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...