International Exchange Workshop

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International Exchange Workshop

• Developing International Exchange Protocols
• 2004 AC21 International Forum
• A Vital Part of an International University
• Thursday 22 July 2004

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Presenters

• Barbara Chmielewski
• Deputy Director InternationalInternational
  Office, The University of Sydney
• Veronica Wong
• Manager, International Exchange
  ProgramsInternational Office, The University of
  Sydney
• Eugene Sebastian
• Manager, Program DevelopmentResearch Institute
  for Asia and the PacificThe University of Sydney

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Workshop Format

• Introduction
• Session 1 The Minefield of Credit Transfer
• Discussion
• Session 2 International Short Courses An
  alternative model to an international experience
• Discussion
• Actions to develop protocols for Credit Short
  Courses

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Why international student exchange?

• Expanding Australian students experiences of
  the social economic and political systems of
  other countries is crucial in building
  Australias capacity to engage in the
  international market and to establish
  relationships with foreign people and
  organisations. Such skills are invaluable in
  terms of Australias trade, foreign relations and
  security interests.
• Our Universities Backing Australias Future,
  The Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson, Minister for
  Education, Science and Training, May 2003

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Why international student exchange?

• Overall, study abroad and student exchange
  serve the purpose of inter-cultural learning. As
  such they continue the earlier traditions of
  international education. For these reasons
  alone, such programs deserve encouragement and
  fostering.
• An International University Report of the
  Committee to Review Internationalisation
  September 2003 The University of Sydney

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Why international student exchange?

• For the first time in 30 years, Harvard
  University has reviewed its undergraduate
  curriculum, concluding that students need more
  room for broad exploration, a greater familiarity
  with the world that can only be gained from study
  abroad, and a deeper, hands-on understanding of
  science.
• Sara Rimer, The New York Times, 27 April 2004

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Why international student exchange?

• Americans need enhanced international skills
  and knowledge to guarantee our national security
  and economic competitiveness. An educational
  opportunity outside the United States can be
  amongst the most valuable tools for preparing a
  student to participate effectively in an
  increasingly interconnected community that
  demands cross-cultural skills and knowledge.
• Securing Americas Future Global Education for
  a Global Age. Report of the Strategic Task Force
  on Education Abroad. NAFSA Association of
  International Educators. November 2003

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Challenges to success?

• Australia does not have a well developed
  tradition of sending its students abroad to
  undertake a portion of their studies overseas.
  While the success of Australian institutions in
  the recruitment of fee-paying inbound
  international students has been recognised and
  well-documented, our success in encouraging our
  own students to study overseas has been
  limited..
• 1999 Australian International Education
  Conference - Quote from Abstract of Presentation
  Session Professional Edge 5 International
  Experiences for Australian Students The Benefits
  and the Problems See IDP Education Australia
  for full details.

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Challenges to success?

• Unfortunately, only slightly more than 1
  percent of our students ever study abroad for a
  summer or a semester.
• The Hon. Paul Simon, Honorary Co-Chair Strategic
  Task Force on Education Abroad. Securing
  Americas Future Global Education for a Global
  Age. Report of the Strategic Task Force on
  Education Abroad. NAFSA Association of
  International Educators. November 2003

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Opportunities

• Increasing government support to facilitate
  exchange and study abroad experiences
• OS-HELP - Australian Commonwealth supported
  scholarships from 2005
• Increasing numbers of student scholarship schemes
  and exchange projects to assist students to
  undertake an international exchange experience
• UMAP (University Mobility in Asia and the
  Pacific)
• LEAFSE (Learning through Exchange - Agriculture,
  Food Systems and the Environment)

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Opportunities

• Increasing numbers of international consortia and
  partnerships
• AC 21 (Academic Consortium 21)
• Increasing student awareness and demand for
  exchange
• Increased enquiries from Australian high school
  students about exchange options prior to
  acceptance and enrolment
• Increasing emphasis on student exchange in
  strategic development policies of universities
• Increasing emphasis on international program
  development and co-operation within universities

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Opportunities for practical solutions for
practitioners

• Co-operation within universities - development
  of protocols
• Protocol 1 International Credit
• Protocol 2 International Short Courses
• Actions to develop protocols

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(No Transcript)
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The Minefield of Credit Transfer

• Veronica Wong Manager, International Exchange
  Programs

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Introduction

• Credit transfer is a key factor in attracting
  students to exchange and study abroad programs.
• In Australia, many institutions have
  cross-institutional credit transfer policies but
  not always exchange/study abroad credit transfer
  policies.
• Credit transfer in the global context is a
  complicated matrix.

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Credit in the EU Context

• Europe prides itself on the diversity of its
  many countries, cultures and languages and this
  diversity is perceived not as an obstacle but as
  a valuable asset in the building of a European
  identity. While such variety may be delightful to
  the traveler and tourist, it can become a
  headache for those who seek to work with European
  universities. All European countries have their
  own education systems, each with its own degree
  structure, length of studies, curricular content,
  entry requirements and so on, all of which
  happens in over 30 different languages!
• Each country defends - and wishes to retain - its
  own system but such complexity and lack of
  comparability acts as a barrier to mobility
  within Europe..
• The Bologna Declaration - A commitment to create
  a "European Space for Higher Education" by 2010,
  Fiona Hunter Director of International Relations
  at the Universita Carlo Cattaneo, Castellanza,
  Italy

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Credit in the US Context

• Nearly half of incoming college and university
  students express a desire to study overseas, but
  fewer than 3 percent actually do. Focus groups
  conducted by the American Council on Education
  revealed that students have valid concerns about
  whether they will receive academic credit for
  their international coursework upon return to
  their home campuses.
• Where Credit is Due Approaches to Course and
  Credit Recognition Across Borders in U.S. Higher
  Education Institutions, American Council on
  Education (ACE) Center for Institutional and
  International Initiatives, 2002

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Snapshots of the debate

• NAFSA-SECUSSA Discussion list
• Does anyone know of a resource that lists current
  overseas credit equivalencies?..I received
  replies to my question about overseas credit
  equivalencies ranging from, "I wish I knew, if
  you find out tell me, too to, "Our registrar
  reinvents the wheel every time." (June 2001)
• Can any of you share the methods you use for
  translating ECTS credits into US credits at your
  home institutions? (April 2003)

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Snapshots of the debate

• NAFSA-SECUSSA Discussion list
• I'm interested in learning more about the
  Australian undergraduate educational system
  specifically, how credit points transfer to the
  United States. The contact hours and work
  required per credit point are similar to our
  system, but I'm told that Australian courses are
  much more time consuming for the student.
  (August 2003)

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Current Problems with Credit

• Globalisation and internationalisation is
  gathering increasing momentum
• Widespread ideological support for
  internationalisation with an expectation of
  involvement
• But..

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Current Problems with Credit

• We are comparing apples and oranges
• Whose system is the right one?

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Principles for Protocol Policy Development

• Transparency
• Accountability
• Equity
• Simplicity

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Student Expectations

• Each institution should endeavour to produce a
  transparent and fair credit transfer policy.
  Although there is a vast variation between many
  courses within an institution and between
  institutions, every effort should be made to
  ensure that accurate information is provided to
  the student at the earliest point in the process,
  relevant to their course.
• U21SN Universitas 21 Student Network, Credit
  Transfer and Academic Programs, Report from 4th
  Conference, 24th 28th March 2003, International
  Student Exchanges, 7th May 2003

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A Core Assumption

• Any protocol developed should ..include clearly
  defined criteria and policies for judging
  performance and assigning credit in accordance
  with prevailing standards and practices at the
  home institution.
• Bellevue Community College, Reaffirmation of
  Accreditation 2005 Standard 2 Educational
  Program and its Effectiveness, Policy 2.4 Study
  Abroad Programs

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Examples of Credit Transfer Tools

• Shared Programs Curriculum or degrees
• Approved Programs
• Island Programs
• A full load here, is a full load there
• ECTS - European Credit Transfer Scheme
• UCTS - UMAP Credit Transfer Scheme

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Conclusion

• Task is not easy, however, tools and mechanisms
  exist to provide a foundation.
• International cooperation requires negotiation
  and compromise to reach a win-win outcome.
• Where there is a will, there can be a way.

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(No Transcript)
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The University of Sydneys International Short
Courses

• An alternative model to an international
  experience
• Eugene Sebastian
• Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific (RIAP)

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Session Outline

• Brief overview of short study programs on offer
• International Short Courses - Study Tours
• Inside Australia Politics, Business, Society
  (inbound)
• Key features
• Benefits
• Inside Asia Politics, Business, Society
  (outbound)
• Opportunities for AC21 collaboration

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Short Study Program _at_ Usyd

• Study Abroad and Student Exchange
• Summer and Winter School

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Short Study Program

• Study Abroad and Student Exchange
• Study Abroad short-term undergraduate and
  postgraduate at the University of Sydney for
  international students
• One semester to one year long
• Student Exchange short-term undergraduate and
  postgraduate study between exchange partner
  institutions
• Opened to local and international students

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Short Study Program

• Summer and Winter Schools
• The University of Sydney accredited programs
  taught in two intensive periods
• Typical duration - 3 - 7 weeks

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International Short Courses

• Inside Australia
• Politics, Business and Society
• (inbound study tour)

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International Short Courses

• New initiative developed in July 2003
• Partner institutions
• University of Toronto, Canada (Program 1 2)
• Lerner College of Business, University of
  Delaware, United States
• Waynes Community College, Detroit, United States
• Summer Discovery Australia, United States
• University of International Business and
  Economics, Peoples Republic of China
• Growth
• 2003 - 1 program 2004 - 5 programs 2005 -
  10 programs anticipated
• Total of 118 international students participation
  - 2003/04

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International Short Courses

• Some key features
• Conducted over one week to twelve weeks
• Non-accredited customised postgraduate and
  undergraduate programs
• Programs accredited by home institutions
• Mix of lectures, workshops, panel discussions and
  site visits/excursions
• Courses assessed according to sponsoring
  institutions assessment system
• Topics on offer - discipline specific or
  multidisciplinary
• Designed to meet students budget

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International Short Courses

• Some key Benefits
• Customised - accreditation, entry requirements
• Flexible and responsive - approach and content
• Emphasizes industry and government participation
• Interaction - government, business, education and
  community
• Affordable international experience - generally

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International Short Courses

• Launching in 2005
• Inside Asia Politics, Business and Society
• (Outbound Study Tour)
• Program 1 International Financial Services

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Inside Asia - outbound

• Inside Asia International Financial Services
• Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo
• Open to local and international students
• Duration - up to 3 weeks
• Accreditation customised - local and
  international
• Partnerships - local education institutions,
  government and business
• Active and interactive learning approach
• Lectures, panel discussions and site visits

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Opportunities for AC21 Collaboration

• Creating Collaborative opportunities
• Partners in Inside Australia program
• Partners in Inside Asia programs
• Business, Finance, Government, Education
  Agriculture, Health, etc.
• Creating an AC21 Study Tour program

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More Information

• www.riap.usyd.edu.au