Going global: student led internationalisation

Heather McKnight, Academic Affairs ManagerStudents’ Union

Parallel session 1 (10.00 – 11.00 am) The Checkland Building

Session Overview

• National Union of Students Internationalisation projects 'Students Without Borders' and 'Internationalising Students' Unions'

• Case studies from other universities on integration of home/international students and international projects.

• The key findings of the audit and strategy highlights

• Discussion sessions on integration and internationalisation

• UKCISA estimates that international students contribute £2.5 billion to the UK economy in university fees alone - key source of income for universities. ‘International students in the UK: facts, figures – and fiction’ (UKCISA, September 2010)

• The British Council estimates the economic contribution of international students to the UK is £12.5 billion per year.

International Student Facts

• UG international fee income alone represents between 2 and 14 per cent of total income for 80 per cent of the UK’s universities. ‘Patterns of higher education institutions in the UK’ (UUK, 2010)

• International student fees contribute to £42 million annually to college income. ‘Colleges’ international contribution’ (157 Group, 2010)

• UK postgraduate education is sustained by non-EU international students, who make up 41 per cent of all post-graduate students enrolled on full-time taught Masters Courses in the UK, and 50 per cent of all research students in the UK. ‘Taught postgraduate students: market trends and opportunities’ (UUK, 2009)

International Student Facts

Student Mobility and Employability

“Students who study abroad are more likely to achieve first class degree results: 15% of ERASMUS and 17% from other mobility programmes with upper second degrees consisting of 75% and 81% respectively, compared to 10% and 60% for non-mobile students.”

‘International Student Mobility Literature Review’ by Russell King, Allan Findlay and Jill Ahrens for HEFCE (November 2010)

Student Mobility and Employability

• 29% of graduates who have been mobile were earning a salary in excess of £20,000 six months after graduation, compared to 17% of non-mobile graduates.

The HEFCE Mobility Literature Review

• Around 60% of the country’s top employers indicate that experience of international study enhances employability and the majority commented that studying overseas makes an applicant well-rounded in terms of skills, experience and personal development.

‘Global Horizons for UK Students,’ Council for Industry and Higher Education, results from a survey of ‘over twenty large

companies’

Beyond Borders Research

• Research: ‘Beyond Borders’ 2010

• Key areas identified where support was needed to better support international students:Representation StructuresPre-inductionInductionFeedback

Report Recommendations

Institutions and Students’ Unions should work together to:

• Improve the delivery of course representation information.

• Develop methods of tracking the involvement of international students in the course representative system.

• Clarify descriptions of course representative system.

Report Recommendations

Institutions and associations should work together to:

• Find new ways to communicate to international students about representation opportunities.

• Overcome barriers to involvement among the general international student population and within specific groups of international students.

• Institutions should develop methods to ensure the feedback loop for international students is closed.

• In 2008-2009 - pilot project with four HE students’ unions. Led to the launch of Internationalising Students’ Unions in HE: A Strategic Framework and Audit Toolkit.

• Publication set out a strategic framework to enable students’ unions to involve international students fully in their work, and to offer an international experience to all students.

• It also included an audit tool which students’ unions could use to carry out a self-assessment

NUS Internationalising SU’s Project

Work with HE Unions: • Supported 40 HE students’ unions to

implement the International Students’ Strategy

• Training for the International Students’ Strategy developed and piloted to 40 HE students’ unions

• Work with 20 students’ unions to support them to pilot new projects for international students

• Resource pack and toolkit for HE unions developed

Internationalising the Student Experience

Key Challenges Faced by Students’ Unions:• Democracy and Representation• Campaigning• Activities and Participation• Services: Membership and Commercial• Communications• Staff and Officer Development• Partnerships and Collaboration• International Experience

NUS Internationalising SU’s Project

Best Practice Discussion

• In groups look at the Best Practice examples from your given category and comment on:– How well a project like this could work

here– Any examples of best practice you can

think of happening already– Potential challenges and opportunities

for joint working between Union and University

• Increasing leadership and student lead activity within international cohort.

• Increase in 24% of international student applications than last year - international Students are becoming an increasingly important demographic.

• The presence of Kaplan on campus • Improve the student experience and retention of

International Students. • Explore the opportunities for producing graduates,

both domestic and international students, who are highly culturally aware and have a global perspective thus improving employability.

Springboard Funding

The following eight strategic objectives are broken into three categories:

• Supporting International Students• Integration• Internationalising the Student Experience

Strategy: Strategic Objectives

• We will ensure that all international students are able to participate in the democratic processes and representative structures of our students' unions

• We will campaign for positive change and lobby to make sure the voices of international students are heard locally, nationally

• We will develop services that meet the needs of our international student members.

Supporting International Students

• We will create opportunities for students for home and international students to come together through societies and activities.

• We will develop genuine two-way communication between our students' unions and our international student members and ensure our communication is accessible and appropriate.

Integration

• We will develop and promote international and learning and development opportunities for officers and staff.

• Through Partnerships and Collaboration we will develop networks at local, regional and national level to support internationalisation activities to enhance member employability and increase volunteering and enterprise opportunities.

• We will provide an international experience for all students and promote a global perspective in all areas of union activity.

Internationalising the Student Experience

• Clarity, variety and appropriateness of communication

• Monitoring and evaluation of engagement with union

• Employability and Skills Development• Use of volunteers• Consideration of how work could apply to

other student groups

Key areas under each aim

• What are the key benefits for students and institution of integration and internationalisation

• Identify the greatest challenges in achieving them

• Identify areas for joint working between the SU and the University

Group Discussion

Questions...?

Thanks for coming!