Think Education

International Voices - Perry Hobson

In this latest Think Education podcast @ProfChrisHill talks to Professor Perry Hobson, Director of BUas Academy for Tourism at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, about the timely issue of international students and how they are viewed in different contexts.
As students around the world are navigating the summer period and thinking about upcoming study activity, travel and new chapters and challenges, we took this podcast session to think about how we in the academic community, and society more broadly, think about international students and how they could be better supported.
Perry reflects on his time in the Netherlands and the way in which international students are counted, viewed and even courted. Our attention then, rather predictably, turned to the situation in the UK and the politicization of international students. 
We discussed student mobility and differing approaches to attracting and supporting international students during their studies and the ever thorny issue of what you do with them once they have graduated. We reflected on our collective experiences in the UAE, Malaysia, the UK, the Netherlands and Australia to think about value and experience.
How you count something dramatically impacts its value!
https://lnkd.in/dgjhvFmQ 
#internationalstudents #politicsinhigheredcuation #studentmobility #internationalhighered #recruitment #UAE #Australia #UK #Malaysia #economicbenefits #studentexperience

International Voices - Fion Choon Boey Lim

In this latest Think Education podcast @ProfChrisHill talked to Fion Lim, Associate Professor in General Management at UTS Business School in Sydney Australia, about TNE partnerships, online learning and the student experience.
 
Fion reflected on her extensive experience in TNE partnership management to discuss partnerships pre and post-COVID, what worked in the past, want doesn’t work now, and what could work in the future.
 
We talked about emerging trends in TNE partnership and the possible role for branch campuses and hybrid learning in this space.  Fion reflected on her experience working with partners in China to offer insights into key opportunities and challenges of engagement and partnership development.
 
We talked about how we measure success in TNE and the need to move away from the pure business model and focus instead on the student experience, impact and relevance of the degree.  Fion highlighted examples where the teaching material and content delivered in TNE arrangements was of little to no relevance to the local student population, or context, and how this impacted the quality of education and the perceived value of the degree itself.  There is a need for parity, if not equality, in partnerships and this can only serve to strengthen the arrangement, improve the student learning experience, and further support sustainable activity.
 
Successful TNE puts the student first
 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionlimcb/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ac8IrNwAAAAJ&hl=en
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/quality-assurance-online-transnational-higher-education
 
Christopher Hill & Fion Choon Boey Lim (2022) Sustainability of transnational education: learning from Asia and the Gulf cooperation council, Quality in Higher Education, 28:3, 271-288, DOI: 10.1080/13538322.2021.1987889
 
#TNEpartnerships #internationalhighered #China #Australia #hybridlearning #contextualunderstanding #knowledgeexchange

International Voices - Jack Lee

In this latest Think Education podcast, @ProfChrisHill talks to @_Jacktlee Lecturer in Comparative Education and Education Policy @EdinburghUni about his recent article Romanticizing decolonization and Asian epistemology: reflections on identity and space and his journey through international higher education. In September 2023, Jack will be joining UofGlasgow as a Senior Lecturer.
Jack reflected on the role of agency in international higher education and how this can dictate both identity and activity.  Jack talked about the Global South and the varying levels of development and power that exist within such a wide area.  Jack used his international experience to reflect on motivations and realities in different countries and the need to be critical of information sources and to interrogate assumptions.
Jack talked about hybrid mobility and the impact that student movement can have on ideas, identity and realities.  We discussed the changing policies and motivations of countries when it comes to student mobility (both inbound and outbound) and the extent to which this can dictate how students are viewed as individuals, as part of a collective or even as commodities.
We discussed identity, those we choose for ourselves and those that are imposed upon us.  We talked about space in international higher education and issues raised by Paula Sanderson in her doctoral thesis about how identity is constructed and barriers can be put in place by the very nature of TNE operations; and Natalie Koch’s work on the shifting geopolitics of higher education.  Jack talked about the notion of false equivalency and the need to be more contextually aware and inclusive – such that we can seek to increase awareness and engagement.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-lee-85712b18/
 
Lee, J. T. (2023). Asian higher education as soft power? In D. Kapur, L. Kong, & D. M. Malone (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Higher Education in the Asia Pacific Region (p. 500-513). Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-higher-education-in-the-asia-pacific-region-9780192845986
 
#globalsouth #decolonisation #indigenousknowledge #iintenationalhighered #transnationaleducation #comparativeeducation 

International Voices - Angela Yung-chi Hou

In this latest #ThinkEducation #podcast episode, @ProfChrisHill talked to Prof Angela Yung-chi Hou - Professor of Higher Education and Associate Dean of College of Education, National Chengchi University (@nccu1927) Taiwan – about quality assurance in Asia.  We discussed emerging trends and the ways in which QA agencies are responding.
 
Angela reflected on conducting quality assurance activities during the pandemic and what changes have been retained, by agencies, as a result.  Angela explored the challenges in cross border collaboration and joint degree accreditation and discussed the role of governments and external agencies.  We talked about the role of stakeholders and the need to involve students more explicitly in the process.
 
Angela outlined the key challenges ahead for quality assurance and offered her perspective on what this might mean practically moving forwards.
 
We can all learn from each other, so let’s keep on talking.
 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-yung-chi-hou-0b0279208/?originalSubdomain=tw
 
#qualityassurance #qualityassuranceagencies #onlinesitevisit #ASEAN #studentmobility #crossbordercollaboration #jointdegreeprogrammes #Asia #Taiwan #HongKong #China #NationalChengchiUniversity

Mason and the Battle of Hastings

1066 and all that!
In this latest episode, Mason wove different strands of history together to tell the story of the Battle of Hastings, moving from Harold, to William to the Vikings and back again.
We talked about the role of leaders; the importance of a name; how a bad weather day can really mess up a battle; and the importance to look up to avoid arrows, and down to avoid spears!  We even managed to link a Viking king to modern technology.

International Voices - Cheryl Yu

In this latest #ThinkEducation #podcast @ProfChrisHill talks to Dr Cheryl Yu (@cherylqiumeiYu) about the Arts in international higher education.  We discussed how we should think about impact and value in internationalisation and how this is related to the creation and co-creation of knowledge – and the extent to which this is linked to the politics of language.
We talked about the ‘traditional’ understanding and definitions in place around concepts, locations and pathways to international higher education; how this impacts the way we think about value and place; and what might happen if, and when, these concepts become defined elsewhere?
Cheryl reflected on horizontal and vertical internationalisation and the need for HEIs to understand their motivations behind engaging in internationalisation, what they want to get out of it, and what their partners need and want to get out of it too.
 
Hopefully we can begin to think more deeply about how we think.
 
#China #globalnorthandsouth #collaboration #cocreatingknowledge #artseducation #definitions @internationalisation #internationalhighered
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yucheryl/

International Voices - Alfredo Bautista

In the latest Think Education podcast @ProfChrisHill talked to @Dr_A_Bautista about the life of an international academic.  Dr Alfredo Bautista is an Associate Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education (ECE) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and has a wealth of international experience, having worked in Spain, North America, Singapore and now Hong Kong.
 
Alfredo talked about his journey from his PhD to his current position and offered reflections and advice to colleagues working in, or thinking about working in, international higher education.
 
Alfredo discussed, in passionate detail, his approach to learning and the need to not let our pre-judgements and assumptions get in the way of trying to understand new context and ways of doing things.
 
You may not always have a plan, but it is great when it comes together!
 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredo-bautista-65a256157/
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfredo-Bautista-2
https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/riya20
 
#internationalhighered #workinginternationally #contextualsolutions #travel #podcast #hongkong #spain #singapore #dubai #earlychildhoodeducation

International Voices - Joyce Achampong

In today’s Think Education podcast episode @ProfChrisHill talks to Joyce Achampong (@Intl_HE) Associate Director EMEA, Executive Director and Founder of PIVOT Global Education Consulting Group about current issues regarding the youth skills agenda and employability. Joyce brought her expertise in design and delivery of learning programme development and her in-depth experience working on grass-root development projects around the world, to offer insight and analysis of where we are, where we should be, and where we might be headed.
We discussed the role of higher education in the skills agenda and the disconnect felt in many places around the world in terms of skill readiness and relevance.  Traditional approaches are not agile enough and we need to rethink our approach in many areas.
Joyce highlighted the need for contextual understanding to support capacity building. People need to be seen and heard.
The bridge doesn’t always need to go from A to B.  It needs to go where it is needed!
 
#youthskillsagenda #employability #skilldevelopment #highereducation #internationalhighered
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyceachampong/?originalSubdomain=uk

International Voices -Sandra Baroudi

In this latest Think Education podcast, @ProfChrisHill had an opportunity to talk to Dr Sandra Baroudi - Assistant Professor at the College of Interdisciplinary Studies- Zayed University, Dubai, UAE, and co-founder and CEO of @Eduvate, a professional development and training institute for educators and professionals - and learn more about female leadership in higher education and the value of peer mentoring and representation. 
Sandra, an expert in the field, offered her considerable insight on contextualizing teaching and learning in the Arab world and offered practical examples on areas of focus for teachers.  We talked about language and how this can shape our understanding of concepts and the need to rethink the way we approach problems and opportunities. 
Access is key and we should always look for opportunities to pass the ball and help our team succeed!
 
https://www.facebook.com/UAEEduvate
https://www.linkedin.com/company/eduvate-uae/
(2) Sandra Baroudi (PhD, FHEA) | LinkedIn
 
#femaleleadership #contextualisation #leadership #peermentoring #representation #access

Mason and the Carthaginians

We are back with more Roman (and Greek) history and chat.
I am joined once again by Mason to hear him talk about the troubled history between Rome and Carthage.  We talked about how Rome began; why family is important but also can be tricky; the power of stories and the real heroes.  We talked about Greek myths and what they tell us about ourselves.
Sometimes you want to fight a battle, and some days, you just want to go home.