Journal of Studies in International Education current issue

Editorial

Adams, T., de Wit, H. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:51:42 PDT

The Bologna Process from a Latin American Perspective

Brunner, J. J. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:51:42 PDT

Although Latin America’s geography, history, and languages might seem a suitable foundation for a Bologna-type process, the development of a common Latin American higher education and research area meets predictable difficulties.The reasons are to be found in the continent’s historic and modern institutional patterns. Latin American governments increasingly limit their interventions to funding and rely on the free play of the forces of supply and demand, institutional and corporate interests, and negotiated rules of the game to coordinate their systems. Moreover, Latin America’s dynamic tertiary education systems face structural, organizational, and functional obstacles that often discourage international convergence.However, Bologna is stimulating closer university collaboration between Latin American and European institutions, particularly Spanish and Portuguese universities, in an effort to create an Ibero-American area of knowledge, with student and faculty exchanges. Thus Bologna has had an indirect stimulus by encouraging collaboration, and concomitant issues such as Latin America’s current debate about curricular reform and higher education competitiveness.

A Failure of Communication on the Cross-Cultural Campus

Brown, L. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:51:42 PDT

This article reports findings from an ethnographic study into the adjustment experience of a group of postgraduate international students at a university in the South of England. Friendship emerged as a major theme in this study; of particular importance to students was the desire and failure to achieve contact with host nationals. An absence of host contact was a source of deep disillusionment for students who understood the positive impact of host friends on linguistic and cultural knowledge. A lack of host contact was attributed by students to indifference on the part of the host community, and in the extreme to racial and Islamophobic prejudice. Such suspicion was provoked by students’ encounter with verbal and physical abuse, which also served to entrench the move to form monoethnic friendship groups. Research into the host perspective of international education is called for to inform the internationalization strategies adopted by HEI.

Social Networks and the International Student Experience: An International Community of Practice?

Montgomery, C., McDowell, L. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:51:42 PDT

An implicit perception of international students is that they have difficulty in becoming involved in social exchange with other students who do not share their "culture" and language. This picture of a group of students isolated and disadvantaged by their lack of contact with "UK culture" is questioned in this article. Data from a recent research project suggests that international students form a strong international community that supports their learning and provides them with a supportive learning environment. Thus, contrary to perceptions, the strength of this international community challenges the view that international students need to develop social and academic exchange with UK students to get the most from their university experience. The international community of practice described here presents a picture of a more positive and active international student experience, with international students as the providers of support and knowledge within a supportive and purposeful student community.

Patterns of Adaptation of Chinese Postgraduate Students in the United Kingdom

Zhou, Y., Todman, J. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:51:42 PDT

International students coming to the United Kingdom have to adapt to academic cultural differences as well as general cultural differences. Questionnaires were administered to 257 Chinese postgraduate students on anticipated and actually experienced difficulties and on perceived differences between Chinese and U.K. academic cultures before departure, soon after arrival, and about 6 months after arrival. Some participants (n = 45) responded to questionnaires at three stages; others responded at just one or two stages. A sample of the 45 students (n = 28) were interviewed about their pre-departure expectations and post-arrival experiences. Patterns of adaptation over time differed in relation to general life, social life, and study life. A major finding was the different patterns of specifically academic adaptation of students who came in groups and those who came individually.

"It's So Much Easier to Go with What's Easy": "Mindfulness" and the Discourse Between Home and International Students in the United Kingdom

Peacock, N., Harrison, N. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:51:42 PDT

A recent aspect of U.K. higher education has been the internationalisation of university campuses, driven by a rapid increase in student numbers from overseas and growing pressure to prepare all students for global careers. It is often assumed by policy makers that the benefits of an internationalised university will include opportunities for enhancing cultural awareness and capability among U.K. students, with contact with other cultures helping to foster a sense of global citizenship and responsibility. This article reports initial findings from two English universities which suggests that U.K. students instinctively take a strategic approach to cross-cultural interaction based on perceptions of cultural proximity and comfort. Although U.K. students do appear to identify some of the gains predicted by policy-makers, these are often low level, incidental, and unconnected to wider learning. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that data collection and analysis has been hindered by a strong taboo around discussions of diversity.

Building Global Health Research Competencies at the Undergraduate Level

Hatfield, J. M., Hecker, K. G., Jensen, A. E. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:51:42 PDT

Faculty from the University of Calgary’s bachelor of health sciences (BHSc) Global Health Program argue for the development of global health research competencies to prepare students for international placements in low- and middle-income countries. These competencies include the ability to define and describe (a) how to use the concept of health research systems to investigate and describe health research activities in a given country, (b) the concept of health research capacity building, (c) the importance of building equitable and sustainable research partnerships, and (d) the role of knowledge mobilization and translation in health research. This article begins by outlining a rationale for preparing students for global health research activities and the BHSc Global Health Research Program. It then outlines these competencies and provides practical guidance to assist faculty and mentors preparing students for international placements. Finally, a case study of a student-led investigation of the health research system in Ethiopia is presented.

Measuring the Global Footprint of an MBA

Alon, I., McAllaster, C. M. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:51:42 PDT

This article discusses the concept that is termed the global footprint as a measure of a university’s internationalization efforts along multiple dimensions. A university’s globalization is multidimensional and includes students, faculty, and curricula. In this article, the authors demonstrate their conceptualization of the global footprint, discuss best practices in the field, and show readers how they may want to use the authors’ model to shape their internationalization strategies. In summary, they develop the global footprint model for universities, and explain this model using MBA business education as an example.