Sandra Elliott, Director

Rose Matthews, Study Abroad Coordinator

Communications and International Relations Division

8th February 2010

Internationalisation

International Strategy work at Cardiff

Activities to dateFuture challenges

Student Mobility

Student perspective

Questions and Answers/Comments

Internationalisation

Components of an international strategy include;

• Establishing offices abroad• Branch campuses• International student recruitment• Staff recruitment• Teaching collaborations e.g. joint/dual degrees• International research collaboration• Staff and student exchange programmes• Study and work experience abroad• Managing alumni networks• Internationalising the curriculum• Language programmes

Internationalisation

Internationalisation at Cardiff

February 2008 - Draft international strategy presented and approved by University committee structure

Key elements:• Recruitment and retention of high quality students and staff from range of countries• Producing sought after graduates worldwide• Positive coverage of university activity worldwide• Responding to relevant international opportunities• Developing and sustaining key strategic partnerships

2009 - International activity identified as key strand in overall university strategy, further work on embedding in overall activities required

Key achievements to date:

Recruitment and retention of high quality students and staff from range of countries

• Highest number of international students at Cardiff- 3000. 12th place in Russell Group. 12% of all students.

• International staff account for 13% of total staff and 20% of academic staff

• Ongoing work with HR on support and induction for international staff

• Database of sponsored students

Key achievements to date:

Producing sought after graduates worldwide

Exchange programmes in place with selected US institutions

First Cardiff students participate in MOE China Scholarships programme

Proposal for tracking destination data on international students

Expansion of Erasmus scheme to include work placements

International work placements achieved for some home students through alumni network and other partnerships

Support service for international students through Careers Services

Key achievements to date:

Positive coverage of University activity worldwide

Close working relationship with IBW and WAG to assist with international dissemination of press stories

Enhanced relationship with academics and Schools on PR activity

Strategic use of key individuals to generate positive profile for University e.g. Sir Martin Evans

Stronger relationships with British Embassies, consulates and British Council offices

Ongoing work on new technologies

Key achievements to date:

Responding to relevant international opportunities

• Collaborative teaching agreements signed with Oman and Malaysian institutions

• Split site programmes produce first students for both UG and PG programmes – others under discussion

• Greater understanding of need for long term partnerships

•Over 600 international students enrolled on distance learning programmes

Key achievements to date:

Developing and sustaining key strategic partnerships

• Joined Santander Group of universities

• Enhanced relations with key sponsoring/scholarship bodies e.g. Fulbright and Marshall Commissions, Saudi Aramco, overseas embassies/ministries

• Strategic overview of research and other key collaborations (who’s talking to who already)

Key challenges for Cardiff:

Recruitment and retention of high quality students and staff from range of countries

• Ongoing work on diversity of student population, particularly with external pressures – financial, PBS etc

• Smarter recruitment of international students – reducing need for on territory activity and better management information

Producing sought after graduates worldwide

• Ensuring internal structures flexible to allow student mobility

• Encouraging students to take up opportunities

• Use international as recruitment tool for high quality home students

Key challenges for Cardiff:

Positive coverage of University activity worldwide

• Using all media and allowing student and staff voice to be heard alongside “corporate” communication

• Developing communication skills beyond central departments

Responding to relevant international opportunities

• Flexibility to meet demands of international partners in degree programmes e.g. split site PhDs

• Flexibility on staff contracts to allow for a period of time overseas

• Ensuring new staff contracts allow for period of time overseas

Developing and sustaining key strategic partnerships

• Identifying key “target” institutions for partnership

• Embedding best practice across Schools

Wider institutional issues:

• Alignment with other strategies

• Alignment in terms of priority when lots of competing pressures for resource

• Greater pressure on “traditional” international office functions

• Some elements of strategy are resource intensive and many false starts e.g. twinning programmes, collaborative provision, exchanges

• Need to be aware of cultural differences

Student Mobility

• Institutional Factors

• The individual student

• A student experience – Kate Samways

•The European and UK Mobility agenda

• Student Mobility at Cardiff University

• Challenges

• Increasing International Student Mobility

Why is it important to the Internationalisation Agenda?

Student Mobility

Institutional Factors

• Creating a further multicultural environment

• Enriching the learning experience

• Profile raising

• International postgraduate recruitment

• Home student recruitment

• Graduate Employment

Why is it important to the Internationalisation Agenda?

The student experience

• Professional, academic and personal development

• Employability

• Develops:

Cultural understanding

Self confidence

Maturity

Academic performance

A Personal Perspective

Kate Samways , School of European Studies

•Semester 1:

Erasmus Work Placement in France

•Semester 2:

Erasmus Study Placement in Italy

The context – Europe and the UK

• The Leuven Comminuqué

• Target: By 2010, 20% of graduating students in Europe should have undertaken a period of study or work abroad

• Realistic?

• UK Government keen to increase international student mobility BUT …

• Low level of mobility compared to other European countries

• Lack of engagement in the Bologna Process

• Lack of statistical reporting on outwards mobility

• No UK targets

Student Mobility at Cardiff University

• ERASMUS

• Well established in University / strong presence

• Steady increase in outgoing students over past three years:

Academic year Outgoing students

2007-2008 240

2008-2009 264

2009-2010 274

• Increased number of students on Erasmus work placements

• Students from Heath campus participating

• Large proportion of students from degree programmes with compulsory year abroad

• No longer top sending institution in the UK

• Other UK universities increasing accessibility to optional Erasmus placements

Student Mobility at Cardiff University

• INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY (non-EU)

• 2009/10 – 12 outgoing international exchange students

• Set to increase slightly during 2010/11

• Our peers (outgoing international exchange students 2008/9):

Leeds University: 283 (225 – optional study abroad)

University of Birmingham: 86

University of Bristol: 56

• New exchange agreements being processed

• New programmes developed:

• EARTH – MESci International

• CARBS – UG Business Management

(International Management)

Challenges

•3 year degree programmes

•Quality Assurance for overseas courses

•University structure and University-wide agreements

•International activity responsibility within academic schools

•Resource

•Student perceptions – misinformation

Increasing international student mobility - some

key factors

•Institutional commitment

•Academic support

•Targets?

•Imagination and Flexibility – course structures

•Optional study abroad

•Maintaining Exchange Agreements

•Active Promotion

Thank you

Any Questions?