UK Strategy for Outward Student Mobility

Callista Thillou Assistant Director UK HE International Unit

Session outline

• The UK Higher Education International Unit

• UK outward student mobility– Background– The consultation– The proposal – Outward Student Mobility Unit– Questions / Feedback

UK Higher Education International Unit

• Mission: To represent the UK higher education sector internationally and to empower, with skills and knowledge, the sector to secure maximum value from international opportunities.

UK higher education International Unit: priorities and objectives

Shape international and European policy

• Supporting and influencing UK Government system to system approach

• Representing the sector on delegations• Influence European Union decision-makers:

– Bologna Process, Horizon 2020, Yes Europe (Erasmus for All)

Science without Borders UK

• Up to 10,000 Brazilian students will study in the UK over four years:– Strong business and industry support– Applications received from over 70 Brazilian universities

and placed at 71 UK universities– Over 500 students placed in first cohort and offered over

600 places for January 2013– Engineering (42%) most popular followed by biology,

biomedical and health sciences (23%)

New publications

Outward student mobility Background• Sector concern on Erasmus Fee Waiver in 2011

– Established joint BIS and Universities UK/International Unit National Steering Committee and Expert Working Groups

– Review of current UK outward student mobility – Recommendations to Minister for Universities and Science in

March 2013

• Sector consultation on outward student mobility July to August 2012– Proposal for a UK strategy for outward student mobility overseen

by an independent sector-led coordinating body

Sector Consultation

• 88 responses in total

• majority of respondents UK HEIs (69); but also sector organisations (including BUTEX), individuals, academic associations, student associations, a mission group, private companies, government department, non-departmental public body and officers of a funding council

Sector Consultation Respondents

Break-down of respondents by country

Break-down by Mission Group, where applicable

Q 1: What are the benefits of the UK developing a sector-led national strategy for outward mobility?

• raising awareness of student mobility and its benefits• providing the UK HE sector with a coherent and coordinated

approach• Improving the UK’s image internationally

Q 1: What are of the challenges of the UK developing a sector-led national strategy for outward mobility?

• Successful implementation of a national strategy or obstacles to increasing mobility more generally

• diversity of the UK HE sector • UK’s language provision deficit

• issue of funding

Q 2: What are the necessary features of any national strategy in your opinion?

• promotional activities• data collection• financial resources for students and institutions

• advice and guidance for HEIs• stakeholder involvement• the sharing of best practice

Q 3: How would you define a period of mobility?

• flexible definition that includes shorter and non-credit bearing stays abroad WP agenda

• Quality more important than quantity

NB. Bologna Process Definition = 3 months

Q 3: What would be a credible minimum length for a mobility period?

• preference for flexibility and quality re-emphasised• two to four weeks as a credible minimum length • ‘Other’: credibility of a mobility period depending on

outcomes rather than length

Q 3: Do you envisage this definition including volunteering, as well as work and study?

• 89% of respondents saw volunteering included • Again emphasis on quality: volunteering should be

quality assured by the home university

Q 4: Which existing initiatives would you like to see feed in to work on a national strategy?• International:

– 67% of respondents mentioned the European Union mobility agenda– 52% mentioned the Lifelong Learning Programme or its successor,

Erasmus for All– International mobility organisations, such as the European Association

for International Education (EAIE) (9%), NAFSA: Association of International Educators (6%) and the Forum of International Education (2%), European University Association (EUA) and the Association for Sandwich Education and Training (ASET)

– international best practice countries: Australia, Germany and the United States

Q 4: Which existing initiatives would you like to see feed in to work on a national strategy?• National:

– Prime Minister’s Initiatives for International Education – devolved administration strategies: Scottish Government and NUS

Scotland - Scottish Year of Study Abroad and the Saltire Scholarships for Outward Mobility

– British Council programmes: Connecting Classrooms, Language Assistantship Scheme, the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) programmes and Scholarships for Excellence, Hong Kong scheme

• Institutional: – examples of best practice from own institutions

Q 5: How do you envisage a national strategy intersecting with the employability agenda?

Q 6: How could such a strategy include under-represented groups?

UK Outward Student Mobility Unit

Develop and coordinate a UK strategy to include activitiessuch as:

1. Promoting mobility, including the social mobility and widening participation agenda in this

2. Sourcing business and industry sponsorship and philanthropic support

3. Providing scholarships4. Conducting research5. Coordinating stakeholder engagement and dissemination of best

practice6. Website Portal (cooperation with British Council)

The Unit will be based in the International Unit and workclosely with sector agencies.

Next Steps

• Government support: financial and in-principle

• Mobility Unit to have 2-3 staff

• Operational by May/June 2013

• Institutions invited to discuss their engagement and support of the Unit and its aims over coming months

Now to the important part...

Questions and feedback

– what would you like to see the Outward Student Mobility Unit doing?

– What activities would add benefit to the work of your institution?

– Potential research projects?– Guidance - generic institutional guidance – HR, safety,

security?

Register your interest in keeping informed: contact info@international.ac.uk

www.international.ac.uk