DIAC

Familiar with this acronym? If not, you’ll probably know it in due time. Plans are underway for DIAC (short for Dubai International Academic City) to become the Middle Eastern hub for approximately forty universities educating 40,000 students. You can read more about DIAC here: http://tinyurl.com/3kjfnl

Expanding Education Abroad at U.S. Community Colleges

The Institute of International Education (IIE) just released the third white paper in their study abroad policy research series. This third paper entitled Expanding Education Abroad at U.S. Community Colleges was written by Rosalind Latiner Raby with contributions from IIE’s Membership and Higher Education Services and Research & Evaluation colleagues. You can access the paper here: http://tinyurl.com/3ptlov

NAFSA TLS Call for Poster Session Proposals

The TLS/KC welcomes you to submit a proposal for a poster presentation for the 2009 conference on the theme “Fostering Global Engagement through International Education.” The submission deadline is Friday, November 14, 2008.

Proposal guidelines and additional details about the submission process can be found on the NAFSA Web site: www.nafsa.org/proposals.

POSTER FAIRS

Internationalizing the Curriculum and Campus Poster Fair
This poster fair wishes to focus on the following aspects of campus and curriculum internationalization: Curriculum integration of study abroad; innovative approaches to internationalizing on-campus curricula; innovative methods of integrating intercultural elements into on-campus programming; effective use of international education research for internationalizing the campus and curriculum; and innovative programming for international students for integration into campus life.

International Education Research Poster Fair
Topics may cover research related to any area of international education, especially those emphasized by NAFSA. Those areas include: international student and scholar services; international education and internationalizing the curriculum; intercultural and cross-cultural communication; recruitment and preparation of international students; English language training; education abroad; international education leadership and linkage agreements; cross-border educational issues.


There is a new online proposal format for the 2009 Annual Conference. Please do not wait until the last minute to submit your proposal.

TLS welcomes poster proposals on the following topics:

What pedagogies of international education exist and how can they inform our work? Do we need new models?

Identity Issues Emerging from International Educational Exchange
One frequent result of an international educational experience is questioning one’s cultural/personal identity. While the intensity of such experiences varies by population (global nomads, heritage-seeking students, minority groups, etc.) such challenges need to be effectively addressed by sponsoring institutions. How can international educators deal with such identity issues?

Cross-cultural and Intercultural Education
Where are the intersections between intercultural learning and critical thinking, civic engagement, global civil society, service learning and other complementary themes?

How is citizen diplomacy influencing international education and vice-versa?
What does research suggest about the outcomes for international students in the U.S. and U.S. students studying abroad? Are the outcomes the same or different? How do these outcomes compare with other international studies?

Teaching and Learning Challenges in Internationalizing the Curriculum and Campus
The pedagogy of internationalizing the classroom poses challenges for faculty, both in identifying the level of awareness and learning styles of their students and in addressing students who are at different stages of awareness but in the same classroom. What research and practices exist to assist in the process?

What is the role of faculty in internationalization?

What are the linkages between foreign language learning and culture learning?

Cross-Border and Transnational Educational Movements
Cross-border, “borderless” and transnational education movements are influencing higher education worldwide. What must international educators know about these trends to prepare for the future? How will GATS influence the standing of the U.S. and other nations as education continues to grow as a service traded internationally? How are joint and dual degree programs breaking down borders in education? What models and approaches are working, and what issues exist in implementing them in various countries and in various types of institutions?

Research and Trends in International Education
What are the burning topics in the field of international education that need to be researched? Where are the gaps in the literature that need to be filled? What research exists in other fields that can contribute to the TLS mission?

Challenges in International Education
What will international education look like in the next decade? What global trends will influence higher education globally? How does international education influence global trends?

How is assessment being driven by accreditation? What is the relevance for International Education?

How do you use international education research for advocacy in your organization?

How can researchers in international education publish their work?

How are you using old theories in new ways?

What is the role of the faculty in the internationalization of higher education?

Questions?
Please contact the TLS Knowledge Community team members:
Intercultural and Cross-Cultural Communication: Gayle Woodruff gwoodruf@umn.edu
Internationalization: Joe Hoff joseph.hoff@oregonstate.edu
Research: David Comp dcomp@uchicago.edu
Workshops: Barbara Kappler bkappler@umn.edu
Annual Conference General and ESL: Joann Halpern joann.halpern@liu.edu
Faculty Representative: Bruce LaBrack blabrack@pacific.edu
TLS Chair: Inge Steglitz steglitz@msu.edu

Learning Across Cultures

As the Teaching, Learning & Scholarship (TLS) representative to the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Subcommittee on Information Management (SIM) I'm involved with finding and working with authors on NAFSA publications. At the August SIM meeting in Washington, DC it was decided that a revision of Learning Across Cultures was needed. The first edition of Learning Across Cultures was edited by Gary Althen and published by NAFSA in 1981. The second edition, also edited by Althen, was published by NAFSA in 1994. While this publication continues to sell at a consistent rate each year it's time that a revised edition come to market. Anyone interested in contributing to this publication should feel free to contact me.

Higher Education Groups Send Letter to Presidential Candidates

On September 24th the seven major higher education groups (AACC, AASCU, ACE, AAU, NAICU and NASULGC) sent a joint letter to both presidential candidates that discussed many higher education issues including the importance of increasing international education efforts in the United States.

You can access the letter via the NAFSA: Association of International Educators NAFSA.news vol.13 no.36 here: http://tinyurl.com/4fakkk

The Pearson Test of English

In today’s insidehighered.com I found an interesting article about the publishing company Pearson throwing its hat into the English language testing for college admissions. The Pearson Test of English, with time, will increasingly challenge the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which has experienced increased competition over the years from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). What’s unique about the Pearson Test of English is that it will provide institutions with applicant scores as well as digital recordings of the students speaking portions of the examination.

You can read more here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/10/02/english

Cross-Border Higher Education in the Caribbean

IHEC readers who are interested in global cross-border higher education trends will find a new publication (155 pages) focusing on the Caribbean to be of interest. The book Foreign Providers in the Caribbean: Pillagers or Preceptors? provides analysis of cross-border higher education in Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands. You can access the abstract and the entire book in PDF format here: http://www.col.org/colweb/site/pid/5310

Foreign Providers in the Caribbean: Pillagers or Preceptors? (2008)
Edited by: Stewart Marshall, Ed Brandon, Michael Thomas, Asha Kanwar and Tove Lyngra
Publisher: Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver