How Internationalised Is Your University? Goals, Strategies and Evidence

How internationalised is your university? Goals, strategies and evidence

Helen Spencer-Oatey and Daniel Dauber Key questions Internationalisation . What are you aiming at? . How can you achieve it? . How can you evidence it?

Internationalisation claims: Benefits, goals & outcomes

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick University claims Diverse community  enhanced learning “Having a good proportion of international students offers all of our students the opportunity to learn more about the world.” University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Global. Internationalisation Strategy. 2009.

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick University claims Diverse community  enhanced learning + preparation for global world of work “Studying at such a thriving international university offers significant benefits to students, giving them the opportunity to meet and work with others from around the globe, enhancing their educational experience and ensuring they’re better equipped for an increasingly global world of work.” University of Nottingham Internationalisation. Knowledge without Borders. 2013.

University experience  intercultural competence One of the attributes of ‘The Sheffield Graduate’ is ‘an active citizen who respects diversity and has the cultural agility to work in multinational teams’.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers/students/advice/intercultural

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick Employer desires Employability research by agr, CIHE & CFE . 12 leading employers, representing 3500 graduate recruits . Ranked a list of global competencies by order of importance

Global Graduate report, 2011 (agr, CIHE, CFE)

Employer desires:

‘Global Graduate’ competencies

Global Graduate report, 2011 (agr, CIHE, CFE)

Employer desires ‘Global Graduate’ competencies

Top two items: . An ability to work collaboratively with teams of people from a range of backgrounds and countries; . Excellent communication skills: both speaking and listening.

Global Graduate report, 2011 (agr, CIHE, CFE)

Employer viewpoints: Level of satisfaction with graduate skills

Foreign language skills 3 49 48 Business & Customer Awareness 6 53 41

Relevant work experience 7 59 34 Self-management/resilience 10 60 30 % Very satisfied International cultural awareness 5 66 29 % Satisfied Knowledge about chosen career 9 66 25 % Not satisfied

Communication Skills 13 64 23

Problem solving 10 69 21

Teamworking 13 68 19 CBI/Pearson Education & Skills Survey 2016 0 20 40 60 80 100 Fundamental assumption underlying internationalisation claims: – diverse study body is the key

University Strategies . Many aim at attracting more international students; . Increasing amount of student and staff mobility; . Reflected in university ranking methodologies: all structural in design.

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick University Rankings Parameters Organisation THE QS U- Multirank Composition: international students   Composition: international staff    Composition: international diversity  Incoming & outgoing student mobility   International student support (religious  facilities) International joint publications   

. In January 2016, Times Higher produced a list of the world’s most international universities. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/ 200-most-international-universities-world-2016

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick University Rankings 1. Quatar University 18. University of Oxford 18. University College London 36. University of Cambridge 45. University of Warwick 73. Durham University 78. University of Liverpool

. Many critical comments on the THE website; . How far do such rankings reflect the goals that universities are aiming at? . To what extent does a diverse student body and high levels of mobility necessarily enhance students’ educational experience?

“simply having a diverse student body does not mean the education or even the campus is global in nature. What comes as an essential part of a global education is the inclusion of international students in communities and classes.” British Council Integration of international students: A UK perspective 2014

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick Is diversity enough? A fundamental question …  To what extent does a diverse student body necessarily enhance students’ educational experience and equip them for the global world of work? . Research indicates that it is a step on the way but insufficient in itself.

Evidence from research

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick Insights from a ‘Border University’ Border Universities “In border universities, students from two (or more) neighboring nations meet and study together.) Often such universities have been created to improve students’ understanding of the values, lifestyles and cultural practices of the countries in question.” (Groeppel-Klein et al. 2010: 254)

Insights from a ‘Border University’

. 7-year longitudinal study at a ‘border university’ near the German-Polish border. . Measured: – Mutual perceptions – Interaction – Openness

Insights from a ‘Border University’ Findings “Contrary to expectations at the time the border university was established, we find that: . Mere exposure to each other does not lead students from different nations to have fewer differences in mutual perception. . Mere exposure is also insufficient to cause interaction between such students on diverse campuses.” (Groeppel-Klein et al. 2010:265)

Insights from a ‘Border University’

Findings . “Students with a high level of individual cultural openness report significantly higher levels of interaction than students with a low level of cultural openness.” (Groeppel-Klein et al. 2010:265)

Insights from a ‘Border University’

Implications . The concept of ‘meeting points’ is inadequate; . Cultural openness is a critical factor.

Diversity & IC Understanding Belgian study . 2 year study with nearly 3000 late adolescents;

. Compared classes with high and low levels of diversity for degree of ethnocentric prejudice. Dejaeghere et al. (2012)

Diversity & IC Understanding Belgian study: Findings . Level of diversity did not affect degree of ethnocentric prejudice; . Key factor was quality of interaction: negative experiences can be highly detrimental. Dejaeghere et al. (2012)

Diversity & IC Understanding

Belgian study: Implications  Need to try to influence quality of interaction.

Dejaeghere et al. (2012)

Importance of Integration

Thus … diversity is a pre-requisite, but insufficient. Integration is needed for: . Positive student experience; . Providing a fruitful context for personal growth; . Fostering students’ ‘global graduate’ skills and thus preparing them for today’s globalised world of work.

Internationalisation trajectory

. Internationalisation develops in stages; . Structural internationalisation (diverse student population) needs to develop into community internationalisation (high levels of integration); . Integration is the engine for achieving the benefits of internationalisation.

Stages of internationalising HEIs

 How integrated is our student body?  How global an education are they experiencing?

. Insights from additional items added to i-Graduate’s (International) Student Barometer (SS, ISB)

For more details on the Chinese students’ results, see article by Spencer-Oatey et al., 2016, in the journal, Higher Education, available for free download here: http://rdcu.be/mV7Y

100% 94% 93% 92% 89% China 90% 87% 88% 88% 79% 80% 80% 70% EEA 70% 63% 60% UK 50% 40% Other 30% overseas 20% 10% N = 2031, 0% UGS & PGs Making friends from my Making friends from this Making friends from home country country other countries

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick Social Integration I find it difficult to socialise with people who are from different countries 100% 90% entire 80% sample 70% 60% PGT 50% 45% 46% 40% 30% 25% 20% 13% 12% 16% 16% 10% 10% 0% China EEA UK Other overseas

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick Evidencing integration . Few surveys include questions on integration . SB/ISB has two or three relevant questions For internationalisation & the development of ‘global graduate’ skills, need to probe . Social and academic integration; . Key intercultural skills.  But nothing suitable available, so developed the Global Education Profiler (GE-P).

 A diagnostic tool that helps identify what kind of contexts our students are experiencing for developing their ‘global skills’;  Probes different domains & spheres . social and academic integration . communication skills . foreign language learning skills . global skills & support

Global Education Profiler (GE-P)

 Measures each in two ways . ‘Importance to me’ . ‘My actual experience’

 So yields three measures . ‘Importance to me’ . ‘My actual experience’ . Any gap between the two

P: The GAP matrix GAP The P:

- GE

HIGH 45° diagonal

c line

r =

x zero gap

’

P: The GAP matrix GAP The P: -

GE LOW

LOW Importance to students HIGH

& Dauber, Applied Linguistics, Universityof Warwick

Students’ experience

V p E

x E o p

e R r r

t ie a n c n es c m e e

e t t o im

p s o t rt

u U an

d N ce e

GE-P Chinese student responses: Social Integration

Item IMP EXP GAP There are good opportunities to undertake a 4.96 3.21 -1.75 work placement during my course. Teaching staff help me in developing the intercultural skills I need to work in a global 4.91 3.65 -1.26 context. The university's career services help me in developing the intercultural skills I need to 4.98 3.76 -1.22 work in a global context.

Gap range: -1.75 to -0.28; Mean gap: -1.04 GE-P Open comments

. GE-P encourages open comments on all the constructs; . An example: There are so many Chinese student on my course And basically it's difficult for me to jump out of my own comfort zone and even if I do that I cannot make trusted friends with students from student societies or other associations. [Female Chinese PG]

For more information on the GE-P, including an interactive dashboard showing pilot results from over 2000 students, see: http://www.globalpad.net/ge-p

Diagnostic analysis: GE-P

Response planning: Base it on a growth model & understanding of intercultural learning cycle . Global PAD Intercultural Growth Model . Global PAD Intercultural Learning Cycle

Diagnostic analysis: GE-P (available from i-Graduate)

Response planning: Base it on a Growth Model and understanding of Intercultural Learning Cycle

Interventions: See Global PAD resources

. Case studies from different UK universities in this publication

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/globalpeople/integration

http://www.globalpad.net/gg123

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick The important role of staff Role of staff Key roles: . International office staff – social integration . Student union staff – social integration . Language Centre – foreign language learning . Academics – academic integration

Understanding student perspectives

“Our professors never encourage people from different backgrounds to actually tell us what was taught to them in their countries about the course's subject of discussion. They do not use the richness of having around 10 nationalities in the class. Really disappointing.” (Female PG, nationality not given)

© Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick Role of staff (GE-P comments) Understanding student perspectives “Not all academic staff is putting as much effort as compared to my previous university. Administrative staff once told me the reason for having so many Chinese/Indians was because they need to fill the seats in the new lecture hall which is totally unacceptable at all.” [Male Chinese PG]

“Too much UK stuff and examples. No diversity at all.” [Female Chinese PG]

Staff find it challenging too! “And it actually got to a point where there were other students in the class that started to get really agitated and quite hostile towards some of the Chinese students. (re activity to get students talking) … And it makes it very difficult to kind of manage that sort of situation.” (R2) Challenge for staff Staff find it challenging too! “And then I had some other Chinese students tell me that they were really annoyed with some of the English speaking students because they felt like they maybe weren’t working as hard, because things were going to come easier to them. So they felt like they weren’t as engaged with the group presentation because they felt like they could do it more last minute.” (R2) Nurturing IC Skills

 Staff need help as well!  So we’re piloting the Global Education Teaching Profiler, GET-P  Get in touch if you’re interested.

[email protected] [email protected]