host institution.

These students are registered at the host university and are entitled to all the privileges and subjected to the same rules and regulations, as other students at the host university.

The exchange students are expected to pay their tuition, other statutory payments and accommodation fees to their HOME institutions while the HOST institutions provide them with accommodation

The HOME institutions cover the travel costs while the other expenses like insurance and subsistence costs are met by the exchange students themselves.

CREDIT TRANSFERS

The students take units relevant to their courses and thereafter credit transfers are effected upon receipt of transcripts from the host Universities

The students do not need to redo the same units at their home countries

Number of students who have benefited so far (34)

InstitutionNumber of Students

from KUNumber of Students

to KU

University of Cape Coast

2 1

Ilorin University 6 5Uganda Martyrs University

10 7

Delta State University - 3

Total 18 16

Challenges ….

Finances…Harmonization

Thank You