Fostering IT-majored Global Human Resources: A Faculty’s Approach

Abstract

This Work-in-Progress in the Research to Practice Category paper will present our faculty-led challenges in preparing IT-majored students for the global environment. The global IT human resource development in Japan in recent years is always being challenged specially with the Japanese younger generation’s ‘inward tendency’ despite the ever-growing demand for such resources equipped with comprehensive skills. The Japanese government took initiative to encourage higher education institutes to put efforts on fostering human resources who can succeed in the current global community. We, College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, were focusing on globalisation in IT field from an early stage and trying to establish a path for students to be prepared for a global environment. In 2012, we were selected for the Japanese government funding project. Through the five-year project, we built a foundation for faculty-led global IT human resource development environment. In addition, we have been organising faculty-led study abroad programs for many years. Questionnaire surveys were carried out in 2018 and 2019 for evaluation of outcomes of study abroad programs. The survey results enable us to conclude that our study abroad programs increase students’ motivation in studying English and academic subjects. This paper shares our faculty’s approach and contributes to all the other universities which have the same challenge in preparing information science and engineering students for the global environment.