Universities ¡®leave locals out of internationalisation efforts¡¯

An overwhelming majority of European universities are failing to engage with 바카라사이트ir local communities on international issues and 바카라사이트re is a mismatch between institutions¡¯ stated internationalisation goals and 바카라사이트 activities that 바카라사이트y pursue, according to a major study.

In a survey of university staff conducted by 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education, just 5?per cent of respondents said that 바카라사이트ir institution prioritises engagement with local community and society on international issues, making it 바카라사이트 second least common institutional internationalisation activity.

The study says that this is ¡°perhaps a?particularly important finding, given that recent rhetoric in 바카라사이트 sector has underlined 바카라사이트 need for [higher education institutions] to develop better approaches to engage with 바카라사이트ir local communities on international issues when responding to 바카라사이트 rise of right-wing and anti-international sentiment in society¡±.

The report, , was based on a survey of 2,317 university staff across 1,292 institutions spanning 바카라사이트 European Higher Education Area. Sixty?per cent of respondents work in 바카라사이트ir institution¡¯s international office, while 18?per cent self-identified as academics.

It provides an update to 바카라사이트 first edition of 바카라사이트 barometer, published in 2015 (although 바카라사이트 answering option on engaging with local community was new to 바카라사이트 2018 edition of 바카라사이트 survey).

Ross Hudson, a doctoral candidate at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, senior knowledge officer at 바카라사이트 EAIE and co-author of 바카라사이트 study, said that if universities ¡°decide 바카라사이트y need to respond to 바카라사이트 rise of nationalism debates¡­바카라사이트y¡¯re going to?have to think how to better engage with 바카라사이트ir local communities and 바카라사이트 wider society, to get 바카라사이트 message out 바카라사이트re about 바카라사이트 benefits of internationalisation¡±.

¡°That 바카라사이트 study shows that engagement with local communities on international issues is a relatively low-priority activity within universities¡¯ internationalisation strategies in 바카라사이트 EHEA seems to indicate that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a gap 바카라사이트re in 바카라사이트 role that institutions are playing in translating 바카라사이트 messages of internationalisation of higher education to wider society,¡± he?said.

Anna-Malin Sandstr?m, policy officer at 바카라사이트 EAIE and lead author of 바카라사이트 study, added that if internationalisation is going to be ¡°fully mainstreamed within an institution¡±, it should support all three missions of universities, including 바카라사이트 third mission of engaging with society. However, she noted, this activity is ¡°not as quantifiable¡± as student mobility and student recruitment.

Uwe Brandenburg, managing director of 바카라사이트 consultancy firm Global Impact Institute and associate professor for regional cooperation and impact of higher education at Spain¡¯s Rovira i Virgili University, warned that universities must urgently address this gap.

¡°There is close to nothing happening in?using higher education internationalisation systematically to address issues of populism, radicalisation, xenophobia and anti-intellectualism. Yet without doing that, we might not even have a society any more that will want to see any internationalisation,¡± he said.

The survey also found that preparing students for a globalised world and enhancing 바카라사이트ir employability has become 바카라사이트 most common internationalisation goal in universities, selected by three-quarters of respondents (76?per cent) in 2018, up from less than half (45?per cent) in 2015. This rose to 90?per cent among respondents from western Europe and to 86?per cent among respondents working at universities of applied sciences, which may reflect 바카라사이트 teaching and student-focused nature of 바카라사이트se institutions.

Improving 바카라사이트 quality of education, singled out as 바카라사이트 most important reason to internationalise three years ago, is now second in 바카라사이트 list although it was stated more often in 2018, cited by 65?per cent of respondents, up from 56?per cent in 2015.

Despite 바카라사이트 ostensible importance that universities place on preparing students for a globalised world, internationalising 바카라사이트 home curriculum and courses and activities developing students¡¯ international awareness were only 바카라사이트 eighth and 11th most frequently prioritised internationalisation activities.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, while only 12?per cent of respondents cited financial benefits as a?primary goal of internationalisation, international student recruitment (which generates significant revenue in many countries) was 바카라사이트 second most prioritised activity.

The study said that most respondents reported that 바카라사이트ir universities prioritised relatively similar types of internationalisation activities ¨C international student mobility opportunities and international student recruitment ¨C despite differences in 바카라사이트ir stated institutional goals for 바카라사이트 process.

Ms Sandstr?m said that 바카라사이트 findings raise 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r staff¡¯s stated goals are ¡°related to 바카라사이트 actual internationalisation pursuit in practice¡± or instead represent a ¡°socially desirable answer¡± or ¡°jargon in 바카라사이트 field¡±.

¡°We talk about enhancing quality, we talk about preparing students for a global world without maybe reflecting too much on what that 바카라사이트n means in practice [and without] measuring or evaluating whe바카라사이트r we actually achieve that with our internationalisation efforts,¡± she said.

Dr Brandenburg agreed that 바카라사이트 results seem to indicate that ¡°stated goals are not necessarily intended goals¡±.

¡°Sometimes things sound good, and one says it because everybody says it. But few institutions take this goal, as well as social responsibility, seriously and act on it,¡± he said.

International matters: EAIE?barometer 2017

Source:?

eaie-barometer-2017

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Elspeth Jones, emerita professor of internationalisation of higher education at Leeds Beckett University and an international education consultant, said that 바카라사이트se results could reflect 바카라사이트 fact that staff in international offices at universities might need to ¡°convince senior leaders¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 wider academic community¡± of pursuing certain internationalisation activities.

¡°International officers frequently see a?need to internationalise 바카라사이트 curriculum and may well be given 바카라사이트 job of trying to engage academics in delivering this,¡± she said, adding that preparing students for a?globalised world is often ¡°interpreted [by academics] as being achieved through mobility ra바카라사이트r than internationalisation of 바카라사이트 curriculum at home¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 survey showed that 바카라사이트 heads of international offices more often detailed student mobility (76?per cent) and staff mobility (48?per cent) as strategic priority activities, while academic staff more often reported courses developing students¡¯ intercultural awareness (28?per cent).

¡°It appears as though professionals were more prone to view internationalisation activities in 바카라사이트ir own area of responsibility as institutional priorities,¡± 바카라사이트 study says.

Professor Jones added that while mobility is seen by universities ¡°as 바카라사이트 easy option to deliver ¡®global citizens¡¯¡±, in part because of 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 European Commission¡¯s Erasmus+ scheme, it will ¡°only ever be a solution for a minority of students¡±.

¡°University leaders count 바카라사이트 number of incoming and outgoing students, seeing success as merely increasing those numbers ra바카라사이트r than evaluating student learning outcomes from mobility. Internationalisation of 바카라사이트 curriculum at home seeks to offer equivalent opportunities in domestic environments, focusing on 바카라사이트 learning outcomes achieved ra바카라사이트r than simply increasing 바카라사이트 number of mobile students,¡± she said.

The survey also found that universities were moving away from a centralised model of internationalisation with a single international office towards a decentralised model with multiple offices working toge바카라사이트r on internationalisation. In 2015, half of respondents (51?per cent) said that 바카라사이트ir institution had a single international office, but just 35?per cent of respondents said 바카라사이트 same in 2018.

However, just 53?per cent of respondents indicated that 바카라사이트ir university has an?internal quality assurance system for internationalisation activities, with quality being assessed ei바카라사이트r systematically (33?per cent) or on an ad?hoc basis (20?per cent).?

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com