Internationalising the Faculty of Education and Childrens Services a case study from a new university

Contributory factors UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) –international cooperation in matters relating to education –contributing to the elimination of ignorance and illiteracy –access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods

Contributory factors Putting the World into World-Class Education (DfES, 2004) –We live in one world –What we do affects others –What others do affects us –We are all members of a world community –We all have responsibilities to each other

University Corporate Plan ( ) To create an environment in which students and staff can engage on a range of levels with international peers To explore appropriate international development opportunities

The universitys education strategy the pursuit of learning for its own sake; the development of skills relevant for the needs of a healthy society; the encouragement of students character; the importance of community in the learning enterprise

In practice ……. Academic excellence for all –the development of students –(a regional, teaching-led, research-informed university) Relevant skills –work-based and experiential learning Character formation –a caring ethos focused on students individual needs –caring about the wider world Community of communities –education as a social enterprise

Community of Communities TWIN (The World in Need) –a charitable arm of the University –established in the 1980s –Projects include: Uganda - HIV/AIDS testing Argentina - sports equipment Kenya - building a school

Faculty Strategy To exchange expertise and resources in support of the improvement of education and childrens services at home and worldwide To increase the number of international students –studying here –studying programmes delivered overseas

Faculty Strategy In 2006 over a third of Faculty staff were involved in international work. Internationalisation has grown slowly from this initial tutor activity and commitment In the Faculty is organising academic exchanges and hosting lectures, seminars and workshops with partners from: –Finland, Belgium, Poland, Spain and Sweden –Brazil, Japan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Palestine, South Africa and the USA.

Faculty Strategy Research and project activities: –University of Bethlehem, Palestine –University of Pretoria in South Africa –the Church of England in Melanesia (South Pacific) A new university and Faculty of Education in the Solomon Islands Joint post graduate CPD programme –St. Petersburg

Curriculum enhancement Student exchanges with –Belgium –Spain –Greece Global Dimensions specialism in B.Ed, Aspects of Global Citizenship in all Education programmes

Engagement of staff Going Global! Integrating the Global Dimension into the Primary Curriculum: A Practical Guide (Pickford, 2009) –chapters contributed from twelve members of the Faculty and partnership

Future developments A shadow Emeritus Faculty – a pool of recently retired Faculty staff to respond to international consultancy opportunities A Comenius application –Collaboration and Networking for Sustainable Change An International Friendship Society –an intercultural, interactive meeting place for the university and local community

Rationale Through becoming more internationally focused –new opportunities for professional and personal development –enrichment of teaching –course innovation and development –new contacts –enhanced international reputation Leading to student recruitment.