Study Abroad Code of Ethics

This is time of year when study abroad professionals are scrambling to register students for study abroad courses this Summer. Despite deep economic troubles and uncertainty, our experience suggests that demand for study abroad remains strong for Missouri students.

As we stretch to design and develop programs that match student interests and intellectual development, I'm reminded of the Code of Ethics published some time ago by the Forum on Education Abroad. As institutional members of the Forum, the MU International Center adopted this code to guide our professional practice.

I recommend that faculty members, academic advisors, university administrators, students, and parents interested in study abroad review this code. It addresses issues related to truthfulness and transparency, responsibilities to students, cultural awareness re: host societies, observance of law, and potential conflicts of interest.

In making decisions about designing and managing study abroad programs, the Forum proposes four simple questions:

1. Are policies true, fair and transparent?
2. Do they put the interests of students first, and contribute to their intellectual and personal growth?
3. Do they reflect the best practices of the field?
4. Do they foster international (and intercultural) understanding?
   

"Study Abroad Changed My Life" and Other Problems...

At last week's Forum on Education Abroad meeting, Michael Woolf , President of the Foundation for International Education made a controversial presentation called 'Study Abroad Changed My Life, and Other Problems'. In it, he argued that the study abroad industry is founded on a myth that should be critically assessed.

He makes some strong assertions - and anyone interested should read this summary and wrestle with them for a while.

In short, he calls for more careful assessment of study abroad outcomes, and more work to embed international experience in the curriculum.

Ireland : The City and the Country

For some time I've been searching for a good text book to use for my Summer study abroad course in Ireland. I think I've finally found one that will fit well. It's called the Sage Companion to the City.

My course is on the sociology of Irish culture and identity. It is taught in conjunction with a survey of Irish literature. When we first discussed the possibility of combining these courses, my first thought was to follow the approach developed by cultural studies pioneer Raymond Williams in his book, the Country and the City. In this book Williams explores the history of connections and differences between rural and city life as evidenced in acclaimed British novels. Though I don't entirely agree with his analysis, I think it was a fascinating, unobtrusive method to study cultural identity.

The Sage Companion to the City offers us a different approach to cultural analysis - one that will allow students to conduct their own field research. This book will challenge us to examine Irish culture by focusing on the built environment of the cities and the country. With this focus on development in Dublin, Derry, Galway and their hinterlands, we can gain insight into:

faith and religion, science and technology, pleasure and leisure, migration and segregation, housing, conflicts, crime, the role of government, and visions of the future

in three very different cities.

I'll share more about this in future posts. I'm really looking forward to leading this course.

Short Term Study Abroad Changes Lives

A recent study of over 6,000 study abroad returnees found that short term study abroad programs leave important and lasting impact on students. In fact, 83% of the students (from more than 20 US universities) said that their time in study abroad was the most meaningful experience for their college life.

Study abroad has grown by 150 percent in the last ten years. At Missouri, more than 1,200 students earned academic credits outside the US this past year -- nearly triple the number in 2001. In keeping with national trends, much of the growth occurs in short term programs led by Missouri faculty members. (For a current list of these MU programs, check here).

As short term study abroad mushrooms, many people worry if they have much effect. This study suggests they do.

Regardless of the length of study abroad experience, I argue that the impact on students is mainly determined by:

* the academic depth and rigor of the coursework
* the level of cultural interaction and immersion for the students
* the level of experience and sense of place that program leader(s) bring to the program
* the extent to which the program is integrated in the student's curriculum

The Forum on Education Abroad recently published a report on Good Standards for short term programs. I recommend it highly.

Dynamics in the Global Market for Higher Education

The competition for international students is heating up at universities around the world.

For example, the Chronicle of Higher Education posted two brief pieces today about the strong demand for international education in China, and about increased EU funding designed to attract students from targeted countries to European institutions, and to support European students who want to study abroad.

US universities who want to attract international students must adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

Partnerships in International Research and Education

Today, I'm working with a colleague at the University of Missouri to submit a proposal to an innovative National Science Foundation program, called Partnerships in International Research and Education (PIRE). In its current Program Solicitation, the introduction makes a powerful assessment about the importance of learning across borders.

Scientific and engineering discovery and learning are worldwide phenomena. Increasingly, centers of research excellence are emerging across the globe and new ideas and research are resulting from the intellectual interactions of people with diverse backgrounds. Consequently, U.S. scientists and engineers must be globally engaged and able to operate effectively in teams and networks comprised of partners from different nations and cultural backgrounds. International partnerships are, and will be, increasingly indispensable in addressing many critical science and engineering problems.

This is true in science, engineering, arts, humanities, business, law, the health professions...

If you wonder why international programs are important for universities, I encourage you to investigate the objectives and the results of the PIRE program.

The Life of a University Scientist

I saw this great piece on what life is like for a university scientist. Each year the University of Missouri hosts more than 2,500 international students and visiting scholars. Many of them are pursuing a career in science or engineering. Talk about learning across borders...

The Difference Between Iceland and Ireland...

According to this article, there's a joke going around among Irish economists...

"What's the difference between Iceland and Ireland?

One letter and six months. In other words, the Irish economy is really on the skids.

I mentioned in a previous post that I am teaching a course in Ireland this summer for Missouri students. The key question of the course is, "how has Ireland changed over the last ten years?".

For decades and decades, many Irish people had to emigrate to find work. A few years ago, when money and jobs were pouring in, Irish emigrants started coming back home. These days, some are not so sure they made the right choice.

Twenty Years After Revolution in Europe

In the midst of a global financial crisis, it's nearly impossible to imagine how life will change in the next twenty years.

To gain some perspective, check out this piece on what happened in 1989.

Teaching Notes from Council of Foreign Relations

I found some interesting resources on the Council of Foreign Relations site. They provide teaching notes that can be used to supplement readings and class discussion. The materials cover a wide range of current global issues, and can be searched by regions, topics or dates.

More about Ireland...

We just learned that Tommy Sands will be on the University of Missouri campus February 18 and 19. Thanks to the Central Missouri Celtic Arts Association for bringing this together.

Speaking of Ireland...

Here are some nice photos of Irish sites. Our June trip is going to be great.

Ireland Summer Study Abroad

In my first post, I mentioned plans for a summer study abroad experience in Ireland. The study is designed for MU students who want a good personal introduction to Irish culture. This June we will travel through out Ireland, based for about a week in Dublin, Derry, Donegal and Galway city.

I'll teach a course on the sociology of Irish culture. More on that in future postings. My colleague Bill Kerwin will teach a course on Irish literature. We're reading some of my favorite Irish works while visiting the places in which they're set. For example, in the first week we'll study two books of short stories on life in Dublin published almost 100 years apart - by James Joyce and Roddy Doyle.

In Derry, we'll read two incredible novels about the Troubles by Seamus Deane and Jennifer Johnston.

Along the way, we'll also read plays by Synge and Friel, poetry by Yeats and Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, and stories by Edna O'Brien, William Trevor and Elizabeth Bowen.

We're also going to meet some incredible people and visit beautiful sites.

I've traveled extensively in Ireland since 1996. Over the years, it's become a home away from home. I can't wait to share this experience with our students.

Why this banner photo?

You might wonder -- what is banner photo for this blog, and how does it relate to my blog's theme - learning across borders? On a personal level, this photo reminds me why I do what I do every day.

I took this picture one cold August, 2008 morning from a tent I was sharing with my son Josh in Peru. We were on a 45 km hike on the Inca Trail on our way to Machu Piccuh. This trip was unforgettable. It was physically challenging but very rewarding.

We learned a lot -- about our selves, our relationship, our companions, and about the rich history of the people and place.

This photo reminds me that the pursuit of learning often leads us outside our comfort zone. Each year approximately 2,500 international students, visiting scholars and their families travel to the University of Missouri from over 100 countries around the world to study with us. At the same time, over 1,200 students earn college credits, studying in sixty different countries; and dozens of faculty members travel the world to advance teaching, research and public service projects.

Our job at the International Center is to do whatever we can to facilitate all this learning across borders. In the process, we meet adventurous people with powerful stories.

It's a beautiful thing.

Faculty-Led Study Abroad

Faculty-led study abroad programs are steadily growing at the University of Missouri. Earlier this week the MU International Center hosted its annual fair to promote these programs - which now include a pretty long list of incredibly interesting topics and destinations.

I was there to talk with students about a program I'm co-leading (with Prof. Bill Kerwin) to Ireland. I'll share more about this program in future posts.

If you're interested in faculty-led programs, check out this recent report on best practice standards.