Role Of International Education Research Articles

Convergence or fragmentation? Recent developments in recognition of microcredentials and their impact on higher education in Asia and the Pacific

PurposeThis paper explores the development of microcredentials (MCs) through a regional lens, considering their implications for lifelong learning and skilled labour mobility in Asia and the Pacific. It also examines recent global initiatives led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).Design/methodology/approachThe study reviews recent global initiatives aimed at developing shared definitions and principles for MCs, as led by UNESCO, taking into account the importance of existing initiatives such as the pilot project launched by the Australian government in 2022. The formalization of MCs within national education systems is also examined, with reference to frameworks developed by organizations like the European Union (EU), Australia and the Malaysia Qualifications Agency (MQA, 2020).FindingsThe paper underscores the increasing attention from international organizations and governments to the development and recognition of MCs, with significant efforts in countries like Australia and pilot initiatives in New Zealand and Malaysia. However, it also highlights that many MC projects in Asia are still in their early developmental stages, emphasizing the need for further progress and formalization.Originality/valueThis paper offers a unique perspective on the development of MCs in the Asia–Pacific region and their potential role in international education. It explores the prospects for MCs in international education, including student mobility and cross-border online courses. The challenge of integrating MCs into existing systems for recognizing international qualifications is discussed. Overall, the paper contributes to the understanding of MC frameworks as essential tools in the formalization of lifelong learning in the region, supported by the provided citations (OECD, 2021).

Expanding the International Role of China’s Educational Soft Power

The objectives of this research are as follows: (1) to study China’s concept of using soft power to expand its role in international education; (2) to study the mechanisms and operational models used to expand China’s role in international education; and (3) to study the successful outcomes and negative impact of China’s expansion in this field. This is a qualitative research study that utilizes Joseph S. Nye’s concept of soft power in conjunction with document analysis. The research findings indicate that China’s expansion in international education is a tool for using China’s soft power. The mechanisms include establishing branches of the Confucius Institute, recruiting volunteer teachers, setting standards for Chinese language proficiency tests, promoting academic personnel exchange, and providing scholarships for international students. Additionally, China has raised the quality of its domestic educational institutions to meet international standards. China has also established an agency tasked with promoting Chinese language and culture at the international level, namely the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), previously known as Hanban. The success of these efforts is evidenced by the number of Confucius Institute branches and classrooms, volunteer teachers, and international students receiving scholarships to study in China. These efforts have resulted in an improved image of China and a reduction in negative perceptions towards China from abroad.

The role of international education on public diplomacy: the case of Kosovo International Summer Academy

Through international education programs such as the Kosovo International Summer Academy (KSA), countries aim to change their image, influence, and shift the perception and attitudes of international students towards the host country. In this article, we analyze the role of KSA in bringing international students to Kosovo and the changes in KSA students’ perceptions, beliefs, and evaluations of Kosovo after visiting the country. We analyze the results based on how often KSA students have been to Kosovo, their most significant impressions, their attitude before and after visiting the country, and whether they would return to Kosovo after exposure to the information in KSA. Our findings suggest that after coming to Kosovo, KSA students evaluate Kosovo more positively compared to their opinion before participating in KSA. In turn, this suggests that international education programs may be a viable strategy for improving the image and public perceptions of small states facing similar state-building and diplomatic challenges as Kosovo.

The Impact of English Language Development on Internationalization of Education

In the era of globalization, the development of the English language plays a pivotal role in international education. This paper explores the profound impact of English language development on international education, with a particular emphasis on its roles in culture, talent development, cross-cultural exchange, and collaborative initiatives. Firstly, English not only serves as a universal means of communication but also enhances the cross-cultural understanding, fostering global cultural exchange. Secondly, as an international lingua franca, English contributes to the cultivation of talents required in the globalized workforce, enabling individuals to excel in transnational work environments. Additionally, English plays a critical role in cross-cultural communication and cooperation, facilitating effective collaboration among individuals from diverse linguistic backgrounds, and driving the implementation of international educational programs. Lastly, English serves not just as a tool but also as a gateway to international resources, including academic materials, job opportunities, and cultural experiences, profoundly influencing academic and career development.

The Role of International Education in Turkish Foreign Policy as a Soft Power Element

Uluslararası eğitimin toplumlar üzerinde köklü ve kalıcı etkilere neden olması, toplumlar arasında sempatik ilişkiler kurulmasına ve etkileşime yol açması onu kullanışlı bir dış politika aracı yapmaktadır. Türkiye de 1950’li, 1990’lı ve 2010’lu yıllardaki aktif dış politika uygulamalarında uluslararası kamuoyunu etkilemek, kendisine müzahir kılmak, uluslararasılaşmak, çevre coğrafyasında nüfuz alanını genişletmek
 amacıyla uluslararası eğitimi kamu/kültür/eğitim diplomasisi şeklinde bir yumuşak güç unsuru olarak kullanmıştır. Türkiye’nin dış politikası ve uluslararası eğitim stratejisi paralellik göstermiş, 1950’lerde Batı bloğu politikalarına endeksli, 1990’larda kültürel diplomasi ağırlıklı, 2010’larda ise kültürel diplomasiyle birlikte terör ve radikalleşmeyle mücadele, küresel etkili bölgesel güç olma, istikrarsız coğrafyaları
 normalleştirme, çok taraflı ve çok katmanlı dış politikasına destek sunma, Türk dünyasında işbirliğini derinleştirme politikalarında uluslararası eğitim Türk dış politikasının en önemli gündemlerinden birisi olmuştur.

Assessing Impact of Study Abroad on Graduation Rates of Underrepresented Students

Assessing Impact of Study Abroad on Graduation Rates of Underrepresented Students Tory L. Brundage (bio), Gayle Christensen (bio), Anne K. Althauser (bio), and Sudha Sharma (bio) EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Fueled by globalization, technological advances, and more accessible travel, the role of international education on college and university campuses has had a period of immense growth. According to the Institute of International Education's 2019 Open Doors report, just over 340,000 US students participated in a study abroad program for credit during the 2017–2018 academic year. The number of students choosing to study abroad has steadily increased over the past 25 years. Immediately prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, 10.9% of all undergraduates in the US studied abroad at some point while pursuing their degree. This rapid expansion has largely been welcomed on college campuses due to globalization and the sense that such opportunities can be transformational for students. Consequently, there is interest among administrators, scholars, instructors, and policymakers to better understand the effects of study abroad on student learning and outcomes. Though the COVID-19 global pandemic caused an unprecedented decrease in international education, the enduring forces of globalization will likely yield a strong return to study abroad programming when permitted and safe (Marginson, 2020). As such, it remains important to understand and assess outcomes related to study abroad participation at an institutional level. ASSESSING STUDY ABROAD The student success literature has evolved a substantial interest in understanding and implementing high-impact practices, aspects of the college student experience that positively influence college persistence and completion rates (Kuh, 2008). A promising supposition of Kuh's 2008 work was the notion that high-impact practices would not only increase student engagement and degree completion but that the effect would also be evident among historically underserved student populations. Additionally, the existing racial and ethnic disparities in higher education have led some to call for a more targeted focus on graduation rates across racial and ethnic student populations to identify the most impactful practices (Johnson & Stage, 2018; Stohs & Schutte, 2019). While multiple studies have examined the effect of studying abroad on graduation rates (Haupt et al. 2018), few have explored [End Page 239] how that effect may vary across student populations (Bell et al. 2021). Given that students of color have been consistently underrepresented in study abroad programs (International Institute of Education, 2019), there is a gap in the literature assessing study abroad for students of color as a high-impact practice. This inquiry aimed to (a) advance a common research model proposed in the literature for assessing study abroad and (b) use this model specifically to measure the impact of studying abroad on graduation rates for historically underserved student populations. METHODS This analysis used the Leveraging Education Abroad Participation for Graduation (GRAD LEAP) model (Haupt et al., 2018), which calls for a common approach to data analysis when exploring questions about the impact of education abroad on college student graduation rates. Study Setting and Participants This was a retrospective analysis of deidentified data accessed through an internal student database at a large, public research institution on the West Coast of the US. The campus has a formal Office of Study Abroad that supports students with selecting and participating in a wide range of international education programs offered by the institution. Additionally, the office has an adviser focused on equity and access, as well as a needs-based scholarship program for studying abroad. Furthermore, and relevant to this study, there are TRIO programs and Educational Opportunity Program offices that support students of color through a wide range of efforts, as well as race-conscious pipeline programs available in many academic pathways. The program offerings are similar to those offered at many large public institutions in the US. The study included enrollment and student academic records from first-time, first-year, and fully matriculated undergraduate enrollees during the 2012, 2013, and 2014 academic years. International students, defined as those studying on an F1 student visa, as well as students admitted through the transfer or post-baccalaureate application processes, were excluded. Using these criteria, a total of 15,620 unique records were included in the analysis. Within this overall population, 2...

Research on the Application of Shaanxi Regional Culture in the Curriculum Construction of Chinese International Education

International education of Chinese language is not only a language teaching, but also a kind of cultural education. It can be seen that culture plays an important role in international education of Chinese language. Shaanxi has a long history and rich regional culture resources.This paper explore the effective methods of regional culture into Chinese international education on the basis of the analysis of regional culture in shaanxi province.This paper aims at improving the level of the Chinese international education of designing effective regional culture experience program, realize the advantages of shaanxi culture and the integration of Chinese language teaching goals.

International Education: The Pandemic’s Panacea

This article presents the author's opinions on the importance of Chinese studies as a subset of international education during the ongoing global pandemic. This paper acknowledges the important role of international education in dispelling prejudice or xenophobic discourse towards China or the Chinese diaspora stemming from the pandemic.

Capabilities and the “Value” Flows of International Graduate Returnees and Their Networks

Capabilities and the “Value” Flows of International Graduate Returnees and Their Networks

International Education and Higher Education's Revised Role in a Global Society

The end goal of international education’s revised role in higher education is to provide a greater good to the global society. During the past several years, globalization has emerged as a trend that supports a move on the part of higher education to provide students with an education that extends beyond their native country (Brodin, 2010). Formidable global challenges contribute to necessary changes to the components of higher education so as to enhance overall societal good. Multi-cultural experiences that enhance career opportunities and components making up higher education’s revised role in international education include: international programs and curriculums, study abroad experiences, international tourism and sport, and international education’s potential economic impact on the university, local community, and world. Factors driving higher education’s revised role in international education include: technological progress in communication, international business and social needs, competitive job markets, and the global economy. In particular evidence continues to build in support of the notion that students who are immersed in foreign cultures will return home wiser and a more well rounded global citizen (Gumbel, 2011). International education in the form of experiences embedded into higher education curriculums is rapidly becoming the norm.

Le rôle des migrations dans la reproduction des avantages sociaux chez les jeunes diplômés à Hong Kong

This paper attempts to unpack the role of failure, and subsequent international mobility, in affecting employment outcomes for ‘overseas educated’ university graduates in Hong Kong. It draws upon extensive fieldwork in Hong Kong and Canada, to scrutinise the link between international credentials and migration, asking : do experiences of living abroad – for schooling and the whole of a university education – confer distinction and subsequent social advantage upon already privileged individuals and their families, offsetting previous academic “failure” ? If so, then why does this process of valorisation occur ? In much of the extant literature on international education, the advantages bestowed upon internationally mobile students are taken for granted. In contrast, this paper begins with the premise that a ‘local’ university degree is widely considered significantly superior to one acquired abroad. Despite this, however, graduates educated overseas are clearly advantaged in many ways when they return to Hong Kong to find work. The analysis of the data shows that the cultural capital and social capital developed through living abroad and attending an overseas higher education institution override, in various ways, the inherent value of a local university degree. The paper contributes to wider debates around the role of international education in the reproduction of privilege and the continuation of class inequalities in educational outcomes.

Lebedeva. and Juliet Fort. Higher Education as Soft Power Potential of Russia

Referring to Joseph Nye’s concept of «soft power» the authors examine training of national cadres for other countries as a factor of «soft power» of the Soviet Union and Russia. They note that before the collapse of the USSR 10.8 % of all international students studying abroad did it in the USSR. Almost 80 % of them were from Asia, Africa and Latin America. There was a significant fall in international education in Russia after the collapse of the USSR. At the same time the USA has secured the leading role in international education. International education is becoming a visible area for competition between states. In the 2000s Russia focuses on higher education again. Education has been declared a «national priority». Russia joined the Bologna process and by the year 2020 the financing of education is to reach the level of 7 % of GDP. Russia is battling to improve its image abroad and actively develops its higher education supply for foreign students and is promoting its role as the main educational center for CIS countries. In reality international education is mostly a potential for Russia as no clear program or structure to develop international education exists in the country.

The Third Way

The article investigates the role of international education and its relation to the world of work in an increasingly globalizing society. It takes three separate strands: (1) the ideological basis of international schools, largely ‘child-centred’ and following an international humanist philosophy; (2) modern economic growth theories, with particular emphasis on social capital theory; and (3) taxonomies of job status in post-Fordist economies. It combines them to show that international education can bridge the divide between education for citizenship and education for the needs of the economy by nurturing in students the transferable skills and attributes deemed necessary for high-status employment.

America's Role in International Education: A Perspective on Thirty Years

America's Role in International Education: A Perspective on Thirty Years