Australian International Education Conference 2006 - www.idp.com/aiec 1
Peter Peter GaineyGaineyRegional Director (Asia Pacific)Regional Director (Asia Pacific)
Graduating Students withIntercultural Competencies
and the Shifting Expectations of East Asian Employers
The Scholar Ship
Tecnológico de MonterreyMexico
Macquarie UniversityAustralia
University of GhanaGhana
University of California, BerkeleyUSA
Al Akhawayn UniversityMorocco
OUR CONSORTIUM OF ACADEMIC STEWARDS
Fudan UniversityChina
single-semester ocean-going
academic program
undergraduate and postgraduate study
700 students and academic staff from
around the world
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> Intercultural Competence: a definition
The Scholar Ship Research Projectbackground
> Do students have access to programs that will equip them with comprehensive intercultural competence?
> What emphasis are employers placing on recruitment of graduates with these skills?
What is Intercultural Competence?
“the knowledge, motivation and skills to effectively and appropriately interact with members of differentcultures”
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What is Intercultural Competence?
> The Cognitive Dimension
> The Affective Dimension
> The Behavioural Dimension
intercultural leadership skills?Are students in East Asia being equipped with
> Availability and awareness?
> Acquisition of knowledge or skills?
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intercultural competence?How much importance are employers placing on
> Expatriates
Didactic / experientialCulture-specific / culture-general
> Learning models
> Cross-cultural training
> Employing overseas educated graduates
> Overseas business training
Leveraging intercultural skillsin the job market
> Measurable and quantifiable skills
> Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)
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Intercultural Development InventoryDevelopment model of intercultural sensitivity
by Milton Bennett
ethnocentric stages ethnorelative stages
denial defense minimisation adaptation integrationacceptance
cognitive
affective
behavioural
Conclusions
> We don’t know a lot
> We want to know a lot more
> Short-term training only scratches the surface
Employers probably aren’t fully aware of the correlation between
intercultural skills and their bottom lines
> Graduates need to take the initiative to leverage their experiences