International Internships Research Articles

Апробація і впровадження рефлексивно-інноваційного тренінгу, коучингу «Сучасні психотехнології формування компетентностей конкурентоздатності особистості в умовах інноваційної діяльності» у рамках міжнародного стажування та академічної мобільності: українсько-узбецький досвід (у форматі фотовернісажу)

Апробація і впровадження рефлексивно-інноваційного тренінгу, коучингу «Сучасні психотехнології формування компетентностей конкурентоздатності особистості в умовах інноваційної діяльності» у рамках міжнародного стажування та академічної мобільності: українсько-узбецький досвід (у форматі фотовернісажу)

The Role of International Internships in the Vocational Education of Technical Secondary School Students

Abstract Subject and purpose of work: This study focuses on vocational education. It explores the role of international internships in the vocational education of the students of technical secondary schools. Materials and Methods: This study is based on a survey conducted on a sample of 77 students participating in international internships. The survey covered all students of the Technical and Vocational Schools Complex in Suwałki attending vocational internships in Italy. Results: The analysis validated the hypothesis that international internships improve the practical skills of secondary school students and contribute to the development of practical skills and social competences in the international context. Conclusions: The surveyed students declared they were satisfied with their vocational internships and were happy to attend them. They believed that the experience gained in an international environment would definitely have a positive impact on their future career. During the internship, they improved not only the skills specific to their field of expertise, but also their personal and social competences, as well as foreign language skills, specifically in terms of technical vocabulary.

SCIENTIFIC INTERNSHIPS AS A FORM OF IMPROVING THE PROFESSIONAL SKILL OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND PEDAGOGICAL EMPLOYEE OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (on the example of Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University)

The article outlines the importance of scientific internships for a scientific and pedagogical employee of a higher education institution. The purpose and main tasks of the Department of International Relations of Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University are described. It was analyzed that scientific internships took place in full-time, mixed and remote forms. It was emphasized that the scientific internships of teachers should be carried out as often as possible, since highly qualified scientific and pedagogical employees are a guarantee of the university’s success and its reputation in the Ukrainian and world arenas. The results of internships are developed scientific projects, defended scientific papers, published scientific articles. International internship is the most important form of improving the professional competence of teachers and provides an opportunity to exchange experience with many countries of the world.
 Keywords: scientific internships; professional skills; professional development; project; scientific and pedagogical employees; university; cooperation; competences.

A European student perspective of international internship value

ABSTRACT Despite the European Union’s current interest in promoting global skill development for hospitality and tourism professionals, international internships for European students remains an under-investigated topic. This study applied the concept of “value” from marketing literature to understand hospitality and tourism students’ satisfaction and loyalty intention of international internship programs at two European universities. Value was conceptualized as a trade-off between what students “give” and “get” from their programs. Perceived value was proposed to positively affect students’ satisfaction and loyalty intention. The proposed model was estimated using Partial Least Square (PLS) path modeling. The findings suggested that European students’ value perception was crucial in forming satisfaction and loyalty intentions. Although students’ value perception was significantly affected by both their “get” and “give” assessments, benefits exerted more weight on overall value evaluation than sacrifices. The study results provided meaningful practical and theoretical implications for hospitality internship research.

International internships and skill development: A systematic review

AbstractAn increasing number of students complete an internship during their higher education studies in a country different from that of their home institution. A main advantage of this type of mobility is that it responds to employers' need for graduates with both hands‐on experience and global skills. In this paper, we attempt to review existing research on the types of skills higher education students gain through their participation in international internships. While there are several systematic reviews on study abroad programmes, this is, to the best of our knowledge, the first focusing on internship programmes abroad. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) approaches were used to explore four electronic databases (Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and Resources Information Center). From these, 31 relevant studies were identified, and data were examined using a combination of thematic and content analysis. Intrapersonal skills (e.g., open mindedness, self‐confidence) are found to be the most frequently cited skills learned by participants. Many of the reviewed studies also report learning gains in terms of practical knowledge and language proficiency. On the other hand, there is less evidence suggesting that international internships enhance cognitive skills and leadership skills. The large majority of the reviewed studies, however, have methodological problems. A future research agenda is outlined, along with suggestions for improving the research methodology. Context and implicationsRationale for this studyDespite the growing popularity of international internships, there is no systematic review that sums up the evidence on the learning gains from this specific type of mobility experience.Why the new findings matterThe findings highlight the large breadth of skills higher education students can acquire during international internships. They also outline the important role that this type of mobility experience may play in supporting the development of intrapersonal skills.Implications for educators and researchersThis article explores international internship programmes' potential in terms of enhancing participants' skills. The results of such an exercise may provide educators with insights about how to develop these programmes so that they can best support students in their learning. Additionally, this review provides researchers with suggestions on sound methodologies to be used to evaluate the effect of international internships. Several potential directions for future research are also identified.

Developing Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge/Skills of Lifelong Learners from Basic to Advance Learning: Exemplars, Challenges and Future Direction

Developing conceptual and procedural knowledge or skills of learners is ‘part and parcel’ of the roles of educators involved in teaching science and social science subjects. This article aims to espouse numerous educational reforms implemented locally, regionally, and internationally during the past decades, with exemplars and challenges elaborated. The mixed-method approach is selected as a research framework that includes the collection of qualitative data (mainly from documentary analysis, interviews, observation, and open-ended responses) and quantitative data (mainly from survey questionnaires). This article reports mainly qualitative findings that are summarised from mixed-modes of analysis on data collected through systematic review and ‘multiple-case design’, including ‘cross-case and within-case analysis’ on how conceptual and procedural knowledge and skills of learners could be enhanced through the implementation of various technology-integrated project-based programmes incorporating various effective strategies anchored on hybrid approaches in replacement of traditional methods. Case exemplars are illustrated with how these programmes serve as platforms for basic education and foundation courses from basic to advanced learning among lifelong learners. The analysis of a local programme to promote Year 4 students’ (N = 33) primary science learning using the 5E constructivist model revealed that students were mentally engaged in learning science concepts, interacting with new experiences, and able to correct misconceptions with enhanced conceptual and procedural knowledge and skills on the taught topics ‘Scientific Skills, Life Processes of Humans, and Properties of Materials’ as reflected in their increased mean scores of science achievement analysed statistically. The implementation of the ‘Learning Science and Mathematics Together’ (LeSMaT) student-centered regional learning programme that provided a guide for expected project output is also illustrated with an exemplar of how learners’ conceptual and procedural knowledge and skills in ‘environmental education’ were enhanced through the preparation of the project required for this program. The analysis of social science learning involving building foundation knowledge in economics through an international research-based internship programme revealed that students’ conceptual and procedural knowledge and skills in ‘economics’ were enhanced with the input on research methodology and the need to produce a report, which tied in with theories and the experience of their placements in various business settings that provided real-life experience related to economic issues faced during the pandemic. In the end, the significance and implications of the study are discussed with ideas for how to move forward.

The first social project to popularize organ donation in Tatarstan based on the experience of the United States of America

Relevance. The United States of America is currently one of the world leaders in organ donation and transplantation. In 2020, donor activity in the United States amounted to 38.0 per 1 million of the population, even exceeding the number in Spain 37.9 per 1 million of the population. In this context, the study of the American system of organ donation and transplantation in order to develop an accessible format for interaction with the population to strategically stimulate the potential of organ donation is of particular interest.Aim. To study the organ donation and transplantation system in Nebraska, United States of America, to develop an accessible format for interaction with the population to strategically stimulate the potential of organ donation in the Republic of Tatarstan.Material and methods. We presented the experience of the international internship «Organ donation and transplant management » at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (USA). We described the peculiarities of the functioning of the American transplant programs, the advantages in the matter of organizing organ and tissue donation.Results. In the USA, with a population of 327 million people, today more than 165 million (51%) people are registered as potential donors. At the end of 2018, in the United States 36,428 transplants of various organs and tissues, or 111.4 per 1 million population, were performed. At the same time, the number of deceased donors was 10,700, the number of living donors – 6,800. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center during the same period, 301 transplants (158.4 per million population) were performed from 68 deceased and 40 living donors. The analysis of the American system of organ donation and transplantation with effective interaction of the state, commercial and non-profit sectors, independent of the National Health System, made it possible to organize in 2020 the first social project in the Republic of Tatarstan on organ donation – "Donate Life Russia".Conclusion. The experience of the Republic of Tatarstan in attracting the non-profit sector to solving problems in the development of the transplant programs, following the example of the United States of America, has high potential in the Russian Federation.

International teaching internships for future teachers: potential and challenges for learning

Internationalisation of the higher education system continues to have a strong impact on national education policies. From an international perspective, learning to teach in globally competent and culturally responsive ways is a core element of teacher education. For this purpose, academically and practice-oriented student teacher exchange programmes have been established. It is often taken for granted that corresponding internships abroad offer positive learning experiences, but research shows that these expectations are frequently not met. This paper; therefore, investigates if and how learning takes place in multi-week international internships, what shapes, enables, limits or obstructs this learning. The investigation is based on a qualitative-hermeneutic approach with data collected from group discussions and analysed according to the documentary method. The analyses led to two ‘ideal types’: the first is based on learning from contrasts and includes sub-types in which the student teachers’ perceptions and interpretations are differentiated or distanced to a greater or lesser extent. The second ideal type, in which learning takes place through challenges, is also divided into sub-types which differ in the degree of self-efficacy experienced by the students. The paper concludes with some suggestions on how pre-service teachers can be supported so that the learning potential of their internships can be exploited more fully.

АЛЬЯНС НАУКИ И ПРАКТИКИ: ОПЫТ ПРОВЕДЕНИЯ МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫХ СТАЖИРОВОК ПО СТОМАТОЛОГИИ В УГМУ

Objectives. Since 2018, the Faculty of Dentistry of UGMU has started implementing an international student exchange program within the framework of IADS (International Association of Dental Students), during which students undergo internships at the Faculty of Dentistry and at the dental clinic of UGMU for 2-4 weeks. The purpose of this event is to show the possibilities of such a form of training for future dentists as an international internship at the Faculty of Dentistry, as part of the exchange of students between universities.
 Material, methods, results. In July 2018, 4 fifth-year students studying in the specialty "Dentistry" at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) and 1 fourth-year student of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Iran) (in English) came to the IADS internship in the profile "Dentistry". In July 2021, a scientific and clinical internship of foreign dental students was held for three students from Croatia and Germany. The training cycle consists of lectures and practical exercises with the development of manual skills. During the internship, the guests get acquainted with the structure of USMU, visit the bases of the Faculty of Dentistry for practical training, the vivarium and the central research laboratory of USMU.
 Conclusions. The experience of conducting international internships for foreign students is a promising direction in the development of the university, which is successfully being introduced into the international space. A vivid proof of this statement is that the Dental Faculty of the Ural State Medical University (USMU) in 2021 was awarded an award for conducting an international clinical exchange from the International Association of Dental Students (IADS).

A Proposed Model of a Future University in the Era of the Artificial Intelligence Transformative Society: From Why to How

This paper is an attempt to circumscribe briefly the evolution and the revolution of the Global Society in which we live (usually called the Transformative Society) that embedded a huge change in technologies, digitalization, and knowledge-based economy. We need to develop future oriented curricula for “a new university paradigm” that adjust dynamically with the needs of the society and the employers to make the students straightforwardly ready from an output of the new model of university to a swift productive input for the employers. This will help the economy to be more competitive and improve the wellbeing of the Citizens in terms of health and better quality of life. While a traditional University sells degrees, the New Model of University we are offering sells skills for students and prospective employees who want to be life learners equipped with the cutting edge technologies and knowhow. We will use coop programs, in-field learning, and international internships to exchange with worldwide student through a wealth of network.

Educational tourism in the function of the environmental protection

Educational tourism is a selective form of thematic tourism and implies a trend of acquiring new knowledge, transferring knowledge to others, as well as improving skills outside the classroom. It implies a tourist activity in which education is the primary or secondary motive for staying at the destination. The main goal of the travel is focused on activities that include visits to other countries to learn about different cultures. These include student exchange programs and study trips, work, and skills development in different and new environments, such as numerous international internships. There is a difference between travels where education is not the main motive; however, during the holiday guests are educated about certain aspects of the tourist offer (e.g. cultural attractions) and travels where education is the main motive for travel and stay at the destination.

Competitive advantages of Ukrainian educational institutions in the global mobile space

Today, the educational process is the basic indicator of the educational institutions’ competitiveness and ability to gain a competitive advantage. It should be organized according to state standards while taking into account the possibilities of autonomy of educational institutions, the needs of students, and the challenges of the external environment. Thus, the development of the global mobile space forces educational institutions to take into account international progressive approaches to the organization of the high-quality educational process. The article aims to substantiate the educational process components and determine their competitive advantages for educational institutions in terms of educational mobility. The article presents the main components of the educational process (pedagogical, personnel component, material and technical, organizational, etc.), which are the basis of the competitive advantages of Ukrainian educational institutions in the global mobile space. Attention is focused on the importance of applying the practice of international internships aimed at improving the academic mobility of scientific and pedagogical staff. The main problems of the educational process in educational institutions are described, including the involvement of practitioners in the educational process as one of the most important. The key priorities for improving the educational process of educational institutions in Ukraine are identified. The importance of digitalization in the educational process is emphasized, and its main advantages from the beginning of the COVID-2019 pandemic to the present are described. The key elements a digital learning environment should combine for effective functioning and full use are highlighted. The article emphasizes that the elements of digitalization of educational institutions are a sign of their competitiveness both within the country and abroad, as it allows foreigners to receive education remotely and Ukrainians while being abroad. The value plane of educational branding allowing an educational institution to position its unique niches for marketing opportunities is mapped.

International circulation of Brazilian researchers: the case of History

The article collates and presents a wide range of data on the international circulation of doctoral students and researchers belonging to the Brazilian historiographical community funded by the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education, through doctoral grants with international internship and post-doctoral grants. It analyzes the annual records of scholarships awarded from 1998 to 2017, observing how they changed over time and the annual percentage of scholarship holders abroad. It compares the total number of scholarships in History and in other disciplines. Lastly, it lists the main countries and institutions where these individuals studied. It notes that this discipline follows the same path as Brazilian science abroad.

Developing cultural intelligence: Experiential interactions in an international internship program

In recent years, the demand for more culturally competent candidates has risen as employers seek workers highly adaptable to the global marketplace. Study abroad internship programs offer a rich training ground for college students to gain valuable international and intercultural career experience. This study examined the effects of experiential program design on the cultural intelligence of participants in an international internship program. College students from a large Midwestern university were enrolled in an international internship program in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Lima, Peru; or Seoul, South Korea. The program design incorporated principles of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) to increase student reflection on their experience and engage them in the ELT cycle. Participants were scored on the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) before and after the internship, and pre-test and post-test scores were compared and analyzed. Findings indicated significant growth in participants’ cultural intelligence. The intentional incorporation of experiential learning principles in the design and implementation of internship abroad programs has clear potential to increase participant’ intercultural competence and develop their skills for the 21st century workplace.

Challenges and Adjustments in Undertaking Teaching Practice Across Countries in Disruptive Era of Education

Abstract: This article disseminates a small part of the result of a research project in relation to teaching practice across countries. Specifically, it investigated the challenges & adjustments of EFL pre-service teachers’ experience in undertaking international teaching practice. The empirical research has been conducted in an interpretive qualitative paradigm underpinned by a complexity theory conceptual framework. Convenience sampling has been used in this study. This study employed interviews and questionnaires to collect the data. Pre-service teachers’ perspectives offered further depth of understanding and highlighted unforeseen difficulties during international internship. The findings of the study revealed challenges faced by pre-service teachers that ranged from designing - Lesson plans, preparing teaching media, and learning material, managing teaching time allocation, adjusting a new environment and culture, adjusting a new education system, adjusting high demand of teaching material (level of complexity, understanding the new country context) and facing students’ criticality. From this study, some meaningful insights are presented that can further provide the discussion of professional practice in the context of teacher preparation, not only nationally but also globally. Field based learning and teaching experience across countries are important components in constructing distinctive English teacher identities and achieving international recognition. 
 
 Keywords: Adjustment, Education Disruptive Era, Flexibility, Lesson Plan, Internship, Pre-Service Teachers, Teaching Practice

An examination of comparative perspectives on international internships

PurposeWork integrated learning (WIL) activities, especially internships, are essential for career preparation and development. This paper applies career adaptability and capital theories to examine how international internships help undergraduate business students in their career exploration, preparation and development.Design/methodology/approachThis study used data from 20 interviews, including 15 undergraduate business students from two universities in Australia and Thailand who undertook internships in Asian countries, three internship administrators across two universities, and two overseas internship partners. Thematic-based analysis using the Nvivo program and duoethnographic reflections of the internship coordinators in Australia was applied for data analysis.FindingsThe data analysis indicates that international internship experiences facilitate students to become culturally savvy, build their international professional networks, enhance the level of self-perceived competency and cultivate a globalised career adaptability perspective.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to theory-building within the WIL literature, international internship experiences, students’ career adaptability and capital.Practical implicationsAlthough international internship opportunities are available to students, few students are willing to challenge themselves in a foreign setting. The study’s insights provide a better understanding of how university administrators could set up a task force of academics and professional staff to consider a cohesive resourcing structure for the long-term sustainability of the international internship programs.Originality/valueThis study highlights how the international internships enhanced students’ globalised social, cultural and human capital and their ability to adapt to culturally diverse business contexts. The international internship experience can also increase student’s confidence to enter the global labour market and seek opportunities beyond their original country of residence.

A Content and Thematic Analysis of Student International Internship Reports: Basis for Designing Alternative Experiential Learning Activities

Schools design internship programs based on intended learning outcomes, which influence their choice of partner training establishments and setting of training activities and duration. An internship is a form of experiential learning, students acquire many unintended discoveries in completing their tasks and interacting with others. This study examines such intended and incidental learning experiences through content and thematic analysis of the internship reports of 26 students of a higher education institution (HEI) located in Cavite, Philippines, who joined either the Thailand Student Internship Abroad Program (SIAP) or the USA Work and Travel Program in 2018 and 2019. These reports contained student reflections, weekly logs of their training activities, and supervisor feedback. The following nodes or units of analysis were used: type of establishment, training area, intentional learning, incidental learning, courses and activities in school that prepared them for their internship, and the supervisors’ comments on the students’ performance. The findings highlight the importance of developing students’ skills in guest handling, food preparation and styling, guiding and escorting, report preparation, and event coordination in preparation for internship. Further, increased cultural knowledge and sensitivity was needed. These findings were used to improve the HEI internship and skills enhancement program for school year 2021-2022, tempered by current situations, most notably the SIAP suspension and limited implementation of onsite local practicum. Alternative experiential learning activities were thus proposed.

Integrating Problem-based Learning with International Internships in Business Education

ABSTRACT The literature on international business teaching has contributed to the development of international internships as a learning pedagogy through three key areas: making sense of the students’ developed competences and prospective added employment value following their participation in international internships, the role of support structures in the organization of internships abroad, and more recently the pedagogical design of internships abroad. Thus, more recent research has taken a critical stance toward internships as a learning form, as serious gaps exist in the pedagogical elements required to connect internships with the broader theoretical elements of international business programs. The present study addresses these gaps through two research questions: i) How can educators design and implement problem-based international internships in business education? ii) What adjustments does the combination of these two active learning experiences in business education demand for small business schools, partner universities, and hosting organizations? The paper presents pedagogical action research that was conducted over two courses for international business internships in a Norwegian-Brazilian context for bachelor’s and master’s students. It contributes to the international business teaching literature in the following ways: First, the validated teaching framework argues for international internships that are linked to loosely defined problems at the host organization, which the student self-scopes and connects based on their theoretical knowledge from other courses. Second, by providing an in-depth discussion of problem-based learning and its applicability in international business practicums, we address the existing gap in the field regarding the pedagogical foundations of how students connect theory to practice during international internships. Third, the framework serves as a practical guideline for teaching and administrative staff who wish to develop international internship programs at home universities, supporting their ability to connect the practical aspects established in the literature with the additional organizational requirements arising from working with hosting organizations overseas.

International cooperation of Russian universities and academic mobility (based on self-examination reports)

The development of international cooperation along with the growing number of the participants of academic mobility are among the attributes of internationalization of education. Its positive effects are universally acknowledged, however take effort to be achieved. Based on the example of national research universities, the article examines the peculiarities of international activity and opportunities for the Russian universities to participate in the international academic mobility. Primary focus is given to the student international internships, which are considered as highly effective educational and mentoring practices. The theoretical framework for this research is comprised of a set of provisions that characterize international academic exchange as mutually beneficial interaction of different values, cultures, experience, knowledge, interests, and goals. The scientific novelty lies in introduction of the new empirical self-examination reports of the universities, use of various statistical data and rating results. The conclusion is made that international academic mobility has its own structure, pronounced geographical focus, and industry characteristics. Cooperation with individual foreign universities and enterprises, as well as with international university associations and branch associations is well developed and creates favorable environment for the advancement of international academic mobility. However, these opportunities are not used to the fullest, as testified by relatively low number of the Russian participants, prevalence of incoming flow vs outgoing, and unequal conditions for the capital and regional universities.

MANAGEMENT EDUCATION - BEYOND THE CURRICULUM

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not most intelligent that survives, it is the one that is the most adaptable to change”- Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
 The changing scenario of the present Management Education offers students more openings, greater self-confidence and out of the box ways to hone their skills. It includes internationalization with increased focus on international partnerships, international internships, student exchange programs, joint degrees and many other things. The use of new technologies in Management teaching is a trend that is catching up fast. Greater usage of social media to reach the students is on the rise. The era of persuasive technology has significant implications for higher education and especially in Management Education. It is said that “Technology allows students to become much more engaged in constructing their own knowledge, and cognitive studies show that ability is key to learning success”. This is followed by offering more interdisciplinary programs to the students in the classes and to stimulate them to arrive at solutions in critical situations through team work is in vogue.