International Activity or Internationalisation Strategy

1
International Activity or Internationalisation
Strategy?

• A Case-Study of Institutional Practice and
  Experience at a UK University

An Overview of a Research Project for the Higher
Education Academy
Dialogue Learning and Teaching
Symposium Cardiff University, 23rd January 2006
Steve Woodfield and Robin Middlehurst University
of Surrey
2
Presentation Outline

• Background
• Working Definitions
• HEA Project Overview
• Initial Findings
• Case Study
• Case Study Process
• Internationalisation Strategies
• Conclusions
• Questions for Discussion

3
Background 3 Key Issues

• Increasingly dynamic global higher education
  context
• Impact of changing global higher education
  context on UK HE
• Institutional responses to the changing
  international context

4
Background Key Issues (1)

• Increasingly dynamic global higher education
  context
• Changing patterns of international student
  recruitment
• Market volatility
• Increased competition
• Changing student needs/expectations
• Diversification of delivery modes
• New forms of provision
• New types of providers

5
Background Key Issues (2)

• Impact of changing global HE context on UK HE
• Threat to national competitiveness
• Loss of market share
• Reduction in fees income
• Governmental pressures for a more strategic
  approach
• Diversify delivery modes
• Internationalise curricula (e.g. Bologna
  Process)
• Improve the quality of the student experience
• Intensify international linkages and
  collaborations

6
Background Key Issues (3)

• Institutional responses to the changing
  international context
• Increased co-ordination of international
  dimension
• Development of international strategies
• Administrative restructuring of international
  activity
• Developing student experience and support
• Environmental
• Academic
• Administrative
• Socio-cultural

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Background Recent Research

• UKCOSA Survey (2004) concerns re OS
  experience in UK
• Social integration
• Administrative procedures
• Student support and orientation
• Global HE Rankings (EPI, 2005) key factors for
  OS students
• Cost and price of education
• Flexibility of study environments admissions
  processes
• Currency of qualifications
• Quality of student services
• Dearth of institutionally-focused studies that
  link policy, strategy and practice in relation to
  international students, (Leonard, Pelletier and
  Morley, 2003)

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Key Questions for Research

• What is the impact of the changing global
  educational context on the international
  activities of UK higher education institutions?
• How, and to what extent, are institutional
  responses to such changes reflected in the
  development of international strategies?
• How best can institutions investigate how their
  international activities serve the needs of their
  students and other stakeholders?

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Some Working Definitions (1)

• International
• Existing, constituted, or carried on between
  different nations pertaining to the relations
  between nations (OED)
• Internationalism
• International character or spirit the principle
  of community of interests or action between
  different nations (OED)
• Globalisation
• "the flow of technology, economy, knowledge,
  people, values, and ideas . . . across borders
  (Knight, 2003)

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Some Working Definitions (2)

• Internationalisation in higher education
• "Internationalisation of higher education is the
  process of integrating an international/intercultu
  ral dimension into the teaching, research and
  service functions of the institution. (Knight
  and de Wit, 1997)
• Internationalization at the national, sector,
  and institutional levels is defined as the
  process of integrating an international,
  intercultural, or global dimension into the
  purpose, functions or delivery of postsecondary
  education (Knight, 2003)

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HEA Project - Overview

• 1 of 10 projects in the HEA research programme
  aimed at
• Informing higher education policy and practice
• Contributing to the debate on improving students
  learning experiences
• One-year projects intended as pilots for further
  research
• Project focuses on 2 HEA research themes
• The use of institutional research to improve
  students' experiences in higher education
• The implications of greater international
  competition (e.g. the OS market and
  internationalisation of the curriculum)
• Began in August 2005 and will run until August
  2006
• Budget c.25,000

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HEA Project Aims

• Investigation of the strategic and operational
  responses to global trends in UK HE institutions
• Analysis of wider policy and academic literature
  related to internationalisation in UK HE
• Development of an in-depth institutional research
  tool to review international activity
• Piloting the tool to examine the relationship
  between institutional policy on
  internationalisation and its impact on staff and
  students
• Comparisons with models of internationalisation
  in use in other countries

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HEA Project Methodology (1)

• The project methodology
• Review of UK and international literature,
  documentary information and data
• Development of a methodological tool for
  institutional research
• Piloting of the methodology in one UK HE
  Institution
• Desk research comparing the UK position with the
  ROTW
• Reporting and dissemination

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HEA Project Methodology (2)

• 1. Review of the UK HE Context
• Literature/Documentary review
• Academic research literature
• Quantitative student data (HESA, UCAS)
• Policy reports and grey literature
• Publicly available information from other UK
  institutions
• Information from UK experts
• Interviews with key policy agencies
• Collaboration with the Leadership Foundation
  institutional data

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HEA Project Methodology (3)

• 2. Development of a methodological tool
• Based on the International Quality Review Process
  (IQRP) developed by Knight and de Wit (1999)
• Assess extent of internationalisation within an
  institution
• Self-assessment and internal peer-review process
• Focused on a wide range of functional areas
• Staff collect information to answer questions
  co-ordinated by a group at the centre
• External peer review team assess findings
• Piloted in 9 institutions world-wide (not in UK)

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HEA Project Methodology (3) cont.

• Adapted to produce a quality enhancement tool
  relevant to the UK
• Additional dimensions and different emphasis
• Research carried out by in-house research team
• Combination of semi-structured interviews desk
  research
• No external peer review team
• Findings used to inform strategy and practice
• Co-ordination with other UK project adapting the
  IQRP
• Universities of Leicester Loughborough
• Focus on the TL process and academic programmes

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HEA Project Methodology (4)

• 3. Piloting the methodological tool
• Collection of key institutional data
• Generation of institutional map of international
  activity
• Identification key service and academic
  departments/units
• Organisation of 40 f-2-f semi-structured
  interviews
• Development of interview structure
• General themes (e.g. activity, structures,
  linkages)
• Questions related to specific expertise/experience
  s
• 1 to 1 ½ hour interviews with key
  individuals/teams
• Grounded analysis structured around general themes

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Interview Coverage

• Student Recruitment
• Teaching Learning
• International Partnerships
• International Office
• Student Support
• Traded Services (e.g. catering, accommodation)
• Human Resources
• Registry
• Finance Planning

• Research/Knowledge Transfer
• Library Information Services
• Alumni Development
• Marketing
• Schools
• PVCs DVC
• Students Union
• International Societies

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Interview Issues/Themes

• Function/activities
• Profiles of staff/students
• Organisational structures
• Reporting lines
• Linkages internal and external
• Communication channels
• Formal informal relationships

• Resources support
• Knowledge Management
• International curricula
• Academic integration (learning styles, support)
• Cultural integration (staff and students)
• Conceptions of internationalisation
• Assessment of existing structures

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HEA Project Methodology (5)

• 4. Comparing the UK position with the ROTW
• Collaboration with the Observatory on Borderless
  Higher Education (OBHE)
• Environmental scanning service on borderless
  developments
• Expertise in e-learning, private and corporate
  education, developing markets and international
  collaboration
• OBHE undertaking bespoke research on
• Models of internationalisation outside the UK
• Examples of national institutional strategies

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HEA Project Methodology (6)

• 5. Internal and external dissemination activities
  to help inform policy and practice
• a) Internal
• Consultants report to inform international
  strategy development and implementation
• Seminar for key institutional stakeholders
• b) External
• Summary report
• Evaluation of the audit tool in an
  institutional context
• Models of international strategies in the UK and
  beyond
• Analysis of international HE context
• National policy seminar
• Project web site

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Context Case Study Institution (1)

• Overview
• Historical international outlook teaching,
  research, enterprise
• High proportion of international students (26)
  and staff
• 50 of PG students non-UK (34 non-EU)
• Heavily involved in international research
• Historical organisation of international
  activities
• No International Strategy spread across other
  strategies
• Dispersed responsibility within SMT
• Old style approach focus on recruitment
• Limited central support small International
  Office
• Devolution of responsibility to Schools
• Concentration of international students in 3
  Schools

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Context Case Study Institution (2)

• Current position
• Downturn in overseas recruitment from key markets
• New VC re-organisation of central structures
  related to international dimension
• New PVC responsibility for international
  activity student experience
• Development of an international strategy
• Market diversification
• Drive to improve co-ordination and communication
  in international activity
• Development of international strategic
  partnerships
• Investigation of trans-national opportunities

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Initial Findings Case Study (1)

• Experiences of current strategy
• Not explicit lack of shared understandings
• Lack of clarity re responsibilities, and
  structures
• Dominance of school vs. institutional strategy
• Limited co-ordination strands, pockets,
  not joined up
• Different experiences in different parts levels
  of the institution
• Internationalisation
• Viewed positively
• Differing conceptions of internationalisation
• Gap between personal perceptions and
  institutional reality
• Internationalisation of the curricula rarely
  considered

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Initial Findings Case Study (2)

• Student Experience
• Traditionally a School responsibility
• International and home students receive the same
  services
• Recognition of need to improve student experience
• Strategy Development
• A mix of rationales and drivers for current
  changes
• A range of different and sometimes conflicting
  priorities
• Messiness of strategy-making in reality
• Inputs/Ownership
• Process
• Leadership
• Responsibility

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Initial Findings Process (1)

• Support
• Top level support from senior managers
• Institutional champion
• Access
• Privileged access to key informants and data
• Researchers have formal role with the Planning
  Committee
• Legitimacy - earlier work on international higher
  education
• Few obstacles to obtaining available information
• Awareness of organisational politics
• Followed internal procedures

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Initial Findings Process (2)

• Accessibility
• Knowledge of organisational structure is helpful
• Some data is not collected systematically
• Knowledge Management/sharing inconsistent
• Data Collection
• Interviews illuminating and candid
• But time-intensive and thus costly
• Only one representative from each unit/dept
• Institutional Benefit
• Time will tell!
• Cost-benefit will need to be considered
• Interviews have been useful, cathartic,
  thought-provoking

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Initial Findings International Strategy

• Depth
• Core or Peripheral?
• Whole or part of institution?
• Breadth/Coverage
• Narrow (focused on a particular international
  activity)
• Functional (centred mainly around activities)
• Inclusive (cultural, cross-cutting, holistic)
• Rationale/Drivers
• Financial, Academic, Developmental, Competitive,
  Collaborative
• Proactive or Reactive?

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Initial Findings Internationalisation Models

• Outward dimension
• Targeted particular countries, institutions,
  regions
• Scattergun/opportunistic wide range of
  countries, sharing risk
• Niche focus on a particular market(s)
• Mutual benefit co-operation and collaboration
• Within institutions
• Separated limited integration between
  international activities
• Cultural internationalising the campus
• Holistic integration into all aspects of an
  institutions activities
• Building specialist knowledge at senior
  management team level
• None of these approaches are mutually exclusive,
  and more than one can be in use by a particular
  institution.

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Some Tentative Conclusions

• Identified need for an international/international
  isation strategy
• Clear
• Wide-ranging inclusive
• Detailed implementation plan
• Institutional value from using the adapted
  methodology
• Deeper self-understanding
• Detailed collection of information/data
• Potential pitfalls with the methodology
• Organisational politics
• Exposing structural problems and relationship
  issues
• Comparative analysis could assist other
  institutions to benchmark their own approaches to
  their international activity

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Thank You!

• Thank you very much for listening to this
  presentation
• If you have any questions, then please feel free
  to contact the project team in the following
  ways
• Project web site http//www.surrey.ac.uk/cpc-te/H
  EA
• Tel [phone] Email s.woodfield_at_surrey.ac.u
  k

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Some Questions for Discussion

• How do our findings compare with your own
  experiences?
• Similarities
• Points of difference
• Would such a project be feasible in your
  institution?
• What are your perspectives on the current/future
  Global HE context?
• Are there any issues that we should
  consider/investigate in the remainder of our
  project?

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Some Useful References

• Knight J (1999). Internationalisation of Higher
  Education in Programme on Institutional
  Management in Higher Education (1999). Quality
  and Internationalisation in Higher Education.
  Paris OECD, 1999.
• Knight J (2001). Monitoring the Quality and
  Progress of Internationalization. Journal of
  Studies in International Education. 5(3)
  228-243.
• Knight J (2003). Updating the Definition of
  Internationalization. International Higher
  Education, Vol. 33, Fall 2003.
• Knight J (2004). Internationalization Remodeled
  Definition, Approaches, and Rationales. Journal
  of Studies in International Education, 2004 8(1)
  5-31.
• Knight J and de Wit H (1999). An Introduction to
  the IQRP Project and Processes in Programme on
  Institutional Management in Higher Education
  (1999). Quality and Internationalisation in
  Higher Education. Paris OECD.
• Leonard D, Pelletier C and Morley L (2003). The
  Experiences of International Students in UK
  Higher Education A Review of Unpublished
  Research. London UKCOSA, August 2003.
• UKCOSA (2004). Broadening our horizons
  international students in UK universities and
  colleges. Report of the UKCOSA survey. London
  UKCOSA, December 2004.
• Usher A. Cervenan A. (2005). Global Higher
  Education Rankings 2005. Toronto, ON Educational
  Policy Institute.