Creating Innovation through International collaboration Melanie Relton & Helen Kidd, British Council 7 April 2013, Qatar

Aims of the seminar To provide an introduction to British Council’s international skills partnerships, including:  Why build international partnerships  What are the benefits of international collaboration  What are the challenges of working collaboratively on an international level To provide a case study of successful international skills partnership work Tool kit for international partnerships

How much experience does British Council have of supporting partnerships? British Council has been facilitating international educational partnerships for over 75 years Over 60 skills partnerships delivered in 32 countries since 2008 Close links with partnership institutions leading to enhanced understanding of all aspects of partnerships within the UK and the Region Increasing delivery of our work through partnerships working is part of our corporate vision

Why build international partnerships? Demand for skills is ever growing Knowledge economy Young people who are now competing in a global market place Increased demand for innovation and development

Why do institutions embark on international skills partnerships? Institutional enhancement including inter-culturally Institutional reputation nationally and internationally Capacity building at an organisational and individual level Positioning and income generation Increased opportunities for learners Drives forward innovation and new approaches of delivery International bench marking

What are the challenges of working collaboratively on an international level Lack of resources Lack of trained/ experienced staff Lack of knowledge and expertise Not part of the organisations mission / strategy plan Lack of confidence Government discourages Funding

British Council support for international partnership development in the region British Council works with in-country leaders to identify mutual national priorities, gains relevant buy-in and defines partnership criteria Briefing workshops for interested institutions are held in the partner country and the UK A competitive process leads to selection of candidate institutions in the partner country Successful applicant institutions awarded travel grants and visit country, meeting in-country candidate institutions Prospective partnerships design and submit partnership proposals British Council supports partners in the UK and in-country

Case story – Improving Employer engagement Sharjah Institute of Technology, Coleg Gwent and Pembrokeshire College Increase employability of their students Raise their profile Moved to self-funding model Increase national and international links Achievements: Establishment of direct links with public and private sector Creation of partnerships at a national and international level ‘The project came at just the right time to assist the change process. It provide a rationale for looking critically at what the organisation did and what we needed to improve’ Reham Mustafa

Formation of an employer advisory forum

Development of a work taster day programme

Development of industry related programmes

Development of a business partnership to operate internationally

What are international partnerships’ key impact stories to date? Innovative approaches Joint curricula Quality assurance processes Employer engagement modeling New business opportunities Informing policy

Lesson learnt from our international partners Research and preparation Design and planning Strategic commitment Shared vision Building understanding and trust Resources Communications systems and shared ways of working Mutual respect for expertise Programme support, monitoring and review Dissemination and sustainability

What makes a good international partnership? A good, achievable mutually-beneficial project plan, shaped and understood by all partners, with innovative elements and clear deliverables Regular and effective communication between partners, and between the partnership Understanding the different contexts, priorities, skills of those involved and building strong working relationships Flexibility and ability to adapt to changing circumstance and identify and take advantage of opportunities

What makes a good international partnership? A strong external focus, proactively engaging with other organisations and partnerships to form mutual beneficial, leverage access to funding, expertise, access to networks and increase impact Energetically promoting the partnership from the start and throughout Maximising the reach of partnership dissemination A focus on sustainability, positioning and income generation from the start to establish a long-term partnership Delivering significant impact and reporting that impact in a timely way, including long-term impact

Key questions What is the main reasons that you/your institution wants to become involve in international partnerships? Are there best practice examples around to build on Are there existing networks you can utilise

Melanie Relton Regional Vocational Education Manager British Council