Designing effective global competence development opportunities

Abstract

While business schools are recognising the need to graduate globally competent students, and are laying claim to doing so, questions are raised as to the effectiveness of their efforts as well as their ability to show evidence of having done so (Hunter et al., 2006). Many will point to the percentage of students who take advantage of study abroad and second language opportunities as evidence, but arguments are made that this is not enough (Hunter, 2004). The missing piece is self-reflection. Based on the premise that students need both conceptual and practical support in understanding themselves within the context of otherness in order to gain the most from an international experience, this paper presents a model for international education programmes that includes pre-departure preparation, on-site structures for interaction, and post-experience debriefing, all focused on learning about self and other.