Internationalizing the University: Exploring Academic Development Needs and Means in a Context of Shifting Cultural Identities Dr Yvonne Turner June 2011

The Context: Internationalization, Cultural Identity and Professional Development – Themes in the Discourse 1. Internationalization Discourse: Transition from focus on international mobility and international students towards broader constructions of diversity and inclusivity More holistic measures of student experience - Shift from deficit constructions towards reciprocal development and learning Focus on teacher / HE employee community competences as gate-keepers of inclusivity Diversity agenda suggestive of multiplying identities – cultural, professional, personal 2. Practice/ Development Discourse: Building Inclusive Education Emphasis on practical skills development to respond to diversity Intercultural competences – international inclusivity dependant on personal values and engagement of individuals as much as skills Discussion of pedagogic skills range and competences required to enable internationalization The Development Challenge - How to Design Professional Development provision in HE?

The Context: Internationalization, Cultural Identity and Professional Development – Themes in the Discourse 3. Management and Policy Discourse: Internationalization strategies struggle to deliver transformative internationalization But staff development identified as a key factor in supporting internationalization But internationalization and practice discourse struggle to identify clear practical policy and institutional solutions (programmes of work) – variability of institution, cultural situatedness of issues / priorities Increasingly important for internationalization plans to clarify rationales for internationalization (why) not just programmes (what) Suggests a broad boundary around construct of professional development – to include communication, dialogue, participation as well as conventional training and development

Internationalization, Strategic Management And Staff Development : Back To Basics? (from Knights, 1994, 1999, 2004; Turner and Robson, 2008; Childress, 2009) A starting point: 6 Stages in Internationalization Strategy: Awareness Commitment Planning Operationalization Review Reinforcement Iterative, not linear progression Strategy-making – an Executive or Participative process? Building Commitment key but problematic – must go beyond behavioural compliance “The complexity involved in working in the field of internationalization requires an additional set of knowledge, attitudes, skills, understandings about the international/ Intercultural/ global dimensions of higher education. How are these competencies developed and recognised for those academics, administrators and policy makers working in the field of internationalization of higher education?” (Knights, 2004, p.29) Symbolic InternationalizationTransformative Internationalization Executive / managerialInclusive / participative Short-term operationalizationLong term sustainability

Internationalization, Strategic Management and Staff Development: the Emerging RGU Experience Building on internationalization efforts, Institutional Working Group established to explore International Student Experience / Institutional internationalization 2009/10 Preliminary consultative work explored managers and teaching teams perspectives on internationalization and means of support for staff working with internationally diverse cohorts of students 2010/2011 University-wide consultative survey to explore staff perceptions of institutional internationalization, strategy and development needs

Preliminary Outcomes: Perceptions and Issues >400 responses to survey, 58% involved in teaching, 52% in assessment, 57% non-teaching support of international students 41% spent at least 25% of time with international students; 20% = >50% Engagement with professional development activities in past 2 years relatively low; 57% did not indicate involvement with formal development in that time period High levels of confidence in working with international students; anxiety about levels of formal support from institution; key professional development experiences ad hoc, ‘from experience’, gained from various sources Relatively low levels of awareness of Institutional strategy and rationale for internationalization, management roles and responsibilities institutionally and locally; rationale constructed narrowly – symbolic internationalization – but aspirationally transformative Regional and international identity regarded as inconsistently complementary Preferences for professional development: bespoke school-based events, supported by mentoring, buddying and social learning (online and face-to-face)

Over-arching Themes: Linking Into Institutional Strategy And Policy-making Riding The Waves Of Internationalization: contextualizing change and strategic rationales? Strategic Support For The ‘Worried Well’: internationalization a source of anxiety rather than competence? Multiplying Professional Identities: sitting uneasily with each other? Development Preferences: focus on broad constructions of development - disciplinary-based, social, dialogic learning, communicative collaborative forms, customization / individuation of development interventions, contextualization beyond immediate skills priorities Continuing Professional Development agenda: 3 Strategic Recommendations 1.Contextual Development – supporting awareness of international themes / events 2.Pedagogic Development –enabling inclusive learning spaces 3.Intercultural Competence Development – broadening skills and values

Conclusion: Where Are We Now? Where Do We Think We Are? An Emerging International Picaresque… Consultation: ‘Tilting at Windmills ‘or ‘There and Back Again’? Telling us what we already knew, but enhancing narrative clarity Part of the iterative process of strategy-making for internationalization - shifting internationalization from anti-hero? Increasing Awareness of priorities Strategic Reconfirmation – Planning, Operationalization Building engagement through communication, widening participation – increasing Commitment, Reinforcement Identifying opportunities for concrete action – Rationale and Programme Finally: A reminder of time-scales – internationalization as an inter- generational process