International Academic Staff Research Articles

Conditions and Specifications in the International Competitions for Academic Employment

The academic labour market in Europe and worldwide is increasingly dynamic and competitive in terms of offering positions and requirements for candidates. The competitions are public and international. The paper’s goal is to outline the parameters of these trends. The requirements and conditions for international academic staff hiring are not a subject that is often discussed in Bulgaria, and the paper’s task is to fulfil this deficiency. This is achieved through а sample of international academic job offers published between 2021 – 2022 which is followed by empirical, comparable and content analysis of them. As a result, the actual characteristics of the international academic labour market are outlined based on 105 job offers from 91 universities in 6 continents. Examples of one scientific field (political science) are used in order to achieve a higher comparability of the results

Avionska karta ili Zoom sastanak? Mobilnost akademskog osoblja u “staroj” i “novoj normalnosti”

International mobility has become an integral part of academic staff activities at higher education institutions (HEIs). In the context of globalisation and internationalisation, it plays a key role in both individual academic career and HEI performance. However, research on the motivation of academic staff to engage in international mobility, especially short-term mobility, remains modest. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant changes in international academic mobility organisation, with virtual mobility becoming the new normal. Research on academic staff responses to this form of mobility is nascent, but no less relevant given the current spread of blended international mobility. Drawing from self-determination theory, this paper aims to identify what motivates academic staff to engage in short-term international academic mobility in the pre-pandemic (“old normality”) and pandemic (“new normality”) periods. The study builds on the findings of a longitudinal research during which 13 academic staff members from 12 different countries were interviewed twice: before and during the pandemic. Findings suggest that academic staff is primarily driven to engage in short-term international mobility by intrinsic motivation, namely the need for competence development during both physical (pre-pandemic) and virtual (pandemic) mobility, while the need for relatedness plays a more significant role in the international physical mobility. Organisational support is an equally important extrinsic motivator for both mobility types. This empirical study provides implications for the international academic mobility literature and HEI management on the enhancement of academic staff involvement in international academic staff mobility.

Linguistic domination or discrimination?

Abstract This article analyses some of the linguistic tensions derived from international academic mobility in English-medium instruction multilingual university contexts, focusing on local and international academic staff’s interests from a linguistic justice viewpoint. Firstly, we develop a normative argument to explore whether international academic mobility and increased use of English can become a source of linguistic domination for local staff, or if suggested countermeasures, such as requiring international scholars to learn the local language, might lead to linguistic discrimination against the latter group. Secondly, via a qualitative analysis of survey data, we ask local and international scholars at the University of Tartu about their views on the language policy regime at the university. Protective language policies that encourage locals to use Estonian more and require internationals to learn some Estonian could help enhance linguistic justice, according to local staff. However, international scholars may perceive such requests as discriminatory. Linguistic domination and discrimination play a key role in the clashing interests of stakeholders, creating tension. The study highlights the complexity of the dilemmas faced by many university officials today in their attempt to balance institutional goals with on-the-ground realities.

Prieštaringos nuostatos dėl estų kalbos Tartu universitete: vietos ir užsienio akademinių darbuotojų apklausos duomenų analizė

During the last decade, the universities in Estonia have internationalized their staff and student body to such an extent that the language environment in academia has undergone considerable changes. To react to the internationalization and Anglicisation of higher education and protect the use of Estonian in academia, the University of Tartu renewed its language policy in 2020 and commissioned a survey in 2021 to gain a better understanding of the implementation of the policy and its academic staff members’ attitudes towards the policy. This paper is based on the survey results. The survey was conducted by the authors in 2021 and 2022 and examines the attitudes of the local and international academic staff on acquiring Estonian and using it as the working language of the university. The results show a major difference in the attitudes of the local and international staff members. The local staff is in favour of language policies intended to advance the acquisition and use of Estonian in academia, whereas the international staff is generally interested only in acquiring introductory Estonian skills. Their motivation to continue learning Estonian is low since English is used as the common language of communication and work at the university. Based on the results, the authors present recommendations for designing inclusive institutional language policy and flexible forms of learning Estonian.

IMPROVING EMI THROUGH THE VISEGRAD CLIL-HET PROJECT

In line with the global education tendency, Higher Education Institutions in Albania are making attempts to successfully implement a competitive English Medium Instruction (EMI) University model. This chapter sheds light on a case study analysis of EPOKA University - an International University in Tirana using English language instruction for its disciplinary programs. Specifically, the chapter illuminates the contributory findings of the CLIL- HET project into the English didactic competence of the international and local non-native English-speaking academic staff of EPOKA University. This university comprises a ESP/EMI practice par excellence in Albania, however, no such theoretical training has ever been prioritized at the regional and EU level project consortium in this narrow didactic dimension. The project diagnosed the need to improve English teaching didactic for disciplinary lecturers specifically to place language goals on the same equal importance to the content goals. Moreover, the English teaching needs assessment and its standardization in compatibility with recent EMI/CLIL/ESP principles, is perceived as the most relevant educational approach to further boost the international teaching profile of this young institution aspiring top-quality international academic recognition. The inductive results on the necessity to equip disciplinary scholars with EMI/CLIL//ESP sufficient theoretical tools will be a first model to be followed in the higher educational arena in Albania.

How Internationalised Is Your Curriculum? University Graduate Students Speak Out

Internationalisation of the curriculum has created changes to the traditional curriculum but little attention in research has been paid to the student perspective on these changes, and how they experience them. This paper aims to fill the gap by reporting on the findings of graduate students’ perceptions of the internationalisation of the curriculum at Makerere University in Uganda. This study adopted a sequential explanatory survey study in which we collected both quantitative and qualitative data from a sample of 180 graduate students. The findings showed that the majority of the respondents agreed that their curricula had an international dimension. This was commonly seen by graduate students in terms of international academic staff, international students, travel abroad programmes for students, courses with an international focus, comparative studies and focus on ICTs. The participants voiced concerns about logistical constraints and the universality of knowledge. These findings reinforced the earlier research that proposed that the above aspects are critical in the IoC and can act as benchmarks to guide further work in the direction of the university’s internationalisation agenda. No earlier works had similar results, at least in the context of the Global South where this study was conducted. Further studies need to involve other actors in higher education to explore more fully the notion of IoC to explain better the basis of students’ perceptions and experiences of IoC reported in this study.

Intercultural Communication between Indonesian and international students at Universitas Padjadjaran

Extensive cultural exchanges between ethnicities in the global environment are inevitable, Indonesia included, especially in Educational Institutions. This study aims to evaluate the cross-cultural interaction between Indonesian and International students who enrolled in the same academic environment at Universitas Padjadjaran. It examines cultural distinctions between Indonesian and International students, lecturers, and academic staff. A qualitative approach with case-study methods on cross-cultural communication between Indonesian and International students at Universitas Padjadjaran is applied in this study. The data is collected through interviews with 26 participants, 13 international students of KNB Scholarship 2021, 10 Indonesian students studying at different faculties, and three academic staff at Universitas Padjadjaran. This paper discovered several cultural elements, which are languages, fashion, and cuisine variations, that lead to the development of the international students learning process. In the first year, international students struggle with the cultural gap during their studies. However, they dealt with communication issues through several methods and strategies for an international student to adjust to local culture from the culture shock they experienced at the beginning of their academic journey.

Perspectives of Healthy Eating Environment on Campus: A Qualitative Study in a Private University in Ankara, Turkey

Aim: Universities provide food service to not only students, but also to their employees from all levels. However, the limited literature persists in terms of evaluating the campus food environment by different kinds of stakeholders. Therefore, this study aims to understand and conceptualize the experiences and perceptions of students and university staff towards campus food environment.
 Subjects and Methods: We conducted six focus groups among sixty-four people that belong to a private university in Ankara with the following roles; (i) Turkish and international students, (ii) Academic staff, (iii) Administrative staff, and (iv) Support staff. Thematic analyses were conducted by NVivo software and triangulation is done by evaluating a monthly lunch menu of the cafeteria with Nutrient Rich Food Index 9.3 (NRF 9.3) nutrient profiling model.
 Results: Qualitative analyses revealed that participants were aware of the nutritional importance of food services and consequences of consuming meals, foods, and beverages with low nutritional value. Nutritional value of the food was among the most important drivers of food selection and participants demanded menus to be planned by a dietitian. The seven overarching themes that were determined within the qualitative analysis were; (i) administrative process, (ii) nutritional value, (iii) variety, (iv) taste-flavor, (v) hygiene and food safety, (vi) intercultural inclusiveness, and (vii) price. NRF 9.3 scores of the campus lunch menu alternatives were low (Ranged from 0.09 to 3.19) in a way that triangulated the qualitative findings.
 Conclusion: This study shows that nutritional value and variety of the food and beverage services is a main driving factor for food selection and participants’ experiences even more than price and taste of the food. The results highlight the importance of serving healthy menus to all the stakeholders of a university, which could best be achieved by employing dietitians.

Transformational, inclusive, and multicultural or empty rhetoric? Perceptions and experiences of international academic staff

ABSTRACT Using a bi-dimensional, fourfold model as a thinking tool to contemplate acculturation strategies we analyse the intercultural experience of international academic staff (IAS) in the United Kingdom higher education. The literature suggests that IAS feel undervalued as a professional group and that institutions do not capitalise on their diverse contributions. We position IAS within the strategic sphere of ethnocultural groups and the institution within the larger society. In a single case study, we analyse IAS acculturation strategies and their perceptions of how their institution accepts diversity. Findings show that IAS are willing to integrate, but do not aim to remove all traces of their own culture and values, adopting integration strategies. Their perceptions are that the larger society does not seek to segregate IAS; however, it does not provide the conditions for IAS to flourish in professional practice, especially at the early stage of transition.

Academic mobility and the experiences of foreign staff at South African higher education institutions

This article analyses the patterns of international academic mobility in higher education with particular focus on academic staff. Using the ‘pull and push factors’ as a conceptual framework, it argues that the patterns of international academic staff mobility follow the pattern of international cross-border migrants. These are driven mainly by the pull factors which include quest for better opportunities in life including education. The article uses three sources of data namely documentary analysis, statistical data from the Department of Education’s Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS), and data from questionnaires that were distributed to international academic staff at the three South African universities; namely, the University of Pretoria, University of South Africa, and University of the Witwatersrand. For the international academic staff working in South Africa, it was demonstrated that they have both positive and negative experiences. The negative experiences seem to be related to the major nation building project to overcome racism and xenophobia. The principles of non-racialism and, non-discrimination need to be promoted in order to build an inclusive and socially coherent society.

ANALISIS EFISIENSI PENGGUNAAN DANA MASYARAKAT UNTUK KEGIATAN DHARMA PENDIDIKAN DI INSTITUT PERTANIAN BOGOR

This study focuses on measuring efficiency of all departements in Bogor Agricultural Institute using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) on the first stage and second stage is to determine the factors that influence the efficiency . DEA methodology is to evaluate the efficiency by comparing the all departement and using financial as an inputs and non-financial factors as an outputs. Second stage analysis using tobit regression because dependent factors are cencored between 0 to1 and independent factors uncencored. The results of first stage demonstrate that 54,29 % of departements in Bogor Agricultural University is efficiently operated in terms of academic factors during the period from 2012 to 2014, while 45,71 % is inefficient. And for the second stage the result are international accreditation and non academic staff are the factors can influence the efficiency of departements.

International academic staff in UK higher education: campus internationalisation and innovation in academic practice

Amidst opportunities for universities to consider international academic staff in supporting internationalisation and innovation in academic practice, there is very little research to provide insights into their attitudes towards institutional approaches and frameworks in place to enable this. This article focuses on this research gap, suggesting that this academic community might enhance the development of internationally-informed and innovative pedagogic practice. The research reported within the article constitutes a preliminary study, set within a UK higher education case study setting. Methods included focus groups and themed in-depth interviews with a sample of 34 international academic staff from over 15 countries. The findings and discussion provide insights into the perspectives and experiences of international academic staff in relation to the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning and other institutional practice. Innovative pedagogic practice as enabled by international academic staff is discussed, as are approaches to the internationalisation of the curricula. The findings are relevant to the UK higher education context but also to the global context: academic institutions need to consider whether curriculum and processes are limited and limiting in favour of a narrow cultural lens.

Academic Staff Mobility in the Age of Trump and Brexit?

In times of increasing populism, nationalist tendencies, and strong public anti-immigration discourses, traditional patterns of international academic staff mobility come under question. Could this provide new opportunities for previously more disadvantaged, peripheral systems of higher education?

Academic Staff Mobility in the Age of Trump and Brexit?

In times of increasing populism, nationalist tendencies, and strong public anti-immigration discourses, traditional patterns of international academic staff mobility come under question. Could this provide new opportunities for previously more disadvantaged, peripheral systems of higher education?

TETFund International Programmes and Academic Staff Development of Selected Universities in South East Nigeria

<p><em>It is commonplace to see academic staff (teaching staff) in Nigerian Universities stagnated for a long period of time that is without promotions, due to lack of funds for further academic development and publications. The popular syndrome of “publish or perish” has, over the time, had its toll on academic staff of Nigerian Universities. As succour, the Federal Government of Nigeria set up Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in 2011 as an intervening agency, to, among other objectives, fund academic staff trainings in tertiary institutions within and outside the country. It has, however, been worrisome that many Universities have not been accessing funds allocated to them due to their inability to fulfil the conditions attached and thereby depriving academic staff of the opportunity of accessing Government funds for academic advancement. This work titled “TETFund International Programmes and Academic Staff Development in South East Nigeria” an attempt to determine the extent to which Universities in the South Eastern part of Nigeria have been able to access and utilize funds allocated to them by this agency with respect to training of academic staff overseas. Two universities were selected for this work viz; University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. Published works of TETFund as well as literature on related terms were reviewed. The survey research was adopted as research design. Primary data were collected with the aid of questionnaire and analysed with correlation coefficient. It was found that there is positive significant relationship between TETFund’s international training programmes and academic staff advancement/development in the Universities in South East of Nigeria. It further revealed that funds allocated to these Universities overtime were under accessed due to their inability to meet conditions. It was recommended that the Universities should expedite action to meeting the conditions for assessment by getting better acquainted with the modalities/conditions for assessment. It is recommended that the Universities should avoid partiality in nominating staff for trainings, conferences and workshops. As well, it was recommended that TETFund should give opportunity to institutions that missed their funds to access them in the next year.</em><em></em></p>

Consolidating the Literature on Mutual Adjustment in the Learning and Teaching of International Students and Academic Staff

Consolidating the Literature on Mutual Adjustment in the Learning and Teaching of International Students and Academic Staff

Culture Changes and Personality Types Relationship among UTM International Academic Staff

This study is conducted to identify the relationship between the level of culture change as independent variable and type of personality among the international lecturers at UTM Skudai as the dependent variable. A survey using questionnaire was carried out on 85 international lecturers at UTM Skudai. This questionnaire was adapted from Joshua (2009) and Kristin and Sarah (2010). Two dimensions measured in level of culture change consist of 1.lecture process and 2.social interaction. Meanwhile the personality type measured which is introvert and extrovert. The descriptive statistical analysis of mean range was used to identify the level of culture change and personality type among the international lectures at UTM Skudai. Furthermore, correlation test using the Spearman (R) was used to identify the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Meanwhile, the finding also show that the level of culture changed was high (3.97) and 63.5 percent of respondents had extrovert type of personality. There was also have a significant correlation between the level of culture change and type of personality among the international lectures at UTM Skudai (0.726**). Data was analyzed using (SPSS) version 16.0. Researcher proposed that the organization of UTM Skudai have to conduct a social event for giving an opportunity between the international lectures and local lecturers to know and communicate for each other. Future research also suggested by researcher which is a research about the level of acceptance among local lecturers to the international lecturers.

The globalisation of higher education and the sojourner academic: Insights into challenges experienced by newly appointed international academic staff in a UK university

The increasingly diverse nature of the higher education academic community in the United Kingdom is under-researched and under-theorised. This article presents an exploratory study of the lived experiences of newly appointed international academic staff as expressed in their written reflections on their professional practice and interpreted by the author using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Challenges identified as resulting from individuals’ enculturation in a different system of education from that in which they are currently operating may form the basis of a larger scale study.

Cultural diversity and the imagined community of the global academy

Transnational academic mobility and the ongoing push towards “internationalization” together raise challenges for the cultural climate of today's universities. This paper explores these issues from the perspective of supervisors of research degrees in an Australian university in which “internationalization” and “academic mobility” apply to supervisors as much as to students. The concepts of the imagined community and cosmopolitanism are employed to interpret a series of one-on-one and group interviews conducted with international academic staff, conversations which reported surprisingly untroubled negotiation of cultural difference. Using the insights provided by the concepts of “imagined community” and “cosmopolitanism”, we investigate the mechanisms mobilized by these supervisors in apparently backgrounding cultural diversity in the workplace, and consider the implications of the academic subjectivities they perform.

The Experience of an International University Teacher in Australia

Accounting and Business schools in Australia have a considerable number of international academic staff and the teaching effectiveness of such staff is an increasingly salient issue. Many internati...