Internationalising Higher Education

POSTERS: GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH FOR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP PROMOTION IN EDUCATION: THE NIGERIAN SL EXAMPLE

Dr Paulina Ada Ajavon, Special Needs Educator/Research Fellow, Foundation for Special Needs Education, Nigeria

The Nigerian Sign Language Project seeks to nurture the emergence of a distinctive Nigerian Sign Language out of existing signs and gestures used by deaf Nigerians. The project has brought together a team of collaborators from the UK and Nigeria. This poster will describe some of the critical issues in international research collaboration using the example of the Nigerian Sign Language Project as a case in point. Particular attention will be paid to the process of building an effective collaborative research team, and the problems and prospects of executing collaborative research in a typical African environment. The poster will focus on recommendations aimed at making collaborative research an instrument for improving educational quality, particularly in a typical African country like Nigeria.

Download the poster image (pdf)

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF GROUP BASED PARENTING SUPPORT ON PARENTAL STRESS AND OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN IN BOTH THE UK AND JAPAN

Linda Bloomfield, Research Fellow, University of Hertfordshire, UK
Professor Sally Kendall, Director, Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, University of Hertfordshire, UK

Kanazawa Medical University in Ichikawa Prefecture, Japan and University of Hertfordshire, UK began their research collaboration in 2005 in response to rising evidence of child neglect and abuse in Japan but minimal support for parents in the community. The aim of the collaboration is to investigate comparative cultures of parenting, parenting support and outcomes of parenting support. The intention is to continue the relationship beyond funding from the Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education (PMI2) for another two to three years to enable findings to be disseminated across Japan and to evaluate longer term outcomes for parents and children. Work has been rewarding in many respects, chiefly in growing understanding of the culture of parenting in the two countries and the ways in which policy is developed and enacted to support parents. Equally, there have been challenges associated with both culture and language, which have been overcome in both practical and intellectual ways. Overall, the collaboration has been hugely successful, enabling academics, practitioners and policy makers to come together in relation to a topic of global importance that is rarely discussed outside of the national policy-making arena.

Download the poster image (pdf)

GOING GLOBAL WITH GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS

Dr Erik Bohemia, Reader, Northumbria University, UK

The Global Studio is a teaching, learning and research initiative that links design students, academics and industry partners across the globe. University partners have included Hong-ik University, Korea; Auburn University, USA; Ohio State University, USA; and RMIT, Australia. Industry collaborators have included Motorola (design studios based in London and Seoul); Great Southern Wood (USA), Medical Inverness (UK); and Intel (USA). The aim is to provide students with experience in operating in cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional, cross-cultural and geographically distributed design teams in order to develop skills in intercultural communication. Projects undertaken over the past four years will be discussed to explore complexities associated with developing and sustaining international collaborative partnerships. This poster will address topics and questions such as the following: What IT resources are needed to facilitate communication and data exchange between participating international educational and business organisations without compromising the security of the partners' IT infrastructure? What organisational challenges are associated with the delivery of the Global Studio? Who should be responsible for the overall co-ordination of projects that are distributed across a number of institutions? What skills do student and academic staff require in order to participate in an international project such as this?

Download the poster image (pdf)

A PARTNERSHIP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULUM FOR ENTERPRISE, LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION SKILLS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Professor Steve Carter, Chair in African Business, Leeds Business School, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK

Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and Polytechnic of Nambia (PON) have established an Education Partnerships in Africa (EPA) partnership to create capacity in PON's Graduate School of Business to provide leading postgraduate qualifications and professional development programmes designed to meet the needs of executives, businesses and society. When equipped in this way, graduates and professionals will have the necessary skills and training to become dynamic leaders and innovative entrepreneurs. They will be better able to create employment, enable brain gain and thus enrich the country and its citizens. The partnership is not only intended to serve the needs of Namibia, but the broader SADC region as well where the shortage of skilled and educated workforce is also apparent. This 18 month partnership commenced in April 2009 with lead co-ordinator Professor Steve Carter at Leeds Business School and Dr Isaac Randa, Senior Lecturer in the Graduate Business School of Polytechnic of Namibia.

Download the poster image (pdf)

ENGINEERING IN GLASGOW, VUNGTAU AND HO CHI MINH CITY CHINA ENGINEERING, ELECTRICS

Robert Cranston, Assistant Principal, Anniesland College, UK

Anniesland College and its partners, the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership are currently engaged in two projects funded by the Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education (PMI2): one with Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City Trade & Industry College (HCMC T&I) and Hong Lam International Vocational College (HLIVC)), and the other with China (Sichuan Vocational & Technical College (Sui Ning), Chongqing Vocational Institute of Technology and Beijing Global Education Centre). The projects focuses on aspects of engineering (automotive, mechanical, electrical and marine), employment in engineering, certification, Vocational ESOL and the desirability and practicability of utilising VLE modalities to develop mutual exchanges of knowledge and practice in specific aspects of engineering and employability. All partners are currently engaged in discussion and mobility. There have been two exchanges with Vietnam and a third is underway. An exchange with China is also underway. This poster will discuss the projects, challenges they face in terms of budget and the short time-scale, and progress to date.

Download the poster image (pdf)

VISUALISATION AND OPTIMISATION OF CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULES

Professor Nashwan Dawood, Professor of Construction Management & IT, Teesside University, UK
MOON Hyoun-Seok, Director, Centre for Construction Innovation and Research, Gyeongsang National University, Korea

In March 2008, Teesside University and Gyeongsang National University in South Korea have established a PMI2 Connect partnership focusing on solving issues of workspace in construction sites. The project involves the development of processes and tools to integrate and to visualize a 3D model, schedules, work flow, resources and health and safety rules to enable managers to identify and to solve workspace conflict and congestion. The project utilises heath and safety rules, as well as practical experience, and encapsulates these rules and knowledge into a Virtual Construction Site (VCS) to rehearse and visualise a schedule prior to construction operation. The system is made up of a database of project information, an optimisation technology for solving workspace conflict and a decision-making process. Management conditions of workspace are analysed through a questionnaire survey in construction sites, and interviews of managers are analysed to establish strategies of workspace planning. Health and safety rules are derived through these investigations and a verification module of these rules is being developed. This poster will outline the lessons learned from examining construction processes in both countries.

Download the poster image (pdf)

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: SHARING BEST PRACTICE FOR EMPLOYABILITY AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

Liam Fee, Project Officer, University of Bradford, UK

The Department of Development and Economic Studies at University of Bradford has formed a partnership with Mzumbe University, Tanzania under the second round of the Education Partnerships in Africa scheme. The partnership is about sharing knowledge, ideas and best practice in the area of Enterprise, Employability and Entrepreneurship, including social enterprise. Tanzania faces a growing problem of graduate unemployment and under-employment, particularly in the current economic climate. By introducing new teaching and assessment methods, aimed at students' soft skills (negotiation, problem solving, team work etc), University of Bradford hopes to help Mzumbe deliver a graduate workforce which is capable, adaptable, and, most of all, employable in modern day African society. University of Bradford is hoping to learn from Mzumbe's experience of long work placements for students, and hopes to adapt some of these lessons into its curriculum in the long run. Modules take the form of jointly validated collaborative provision and will be delivered in Mzumbe, primarily by Mzumbe staff. Student will come out with an award (or credits in this case) which are valid in both institutions. This poster will outline this partnership, discuss problems it is facing, and best practice and lessons learned for other institutions.

Download the poster image (pdf)

HYBRID EDUCATIONAL METHOD

FUKUDA, Hiroshi, Director, Hosei University European Research Centre, London, UK

A hybrid educational method is being used by Hosei University European Research Centre (HERC), the Japanese university's overseas branch office in the UK. HERC uses a unique IT method to deliver education and seminars through remote education. With the support of the IT Centre of Hosei University in Tokyo, the director of HERC delivers a real time distant class every week, connecting also with Hosei European Research Centre in Zurich. HERC uses a remote system and streaming method online; a system that can be used by most education institutions. In order to bridge the gap between the distant learning in the UK and the direct class in Tokyo, the director has been making efficient use of the