Partnerships – making partnerships work – the benefits to educational institutions Joanne Wallace – Head of International Collaboration and Partnerships Bradford College Dr Nguyen Tuan Anh – Vice Rector – International Affairs - Nguyen Tat Thanh College

Introduction to Bradford College

Bradford College - mixed economy college offering FE and HE 23,000 students Around 700 international students (some FE but mostly HE) HE - Edexcel HNDs, Foundation degrees and Bachelor degrees, Postgraduate Masters Main areas are Business, Computing, Law, Engineering, Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Teacher training English Language Centre International Projects and Collaboration

Dedicated international team Head of International Head of Region (Middle East) Head of Region (Africa, Americas & Caribbean) Head of Region (South Asia) Head of Collaboration Recruitment & Admissions etc.13 staff

Experience international partnerships Saudi Arabia SyriaSouth Africa Pakistan IndiaVietnamSri Lanka Armenia MexicoEgypt

Partnerships Definition: A relationship of two or more entities conducting business for mutual benefit

Mobility Bi-lateral Consortium – mono Consortium – multi-structural Government frameworks for reform Networks (based on research undertaken for the British Council by Otravista) Taxonomy of partnership models

Benefits to the College – why do it? Shared vision of improving global employability skills and opportunities through exploring different practice and embracing new technologies Strengthens links between countries Supports the international strategy of the College Promotion of institution brand internationally Staff (CPD) and student exchange opportunities Internationalising the curriculum

More benefits to the College International collaboration and partnership opportunities, also working with other UK colleges in consortia on larger scale projects Diversity of student body 3 rd stream income and growth opportunities (through articulation etc) Employer engagement international opportunities Opportunities to engage with international education ministers etc.

Challenges to the College Resources – taking key staff away from their primary duties and funding speculative work Buy-in from senior management is fundamental Time-scales – very long on some projects (before contracts signed) Expertise – identifying international champions across college with diverse skills to be able to work in country Track record Expertise in terms of a clearly defined product/service/USP Identifying the a clear need (interpretation and research) Sourcing funding (investment up front) Competition Consistency of product/service offering (micro factors) Macro factors and changing education landscape Balancing brand- building opportunities with opportunities for direct income

The balancing act – making it work Consistency of product/service offering (micro factors) Consistency of personnel and project management Resourcing Maintaining the commitment and enthusiasm Overloading curriculum areas and individuals Macro factors – outside of scope of project

Good partnerships? What makes a good partnership? How do we find good partners?

Good partners? Personal chemistry! This is a people business. The importance of establishing mutual respect and trust between key personnel. A clear framework for collaboration. Shared vision Enthusiasm Flexibility Generosity Realistic targets Cultural awareness Partnership = shared and equal Shared responsibility Less is more – more partners – more complex to manage Commitment and resources

Finding good partners Match-makers, e.g. British Council Consultants/recommendation Exhibitions/conferences

Our partnership and story Bradford College and Nguyen Tat Thanh College Twinned by British Council almost three years ago Two weeks scope Three months to jointly research and write the first joint project application Regular communication Commitment from Principal and Rector in MOU

Nguyen Tat Thanh College Multi-disciplinary college in Ho Chi Minh city established in 2005 more than 22,000 students provides associate degrees and professional diplomas international collaborations: - TNE: with UK, Singapore, Australia - Staff development: Taiwan - Research: Korea

Successes Two years funding from PMI2 strand of British Council funding Strong support for project from Vietnamese government Presentation by Principal, Michele Sutton O.B.E and Dr Nguyen Tuan Anh at Going Global Conference in London, March 2009 Staff mobilities and development to UK and Vietnam The first vocational programme to train Ophthalmic Technicians in Vietnam – applied for government licence

Challenges Time Resource Scheduling

Questions and over to you ?

Creative thinking – breaking out of fixed mind sets! Redwood mills is a manufacturer of paper. A principal product of theirs is a three-hole punch note book for schools. A by-product of making this paper note-book is tonnes and tonnes of punched paper holes. You have been hired to suggest as many uses for these punched pieces of paper as possible. Be imaginative and practical. How many uses can we collectively think…..?