International Exchange Programs Research Articles

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AS A MECHANISM OF CREATIVE ECONOMY AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

In a period of crisis – namely, a pandemic and martial law – the economy is transforming into a system where the main driving forces are the exchange of knowledge, its mutual evaluation, where creativity and creative industries play a significant role, which ultimately form the creative economy, which economist and sociologist Richard Florida called "the new economic era of the 21st century". The purpose of the scientific work is to analyze the tools of Ukrainian creative industries that contribute to the production of a new cultural product or service, have a semantic load, are a resource for strategic communications and increase the potential of the creative economy in martial law (on the examples of successful Ukrainian cases of creative industries in the crisis period). The methodology of the study is based on a combination of systemic and value-based approaches, as well as discourse analysis, which together contribute to the disclosure of structural relationships in the ecosystem of the creative economy (in particular, social capital, entrepreneurial culture, state and international support, innovation potential, reputational capital of Ukraine in the world), their correlations with the peculiarities of national political and economic development and global trends, in particular in times of crisis, such as pandemic and wartime. The scientific work traces the genesis of the formation of a conceptual understanding of the creative economy and creative industries in the Ukrainian dimension, which contains legislative (Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 265-r "On Approval of Economic Activities Related to Creative Industries", the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine and Other Laws of Ukraine on State Support of Culture, Small Business and Creative Industries in Connection with the Implementation of Measures Aimed at Preventing the Occurrence and Spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)", etc.), terminology (the meaning of the concepts of "creative product", "creative industries", "project", "institutional support grant", etc. was clarified), social and institutional (creation of the Public Union "Center for the Development of the Creative Economy", the National Bureau of the EU program "Creative Europe" in Ukraine, the Startup Fund, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation (UCF), etc. Special attention in the scientific work is paid to the anonymous online survey of the UCF together with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine of creative entrepreneurs and creative professionals, which was conducted among UCF 2020-2022 applicants on the state of culture and creative industries during the war (June 2022) in order to form a recovery and strengthening plan, which identified the following needs: transparent competition for managerial positions, restructuring of the management vertical of the industry, international educational trainings and exchange programs for artists and managers of the creative sector; co-production and cooperation in international projects; emphasis on cultural factors in the state international policy; strategy of state support, minimization of document circulation. The analysis of successful Ukrainian cases of creative industries allowed to outline the tools for the development of the creative economy in the crisis period: monetization of hobbies, innovative entrepreneurship, business clustering (in particular, the idea of a cluster of creative industries), brand collaboration, craft production, creation of cultural products such as books, grant/fund support and others, on the terms of donation to support the humanitarian and military needs of Ukrainian society. And the recently created podcast "Frontline of Creative Industries" about the success stories of representatives of this industry, who with their projects resist Russian aggression and support the economy and the institution of national identification of Ukraine, opens up prospects for further analysis of such tools as crowdfunding, revitalization, development of creative clusters of Ukrainian business.

Adapting the layered learning model to a virtual international exchange program

IntroductionThe layered learning model (LLM) is a well-established teaching approach designed for attending preceptors to train post-graduate learners and to precept students. The adaptation of a LLM to a virtual exchange program has not been previously described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the longitudinal virtual international exchange program in applying principles of the LLM to multiple levels of learners and instructors at West Virginia University (WVU) School of Pharmacy and Kitasato University (KU) School of Pharmacy. MethodsThe online survey piloted the impact of applying the LLM to virtual international exchange sessions on improving participant knowledge in pharmacy practice, pharmacy education, cultural practices, and cultural awareness. The survey questions assessed the program's structure and effectiveness in achieving learning outcomes related to pharmacy residency topics and cultural competency using a five-point Likert scale. ResultsMedian scores of the effectiveness of the virtual international exchange program structure were high (≥ 4.0). Two questions evaluating the use of the LLM had median scores of 4.0. All nine residency-related questions were rated ≥3.0. The median scores for three questions evaluating small group discussions and the use of the LLM were rated significantly higher by WVU participants than KU participants. There were no significant differences in program structure and learning outcome ratings between participant groups (student vs. resident/fellow vs. preceptor/faculty). ConclusionsApplication of the LLM to the virtual international exchange program was positively received by participants, particularly by United States participants.

Experiencing culture of everyday life by international exchange students. Perspective of arts-based research


 
 
 The text is an attempt to introduce and initiate a research project which focuses on experiencing the culture of daily living by international exchange students. The authors present major theoretical reflections on the issues of experience and culture of everyday life; they also characterize the community of student– participants of international exchange programs. (Re)cognition and understanding of experience is a methodological challenge, especially in regard to dialogue-oriented intercultural education. The authors decided to explore the issue, using arts-based research. In this model, the role of researchers-facilitators is to introduce the respondents into the research process by inviting them to participate in joint activities focusing on cognitive, artistic, social, and educational objectives. Such participation and cooperation are supposed to result in generating critical knowledge necessary to improve the respondents’ daily life. In the last part of the text, the authors conduct an initial analysis of the selected international exchange programs. The goal of the characteristics of ERASMUS, ISEP, AIESEC, CEEPUS programs is to outline the official objectives and priorities assigned to formal education. In this perspective, when planning their original research, the authors asked the following question: How are these priorities present, as complementary to non-formal education, in experiencing the culture of everyday life by exchange students?
 
 

A Trajectory towards a Culture of Quality: A Phenomenological Study of an Open Distance Learning University in South Africa and in China

Over the past few years we have witnessed immense advancements of technology which challenge conventional teaching methodologies. Through an international staff exchange program that was attended over a period of two weeks, this paper compares two distance education universities from two culturally diverse continents; Africa and Asia, more specifically, a distance university in China and an open distance and e-Learning university in South Africa. This paper focuses on supporting students through quality assurance by reflecting on both distance-learning institutions and generated data by means of field notes and observations that took place during presentations. It is argued that effective and quality teaching and learning cannot occur without tightened quality control measures in a course. Arguably, if teaching and learning is quality controlled, success and throughput rates would improve. The findings in this paper indicate that an enabling environment that caters for quality assurance activities to be implemented on a continuous basis needs to be effected. Distance learning institutions need to move towards a culture of quality and by doing this they need to tailor their student support not just to produce graduates at end of a cohort but to produce quality graduates needed for the ever-evolving and rapidly transforming information and communication technologies. This paper concludes with recommendations for distance education institutions to move towards a trajectory of a culture of quality. It is argued that an environment that is conducive for quality assurance activities is needed for an effective culture of quality to ensue.

Spreading the Culture of Economic Growth: Productivity Missions and the Americanization of the German Economy

This article examines how the Marshall Plan stimulated a culture of economic growth in postwar Germany, specifically through an international exchange programme known as ‘productivity missions’. From 1948 until the late 1950s these missions facilitated thousands of encounters between American and European managers, workers and experts in order to spread American industrial and managerial practices and, as a consequence, to boost postwar economic recovery in the capitalist world. Run by the Economic Cooperation Administration and the Organization for European Economic Co-operation, the productivity campaign enjoyed the support of both national governments as well as business associations and trade unions. While there is ample historiography on the political intentions and the economic consequences of the Marshall Plan, we know less about the productivity missions as vehicles of cultural transformation. Based on first-hand reports and archival evidence from both sides of the Atlantic, this article explores the cultural dimensions of the productivity campaign. It argues that the missions were an important catalyst for the dominant role of productivity and economic growth in postwar German society.

Early Career Support for Biomedical Exchange Students with an International Mentor-to-Mentor Concept - The Biomedical Education Program (BMEP).

In medicine, many international exchange opportunities exist, yet often only towards the end of the course of study. Opportunities for students to gain high-level international research experience early during the studies are rare. A good student-mentor relationship during a research stay abroad is a key factor for scientific success. The aims of this paper are to report on an international exchange and education program that has funded more than 700 students and has been carefully developed and advanced over more than 40 years, its mentor-to-mentor concept and potential success factors for building and maintain such programs. A summary of the history, the concept and the experiences of students is provided, along with a discussion of evaluation results and success factors. The Biomedical Education Program (BMEP) team has - within the last seven years of leadership by the authors - selected and funded 83 German students from different biomedical studies who went abroad for research projects. Preliminary evaluation results show a high degree of satisfaction with the program and its mentor-to-mentor concept, which we deem to be the key to success. Further factors include continued funding, determination, self-organization and assertiveness, an excellent alumni network and a meticulous selection process for both, students and hosts. Further, more detailed evaluation of survey results has to follow. Our results may support the build-up of similar exchange programs.

Chinese Preservice Teachers' Perspectives of Mentoring Relationships in an International Learning Partnership.

Mentoring is an essential fixture of teacher education. With growing opportunities for international learning exchanges, there is a need to better understand how cross-cultural mentoring can be characterized by reciprocal learning. This study investigated mentee perceptions of the mentoring relationship in an international, cross-cultural teacher education exchange. We conducted research among 19 Chinese preservice teachers who participated in an international teacher education exchange program, exploring their perspectives on the cross-cultural mentoring relationship and mutual learning. Our findings suggest that learning outcomes are improved in a mentoring relationship when there are strong relational ties, opportunities for reciprocal learning, and a greater awareness of cultural complexity. We contend that there is value in supporting the mentoring relationship directly, which has implications for both international exchanges and teacher education programs.

Virtual Adaptation of an International Exchange Program in Medical Education.

Medical education has drastically transformed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures such as adopting telemedicine visits, minimizing the number of trainees on service, discontinuing external rotations, and converting in-person to online didactics have been broadly and swiftly implemented. While these innovations have promoted greater interconnectivity amongst institutions and made continuing medical education possible, international exchange programs in medical education are still largely disrupted. In response to the changing guidelines and restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors used Kern’s six-step approach to design and implement a virtual curriculum to replace the in-person activities of the 2020–2021 Neurology Peru-Rochester exchange program (NeuroPro). Twenty-seven trainees participated in this virtual adaptation. The average daily attendance was ≥85% and the program was rated 9/10 on average in a feedback survey (63% response rate). The median percentage of correct answers during the pre-test was 64% and it increased to 79% during the post-test (P = 0.003). Virtual adaptation of international exchange programs in medical education is feasible to safely continue international collaborative efforts to promote symbiotic building of local expertise and cross-cultural exchange during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

The Impact of the English Language on Italian Lexis A study on students from the University of Catania in international exchanges

This research paper aims to explore how learning English in multilingual contexts motivates and influences the use of English terms in Italian lexis by Italian university students. The topic of this study is valuable because it focuses in detail on the impact of English as a second language during the international exchange programmes. University students’ international exchange has developed a lot in the last decades, having a positive influence on their personal growth and linguistic skills, especially from the English language proficiency point of view. The impact of English learning on the mother tongue lexis has been analyzed. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire. The results were received directly through Google Module and consequently analyzed. The sample group was made up of the students of the departments of Political and Social Sciences, Educational Sciences and Humanities and Languages of the University of Catania. Furthermore, learning of the second language has been inspected questioning how the exposition to multilingual contexts can determine an impoverishment of the respondents’ Italian vocabulary or otherwise an enrichment process towards a lingua franca that would help a better communication with young people of other countries. The hypothesis that the English language is a lingua franca and it has enriched the mother tongue lexis was widely confirmed and we can sum up, through the survey results, that the sample of students is well aware of the influence that the English language has on their communication in native language.

Impact of COVID-19 on international medical education and the future plans of medical students in Japan.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the current study methods and future plans of medical students compared to those in the pre-pandemic period. Methods: Second-grade medical students reported their academic experiences, study methods, and future career plans before (between 2016 and 2019) and during the pandemic (2020) using a questionnaire-based survey at Hokkaido University, Japan (n = 534). Results: From 2016 to 2019, we found an increasing trend for participation in short-term international exchange programs, taking the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), clinical training, and undertaking research abroad among the students. However, these percentages significantly declined (to 35.5%) during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 for all the assessed future plans, including short-term exchange programs (-27.9%), taking USMLE (-19.8%), clinical training (-24.5%), and undertaking research abroad (-13.2%) compared to 2019, wherein 67.9% of the students wished to have at least one of these four above-mentioned academic activities. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely and significantly influenced our medical students' plans to go abroad for clinical and research training. Future studies are warranted to assess the long-term influence of this pandemic on the career planning of medical students.

Impact of COVID-19 on international medical education and the future plans of medical students in Japan

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the current study methods and future plans of medical students compared to those in the pre-pandemic period. Methods: Second-grade medical students reported their academic experiences, study methods, and future career plans before (between 2016 and 2019) and during the pandemic (2020) using a questionnaire-based survey at Hokkaido University, Japan (n = 534). Results: From 2016 to 2019, we found an increasing trend for participation in short-term international exchange programs, taking the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), clinical training, and undertaking research abroad among the students. However, these percentages significantly declined (to 35.5%) during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 for all the assessed future plans, including short-term exchange programs (-27.9%), taking USMLE (-19.8%), clinical training (-24.5%), and undertaking research abroad (-13.2%) compared to 2019, wherein 67.9% of the students wished to have at least one of these four above-mentioned academic activities. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely and significantly influenced our medical students’ plans to go abroad for clinical and research training. Future studies are warranted to assess the long-term influence of this pandemic on the career planning of medical students.

Curartistry: Curating Everyday Artistry in Bangkok

How can architecture be taught internationally, beyond the neocolonialist tendency of European-based international exchange programs? Curartistry, a method of curating everyday artistry in Bangkok, is used to achieve bilateral exchanges in art and architectural education between teachers and students of different nationalities. We offer interpretations of late-nineteenth-century and post-war ideas of “everyday life,” based especially on Charles Baudelaire’s “The Painter of Modern Life,” Henry Lefebvre’s “Critique of Everyday Life,” Maurice Blanchot and Susan Hanson’s “Everyday Speech,” and Walter Benjamin’s “On Some Motifs in Baudelaire.” Their ideas grew out of their experiences in Western European metropolises, and continue to reflect similar conditions in twenty-first-century Bangkok. In addition to these literary works, Henry W. Lawrence’s City Trees: A Historical Geography from the Renaissance through the Nineteenth Century has been useful in the development of our workshop entitled, “Curartistry: Trees in Bangkok.” 
 Curartistry is a practice in which particular elements of a city are researched and recorded in drawing and photography. We invite students to visit overlooked sites, landscapes, and trees in Bangkok, and then to write and rewrite until a particular object or installation emerges from redrafting their experiences. These records lead to the proposal of projects, whether artistically, architecturally or otherwise crafted. Once a proposal takes on the form of a project, its existence as a project, rather than as a finished artwork or artefact, is what lends the project criteria for judging it. Outcomes from these projects typically take the form of an elementary installation or exhibition, presented by individual students to guest critics. 
 In this article, we discuss the processes of work, and how everyday artistry in Bangkok is curated in relation to the selected ideas of “everyday life” that transcend time and place, as well as the construction of our method of work. Curartistry is a key way in which we are addressing fundamental issues of city life such as social inequality, nature, ecological crises, labour, and materiality. The final outcomes often address a number of issues, such as the intense relationship between nature and city, dramatic effects in light and colour, transplantation, or tree names in relation to Thai beliefs in fortune. It is hoped that this attempt to systematically document the subjective experiences of urban life will be read as a contribution to global architectural education.

WRITING SKILLS: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Ability to communicate in writing in a foreign language is required for any educated professional in our modern globalized world. It allows people to get a prestigious job, to participate in international projects and exchange programmes, to get education, etc. For that foreign language proficiency level should be higher than the Intermediate one (B2+), including writing skills. It is this level that allows people to live, study or work independently in a country where and when this particular foreign language is used for communication However, the results of examinations aimed at assessing the writing proficiency of Ukrainian school and university students demonstrate that their writing skills are not developed enough and leave much to be desired. Both teachers and learners consider writing to be the most difficult skill of the four main basic skills as it requires control over a number of variables simultaneously, over the content and the form, i.e., to know what to write about and how to write about it. The present article focuses on the specific features of writing which make it challenging, makes an attempt to analyze the writing challenges Ukrainian students face and to present some recommendations about what may be done by teachers of foreign languages to improve the situation.

Perceptions of Teachers in Indonesia About Having an Exchange Program with Teachers in China

Teaching is an important profession in a society because it is closely related to the development of a nation’s civilization. Teachers must employ professionalism in their work to prepare the young generation of the nation to be better prepared to face the future. Improving the quality and professionalism of teachers should always be a major concern of the government. One potential program to improve the quality and professionalism of teachers is through an overseas teacher exchange program. This paper discusses the prospect of a teacher exchange cooperation program between the Indonesian Government and the Chinese Government, based on the perspectives of Indonesian teachers. An internet-based survey was carried out to find out whether and why Indonesian teachers are interested in participating in this collaboration program. An interesting finding from this study was that factors related to the teachers’ interest in the program included the school’s background: teachers who came from religious-based schools tended to not accept the teacher exchange program, and have opinions that educational cooperation with the Chinese Government is not necessary.
 Keywords: China education system, international exchange program, teacher perception

Experiential factors affecting the empathy of students in their pre‐clinical year(s) of 21 universities

Hands‐on cadaveric dissection is often considered an important factor in shaping the emotional identity of medical and dental students as healthcare providers. This study explores how demographic and/or experiential factors affect the empathy of students in their pre‐clinical year(s) of medical or dental school. In the Summer of 2021 and Fall of 2021, a total of 530 students from 21 universities around the world participating in the International Collaboration and Exchange (ICE) Program, completed a validated questionnaire containing the Santa Clara Brief Compassion (SCBC) Scale and the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ). Responses to the SCBC and TEQ were tested for variance and covariance against age group, sex, clinical experience, year of health professional school, format of anatomy education, hours of study on prosections and/or hours of hands‐on cadaveric dissection in their respective curricula; and whether their school provides an opportunity for reflection, information about the body donors, a memorial service, and/or addresses empathy in their curricula. Results show that having 40‐90 hours of hands‐on cadaveric dissection vs 0 hours yielded higher SCBC averages (p = 0.0206) and TEQ scores (p = 0.0031); and having 20‐40 hours of hands‐on cadaveric dissection vs 0 hours also resulted in higher TEQ scores (p = 0.0105). Comparisons of hours of study on prosections, format of anatomy education, clinical experience, and year of health professional school yielded no significant results in relation to empathy scores. Our study found that across different regions of the world, curricula emphasizing dissection are best at preparing students to become more empathetic healthcare providers. While none of the other curricular factors proved significant, this study confirms the merit of hands‐on cadaveric dissection in the emotional development of medical and dental students.

Академическая мобильность как инструмент международного коммуникативного взаимодействия вузов

The present research featured the effect of academic mobility on international communicative interaction. The objective was to identify the role of international academic mobility in the PR activities of universities. The study relied on the method of content analysis of domestic and foreign scientific publications. The authors used the method of problem interviews to develop an online questionnaire for students involved in international student exchange programs. The authors described the term of PR-technology, as well as the most popular PR activities and types of international academic mobility in higher education institutions. Academic mobility proved to be one of the most effective PR-technologies of higher education institutions. The article introduces a classification of international academic mobility as a process that provides international communicative interaction. International academic mobility proved to have a significant impact on the image of universities and their students in the international arena, as well as on the status of the country in geopolitical, economic, and civil areas.

Erasmus+ Program and Nursing Students' Sense of Coherence, Well-Being, and School Success.

Background: An international exchange program is an increasing phenomenon across Europe. Any opportunity for students to work or study abroad whilst undertaking their degree program could have a positive impact on their well-being, professional development, and general competences. Methods: The study was conducted on a cohort of 99 nursing students from the School of Nursing, who were followed before and after a one-month Erasmus+ mobility period. Quantitative data were collected using a sense of coherence, subjective well-being, and sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire. Qualitative data were collected using open-ended questions and interviewing the focus group. Results: Student mobility did not significantly alter their sense of coherence or subjective well-being. A significant positive correlation before and after mobility occurred between the sense of coherence, subjective well-being, and school success. According to the qualitative analysis, the students’ experiences were overall positive and stimulating, with many of them noticing better working conditions abroad. Conclusion: Although the international mobility of nursing students does not affect their sense of coherence and subjective well-being, it does contribute to changes in certain attitudes related to the profession and living conditions abroad. These findings may prove helpful in planning future mobilities during more favorable periods when school obligations are fewer.

Skill Development of Undergraduate Students through International Exchange Program

The international exchange program plays an important role in improving soft skills and helps graduates’ to be confident to compete in job market. Student can achieve a vast academic knowledge apart from extra-curricular and co-curricular skills through attending exchange program. Therefore, this paper aims at studying the development of students acquired soft skills and the barriers they face to achieve the goal through the exchange program. The data obtained from 87 students who participated in exchange program in different countries of Asia. Besides descriptive statistics, factor analysis was performed to identify the achieved soft skills through exchange program. This study reveals that, a large number of students were attending in exchange program at their own cost and most of the students were from the year 3. Indubitably, Exchange program helps to improve students’ soft skill such as; communication skill, team building ability, adaptability with situation. Moreover, lectures delivered to the students were found interesting. Results of the study are expected to motivate students attending in international exchange program and will offer a right direction to the students to get an expected outcome
 
 Received: 22 June 2021 / Accepted: 13 January 2022 / Published: 5 March 2022

Impact of COVID-19 on international medical education and the future plans of medical students in Japan

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the current study methods and future plans of medical students compared to those in the pre-pandemic period. Methods: Second-grade medical students reported their academic experiences, study methods, and future career plans before (between 2016 and 2019) and during the pandemic (2020) using a questionnaire-based survey at Hokkaido University, Japan (n = 534). Results: From 2016 to 2019, we found an increasing trend for participation in short-term international exchange programs, taking the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), clinical training, and undertaking research abroad among the students. However, these percentages significantly declined (to 35.5%) during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 for all the assessed future plans, including short-term exchange programs (-27.9%), taking USMLE (-19.8%), clinical training (-24.5%), and undertaking research abroad (-13.2%) compared to 2019, wherein 67.9% of the students wished to have at least one of these four above-mentioned academic activities. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely and significantly influenced our medical students’ plans to go abroad for clinical and research training. Future studies are warranted to assess the long-term influence of this pandemic on the career planning of medical students.

Türkiye Üniversitelerinde Uygulanan Uluslararası Değişim Programlarının İncelenmesi

In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the purpose, structure, function and studies of international exchange programs currently being implemented in universities in Turkey. Universities in Turkey seem to play an active role in almost all the capillaries of life in the fields of academia, politics, literature, culture, art, management, informatics, technology and economy. Erasmus Exchange Program, Mevlana Exchange Program and Farabi Exchange Program, which are among the international exchange programs, witness the mutual educational circulation of thousands of university students every year. Great importance is attached to international exchange programs, the importance of which is increasing day by day, starting from the highest authority of education administration. Key Words: University, International Exchange Program European Higher Education Area