Internationalising at Home. Student-centred internationalisation An internationalisation strategy which is focussed on the students ensuring that they.

Internationalising at Home

Student-centred internationalisation

An internationalisation strategy

which is focussed on the

students ensuring that they

acquire an understanding of

other cultures and graduate

with an global outlook.

Why is International student support team interested in Internationalised curriculum?

Integration promoted by inclusive curricula and extra-curricular activities increases the levels of intercultural interaction and the sense of belonging

A high sense of belonging has a strong positive effect on academic success*

Academic success improves the overall student experience and has a direct effect on recruitment

*Glass, C.R & Westmont, C.M (2014) Comparative effects of belongingness on the academic success and cross-cultural

interactions of domestic and international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 38, 106-119

International Student Integration: SHU's Current position

• Investment in social integration projects for international students

• An annual programme of over 40 events organised with local partners attracting more than 4000 participants but mostly international students

• International student satisfaction with multicultural integration is in the bottom quartile in the International Student Barometer benchmarking study (Autumn 2013)

International students’ expectations

Where respondents expected to meet....

Barriers to integration

• Majority of international students expect to study with UK students but most PG courses are predominantly international

• International students perceive accommodation as not mixed enough

• Cultural differences and perceived reserve/unfriendliness by UK students

• Social anxiety and lack of confidence were mentioned by only a few of the students

• International students want integration with UK peers to be 'enabled' at course level. They want to study alongside UK students

Improving integrationViews from international students

• Introduce cheaper/discounted fees for post graduate courses to UK students to encourage them to enrol

• Promote the importance/benefits of meeting international students to UK students

• Mix undergraduate and post graduate students on elective course options

There are no easy solutions

• Simply mixing UK and International students will not solve the problem

Mixed courses?

• Having diverse students on the course does not in itself ensure that students will interact meaningfully

• We also need:

– students with high level of cultural openness

– the right conditions for the intercultural interaction

– equal status– common goals– perceived similarity between

the two groups– institutional support

Need to eliminate perceived threats

Threat to UK Students International Students

learning experience

lower marks because of international students' poor English

academic confidence being undermined even further

self esteem fear of being judged by international students for certain behaviours

fear of rejection by UK peers; fear of prejudice

comfort levels

having to make an effort to communicate with someone without the same cultural references

having to overcome shyness and perceived poor language skills

social competence

fear of initiating conversations with international students who stick together

fear of being misinterpreted, misconstrued in social situations because of lack of cultural reference

identity fear of looking 'uncool' being ostracized by their cultural group if they try too hard

Adapted from Promoting Integration on Campus: Principles, Practice and Issues for Further Exploration, UKCISA 2014 based on Harrison, N and Peacock N (2010) Cultural distance, mindfulness and passive xenophobia using Integrated Threat Theory to explore home HE students' perspectives on internationalisation at home, British Educational Research Journal, 36 (6), 877-902

Integration requires...

• mutual accommodation of differences

• support for both International and UK students

• a holistic, integrated approach to foster opportunities for integration in all aspects of the student life

Which can be achieved through 'Internationalisation at home' projects

• BSc International Hospitality

• MSc Applying Physiotherapy

• MSc International Business

• MSc Technical Architecture

• BA Primary Education

Culture Connect

‘One of the main benefits of participating in the Culture Connect scheme is that it gives first-hand experience of engaging with international students. ...

Every British student will enter the world of work as part of a diverse workforce, which may include people from other countries. Culture Connect offers students the opportunity to develop skills to enhance British students' chances of finding work after completion of their studies. Both parties - home and international students - are the undoubted winners of schemes like Culture Connect, which brings together the university community.’

Sami Riaz, mentor from Britain

Global Friends / Conversation Club

Conversation club / Global Friends

SHU GoGlobal Blog / ICE Club

ICE Club / SHU GoGlobal group

What can you do?

Does your curriculum include international matters and issues?

How do you currently make use of course diversity ?

How are you enabling students to become global citizens with the design of the course? What capabilities, skills and competence do they need to succeed in the profession and for employability?

How do we encourage our students to think nationally, internationally and globally across the course and during learning?

How can we support you?

Any questions?

Krassimira Teneva

International Student Support Manager

[email protected]

Further reading

• Glass, C.R & Westmont, C.M (2014) Comparative effects of belongingness on the academic success and cross-cultural interactions of domestic and international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 38, 106-119

• Harrison, N and Peacock N (2010) Cultural distance, mindfulness and passive xenophobia using Integrated Threat Theory to explore home HE students' perspectives on internationalisation at home, British Educational Research Journal, 36 (6), 877-902

• Groeppel-Klein, A., Germelmann, C.C. and Glaum, M. (2010) Intercultural interaction needs more than mere exposure: Searching for drivers of student interaction at border universities. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34, 263–267.

• Allport, G. W. (1954). The Nature of Prejudice. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

• Spencer-Oatey, H., Dauber. D. and Williams,S (2014) in Promoting Integration on Campus: Principles, Practice and Issues for Further Exploration, www.ukcisa.co.uk

• Dejaeghere, Y., Hooghe, M. and Claes, E. (2012) Do ethnically diverse schools reduce ethnocentrism? A two-year panel study among majority group late adolescents in Belgian schools. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36, 108–117