Crossing the great divide

On the day after my retirement started, I woke early, as was my habit, and checked my email.  Nothing!  After years of getting up to fifty emails a day, there was nothing.  I was clearly about to experience email withdrawal symptoms.  It started to dawn on me that life was going to be different.  Of course, I had seen this coming – in theory.  This, however, was now reality.  I also saw that the vast network of international contacts I had put together over the years was in danger of fading away.  No longer was I sitting at the centre of a web.  Now I was alone, and if I wanted to keep up any of my old contacts, I was going to have to work at it. 

What is the future of international education?

The new buzz-word is world-class education; a nice mix of ‘excellence in education’ and ‘education in- and for the global world.’ But when one reflects on the reality of the aftermath of the crisis, when one analyses statistics like the population growth of China and India, the population growth of senior citizens, one has to accept that education in the next two decades will encompass more multicultural teams (staff and students) and more adult learners than ever before. New competences will be needed to face these challenges. Let’s start today on quality, and let’s build efficient and realistic ranking systems – competition and emulation have positive and constructive results, and let’s look out for the best teams of international educators.   

What are you thoughts on the future of international education? Where should our priorities lie?

How many religious and cultural holidays should we recognise in a “western” university?

We, in the West, pride ourselves on a high degree of religious and cultural neutrality.  Nevertheless, even a casual observer of our national life will see that Christian ideas, rituals, festivals and feasts permeate everyday life. 

Our universities, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly multicultural, and it would be reasonable for our Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and even pagan students (to mention just a few) to ask how the university recognises their particular outlook on life. The question is: do we respond to all of them or to none at all?  Many universities fall between the two, but how does one make the difficult choices…

There is an opportunity here in this blog for a frank exchange of ideas about this.  Can we draw on successful experience?  Are there any case studies available?  Are there helpful anecdotes that can be told by experienced internationalists?

Language is the key to understanding another culture

We are advertising a job in our international office and I have been told that we should look for someone who speaks a language other than their own and English.  What are the arguments for this?

Speaking foreign languages is an undeniable asset in all walks of life, especially in an international office where, by definition, there is constant interaction with people from different cultures, speaking different languages. English has become the language of communication in many fields, so obviously it is a pre-requisite for this type of job, but it’s no longer enough. Not everyone speaks English at the same level and there are times when English just isn’t good enough to really communicate with our interlocutors, be they exchange students or institutional partners.

International office staff members are overworked and undervalued…

This certainly is true at my university.  Has anyone had a similar experience? How can we deal with this on a personal and administrative level?

In some cultures and institutions, international relations are not taken seriously enough. This happens when the exchange experience is placed way down on the priority list, viewed as an “extra.” I’ve even heard a director say that “exchanges are unnecessary – our system is the best! Why go abroad?” No comment…

A common misconception is that international office staff members spend their time travelling and having fun at the institution’s expense.  Most people are simply not aware of the phenomenal amount of work that goes on behind the scenes.

Are student exchanges worth the trouble? Who benefits?

Student exchanges are at the core of our profession as international educators and benefit everyone. If we really wish to build Europe as a living entity, today’s Erasmus students will be tomorrow’s leaders. Students everywhere are our future citizens; their values, their world outlook, their way of life are influenced by experiences they’ve had during their formative years, with exchanges being one of the most eye-opening.  And the sooner they go abroad, the better – ideally having their first experience at age 19 to 20 as undergraduates. At this age they’re still completely free of family responsibilities, they’re curious and open to others, willing to try out new food and customs and accept cultural differences.