On 10 June Global and Lifelong Learning in partnership with Oxford International Education Group hosted the Innovation in Internationalisation at Home (IIH) Forum. The theme for this year was Measuring Impact.
IIH2024 offered a unique opportunity to learn from experts in the field and discuss ongoing investment and innovation in the internationalised student experience. The aims of the forum were to provide a cross-sector platform equally valuable to colleagues in a broad range of professional services and academic roles, and reflective of the broad range of opportunities and initiatives which Internationalisation at Home encompasses.
The Forum was attended by over 50 delegates in person and online and connected with the recent publication of UUKi’s Handbook for Internationalisation at Home and the International Higher Education Commission’s report which asks the question, ‘Is the UK developing global mindsets?’
The welcoming address was given by Dr Anthony Manning, Director and Dean, Global and Lifelong Learning and Charley Robinson, Head of Global Mobility, Universities UK International. Participants heard from speakers from UUKi Internationalisation at Home Working Group, presenting on how they have used the Internationalisation at Home Development and Evaluation Cycle at their own intuitions’, allowing other participants to consider how to develop and enhance their own IaH activities. Dr Anthony Manning and Emma Marku, Global Opportunities Manager, from the University of Kent lead on and co-chair the Internationalisation at Home Working Group for UUKi.
Dr Jean-Bernard Adrey, Project Lead for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), OIEG, used a train-the-trainers approach to show how embedding intercultural competencies into COIL design training can help to create COIL opportunities important to develop transferable employability skills.
Janel Illieva, Founder and Director of Education Insight [pictured in the feature image] spoke about the need to demonstrate impact in IaH in more tangible ways so that institutions and the sector as a whole can see the benefit and justify the case for sustainable investment. Janet demonstrated this through a model she has developed as part of her work for the International Higher Education Commission.
The panel discussion saw a series of questions put to the expert panel of speakers from across the day’s sessions to investigate what the next steps may be in demonstrating IaH impact and securing a more sustainable future in terms of resourcing support and investment.
“As a third party provider it was great to take part in discussions with institutions around the interest for international opportunities from home. As well as that understanding the challenges that universities face and how 3rd party organisations can support these initiatives. I came away from the conference feeling really inspired seeing how institutions share our same passion and confidence that these opportunities should be a staple part of universities international portfolio.”
What was evident from the forum and discussions on the day was the importance of Internationalisation at Home to build students’ intercultural intelligence and the need for more quantitative data to support IaH amid declining study abroad and shrinking resources. Delegates discussed different options for certifications to provide evidence of IaH on student transcripts and agreed on the need for an institutional systemic approach to incentivise and recognise IaH efforts across the sector.
Polly Collingridge, senior consultant at Cultural Intelligence Centre UK, said “We need something more concrete and measurable to prove the positive correlation between internationalisation at home, intercultural competence and employability.”
There is a clear commitment within Global and Lifelong Learning and across the sector to continue this work, which has proved invaluable across the Higher Education Sector.
The IaH handbook, published in 2023 by UUKi, can be downloaded from the Universities UK website and includes case studies from participating Universities.
For further information, please see the links below or contact us DeanGlobalLifelong@kent.ac.uk:
UK universities convene on Internationalisation at Home (thepienews.com)
Conference Website: Our Conferences – Global – University of Kent
UUKi Internationalisation at Home (IaH) handbook: Internationalisation at Home (IaH): an introductory handbook (universitiesuk.ac.uk)
IHEC Report: Is the UK developing global mindsets? IHEC-Report_Is-the-UK-developing-global-mindsets-Report_24_10_2023.pdf (ihecommission.uk)