THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF AUSTRALIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

1
THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF AUSTRALIAN HIGHER
EDUCATION

• Dr Kevin Laws
• Associate Dean International
• Faculty of Education and Social Work
• The University of Sydney

2
Students at Australian universities

• Year Total Overseas Overseas
• 2001 842 157 18.6
• 2002 900 185 20.6
• 2003 930 210 22.6
• 2004 945 229 24.2
• 2005 957 239 25.0
• (000 students)

3
Source countries as at April 2006

• China 66,000 24.4
• India 25,000 9.5
• South Korea 21,000 7.5
• Malaysia 16,000 6.0
• Hong Kong 16,000 5.9
• Japan 13,000 4.7
• Total 272,000 100

4
Field of education - 2004

• Management/commerce 46.2
• Information technology 14.6
• Society and culture 8.1
• Engineering 8.0
• Health 5.8
• Creative arts 4.3
• Natural physical sciences 4.3

5
Phases in internationalisation of higher
education

• Colombo Plan 1950s
• Bilateral assistance 1970s
• Commercially-based 1990s

6
The University of Sydney

• Australias first (since 1850)
• Large (47,000 students)
• Comprehensive
• Research-intensive

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Internationalisation at Sydney

• Strategic Goals
• Provide a more diversified and improved
  international experience for staff and students
• Need to grow and diversify overseas student and
  staff recruitment

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Sydneys 2010 strategic objectives

• 50 research higher degree projects to have an
  international component
• 10 coursework and 50 research students will
  spend some time studying overseas
• 50 of university research projects will have an
  international component

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Generic attributes of graduates

• Graduates of the University will be Global
  Citizens, who will aspire to contribute to
  society in a full and meaningful way through
  their roles as members of local, national and
  global communities.

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Faculty of Education and Social Work

• Articulate its international strategy with its
  activities as a leading research institute
• Increase international enrolments across more
  diverse countries and programs
• Develop further strategic alliances
• Develop an coordinated marketing and recruitment
  program

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Understanding our international students

• Local students mainly part-time postgraduate
  students. International students are full-time
  postgraduate students
• PESSA involvement
• Areas of concern
• Lack of cultural sensitivity
• Who is an international student
• Language issues
• Financial issues
• Social issues

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English in academic settings

• Masters level unit of study open to students
  from across the university
• Recommended to be taken in the first semester of
  study
• Two components
• Development of personal academic skills
• In-depth consideration of linguistic and
  non-linguistic aspects of communication in
  academic settings
• Assessment task involves other units of study and
  other teachers

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Teaching Improvement Fund Grant 2006

• Transformation towards internationalisation the
  individual and the classroom
• Aim is to gain an understanding of staff and
  students preferred meanings of what is involved
  in internationalising the classroom
• Operationalises the vision and mission of the
  university and the faculty
• Research team of 5 plus 11 volunteers staff
  members and their students
• Focus groups, observations and a survey
• Learning and teaching forum with guest
  facilitator
• Identify some practical and effective learning
  and teaching strategies
• Implications for the whole university

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In-country immersion programs

• Exchange and Study abroad programs
• Difficulties for students in professional degree
  programs
• What to do?
• Internships 10 weeks in China, Taiwan,
  Singapore, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, India
• Short-term immersion programs 3 week English
  Camps in Korea

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Conclusions

• Increased student diversity has led to increased
  pressure on academic and administrative staff at
  of time of dwindling resources and increased
  bureaucratic requirements
• The challenge of internationalising the
  curriculum and the pedagogy
• The need for continuing professional development
• Internationalising local students
• The future when all students are international
  students and global citizens