Internationalisation and student mobility Mette Ernlund, PhD Head of International Department April 2019

Why internationalization in education?

What does it mean to become a global citizen, to become internationalized? International experiences contribute to the development of: - Hard skills (academic, professional competences) - Soft skills/personal skills (by confronting the unknown - cultural, social, political, economic, and linguistic settings – these skills are difficult to value) - Mobility capital (ongoing process depending on personality, family environment, former mobility experiences, international experiences) All contribute to a person’s global bildung process and education has a crucial role in supporting this!

Soft skills/personal skills… - we must help our students to explain these in terms of employability 1. Openness Interest for the unknown, curiosity, tolerance, innovative skills, adaptability, flexibility, creativity, empathy, team-play, … Quotation from a Canadian teacher student in Belgium, 2012 ”I can remember that two or three years ago I was living in the same student hostel as a French girl, and I wasn’t open at all; in fact, I wasn’t in the least bit interested in the fact that she came from a foreign country. This is a bit weird, because now I know that when I get back to Quebec, if I meet someone from another country, I’ll be really happy to meet that person. So, it’s true that I’m more open now than I used to be”

Soft skills/personal skills… 2. Intercultural understanding when you experience foreign cultures, you see your own cultural values in a broader perspective you develop your global understanding and your respect for other people’s values you become social responsible for the near and the global ”I have learned much more than I thought I would. I couldn’t have learned all this by reading a book – impossible!” Quotation from a Canadian teacher student in Belgium, 2012

Students are different and so is their way to become global citizens 2010-2014 Aim: to get to know our students better – what they think about international mobility (motives and experiences) 2010-2012 38 narrative interviews in DK, N, B, FR. 16 nationalities in total – focus on diversity (qualitative study) Methodology: narratives Theories: narrative theory, theories of motivation, cultural theory, the theory of mobility capital and social learning theories

Processes that may arise in connection with international mobility

Highlights 1) There is a serious need for internationalisation in education (from primary school to HE) 2) Student mobility is one way to develop students’ hard skills, soft skills, and mobility capital 3) Students all have different preconditions for becoming a global citizen/internationalized – and we must support them individually (ideal types) 4) Internationalization and mobility do not automatically go hand in hand Global skills are the key to the development of society - today and in the future!

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