Going global: student led internationalisation

1. Going global: student led internationalisation Heather McKnight, Academic Affairs Manager Students’ Union Parallel session 1 (10.00 – 11.00 am) The Checkland Building

2. Session Overview • National Union of Students Internationalisation projects 'Students Without Borders' and 'Internationalising Students' Unions' • Case studies from other universities on integration of home/international students and international projects.  • The key findings of the audit and strategy highlights • Discussion sessions on integration and internationalisation

3. International Student Facts • UKCISA estimates that international students contribute £2.5 billion to the UK economy in university fees alone - key source of income for universities. ‘International students in the UK: facts, figures – and fiction’ (UKCISA, September 2010) • The British Council estimates the economic contribution of international students to the UK is £12.5 billion per year.

4. International Student Facts • UG international fee income alone represents between 2 and 14 per cent of total income for 80 per cent of the UK’s universities. ‘Patterns of higher education institutions in the UK’ (UUK, 2010) • International student fees contribute to £42 million annually to college income.‘Colleges’ international contribution’ (157 Group, 2010) • UK postgraduate education is sustained by non-EU international students, who make up 41 per cent of all post-graduate students enrolled on full-time taught Masters Courses in the UK, and 50 per cent of all research students in the UK. ‘Taught postgraduate students: market trends and opportunities’ (UUK, 2009)

5. Student Mobility and Employability “Students who study abroad are more likely to achieve first class degree results: 15% of ERASMUS and 17% from other mobility programmes with upper second degrees consisting of 75% and 81% respectively, compared to 10% and 60% for non-mobile students.” ‘International Student Mobility Literature Review’ by Russell King, Allan Findlay and Jill Ahrens for HEFCE (November 2010)

6. Student Mobility and Employability • 29% of graduates who have been mobile were earning a salary in excess of £20,000 six months after graduation, compared to 17% of non-mobile graduates. The HEFCE Mobility Literature Review • Around 60% of the country’s top employers indicate that experience of international study enhances employability and the majority commented that studying overseas makes an applicant well-rounded in terms of skills, experience and personal development. ‘Global Horizons for UK Students,’ Council for Industry and Higher Education, results from a survey of ‘over twenty large companies’

7. Beyond Borders Research • Research: ‘Beyond Borders’ 2010 • Key areas identified where support was needed to better support international students: • Representation Structures • Pre-induction • Induction • Feedback

8. Report Recommendations Institutions and Students’ Unions should work together to: • Improve the delivery of course representation information. • Develop methods of tracking the involvement of international students in the course representative system. • Clarify descriptions of course representative system.

9. Report Recommendations Institutions and associations should work together to: • Find new ways to communicate to international students about representation opportunities. • Overcome barriers to involvement among the general international student population and within specific groups of international students. • Institutions should develop methods to ensure the feedback loop for international students is closed.

10. NUS Internationalising SU’s Project • In 2008-2009 - pilot project with four HE students’ unions. Led to the launch of Internationalising Students’ Unions in HE: A Strategic Framework and Audit Toolkit. • Publication set out a strategic framework to enable students’ unions to involve international students fully in their work, and to offer an international experience to all students. • It also included an audit tool which students’ unions could use to carry out a self-assessment

11. Internationalising the Student Experience Work with HE Unions: • Supported 40 HE students’ unions to implement the International Students’ Strategy • Training for the International Students’ Strategy developed and piloted to 40 HE students’ unions • Work with 20 students’ unions to support them to pilot new projects for international students • Resource pack and toolkit for HE unions developed

12. NUS Internationalising SU’s Project Key Challenges Faced by Students’ Unions: • Democracy and Representation • Campaigning • Activities and Participation • Services: Membership and Commercial • Communications • Staff and Officer Development • Partnerships and Collaboration • International Experience

13. Best Practice Discussion • In groups look at the Best Practice examples from your given category and comment on: • How well a project like this could work here • Any examples of best practice you can think of happening already • Potential challenges and opportunities for joint working between Union and University

14. Springboard Funding • Increasing leadership and student lead activity within international cohort. • Increase in 24% of international student applications than last year - international Students are becoming an increasingly important demographic. • The presence of Kaplan on campus • Improve the student experience and retention of International Students. • Explore the opportunities for producing graduates, both domestic and international students, who are highly culturally aware and have a global perspective thus improving employability.

15. Strategy: Strategic Objectives The following eight strategic objectives are broken into three categories: • Supporting International Students • Integration • Internationalising the Student Experience

16. Supporting International Students • We will ensure that all international students are able to participate in the democratic processes and representative structures of our students' unions • We will campaign for positive change and lobby to make sure the voices of international students are heard locally, nationally • We will develop services that meet the needs of our international student members.

17. Integration • We will create opportunities for students for home and international students to come together through societies and activities. • We will develop genuine two-way communication between our students' unions and our international student members and ensure our communication is accessible and appropriate.

18. Internationalising the Student Experience • We will develop and promote international and learning and development opportunities for officers and staff. • Through Partnerships and Collaboration we will develop networks at local, regional and national level to support internationalisation activities to enhance member employability and increase volunteering and enterprise opportunities. • We will provide an international experience for all students and promote a global perspective in all areas of union activity.

19. Key areas under each aim • Clarity, variety and appropriateness of communication • Monitoring and evaluation of engagement with union • Employability and Skills Development • Use of volunteers • Consideration of how work could apply to other student groups

20. Group Discussion • What are the key benefits for students and institution of integration and internationalisation • Identify the greatest challenges in achieving them • Identify areas for joint working between the SU and the University

21. Questions...? Thanks for coming!