Educational developers play a crucial, but frequently undervalued and overlooked, role in higher education. While previous research, my own included, has highlighted the importance of their role in internationalization of the curriculum, there is no other resource that covers the area so comprehensively. This book breaks new ground in that it is not only based on extensive research, but is edited by a team with diverse management experience in higher education. It is therefore both conceptually and theoretically grounded, and practically focused. Comprehensive examples and case studies from very different disciplinary, institutional and national contexts are provided. It is written in a positive, scholarly and accessible style. Whether you are an educational developer with experience, or just starting out, a faculty member, a teacher, or a leader seeking to improve the quality of education in your institution, this book will be one you will want to keep close to you, as a reference, a guide and an inspiration.
-Betty Leask, Emeritus Professor of Internationalisation of Higher Education, La Trobe University, Australia; Research Fellow, Center for International Higher Education (CIHE), Boston College, US; and Editor in Chief, Journal of Studies in International Education
This book is a very welcome addition to the existing literature on the internationalisation of higher education. Edited and co-authored by two leading specialists and experienced practitioners in the field with the collaboration of experts from around the world, it fills a gap in adopting a comprehensive approach to the educational development process necessary for the implementation of internationalised curricula, addressing decision-makers, developers and lecturers responsible for delivery. The editors informedly adopt a multi-facetted approach to harnessing the full potential of internationalised learning and teaching, including, in particular, the need for continuous professional development to assist academics in the design and provision of internationalised perspectives in their professional practice in order to facilitate an enriching and inclusive learning experience for all students.
The volume is a must-read for all those involved in internationalisation of the curriculum at all levels of institutional development, and across all disciplines. Its careful interplay of research and professional practice, the incorporation of practical international case studies, and the positive approach of the authors, eschewing the deficit discourse present in some existing literature, make it a truly useful and practical new tool in the complex toolkit which HEIs need to put together in order to move forward meaningfully in the exciting challenge of enhancing the quality of the learning experience through internationalisation.
-Dorothy Kelly, Professor and Vice Rector for Internationalization, University of Granada, Spain and Coordinator, Arqus European University Alliance
This book provides a timely presentation of the role educational developers can play in the integration of international, intercultural, and global dimensions in the design and delivery of university curricula. Such a curriculum requires a shift in the modalities of higher education towards action-oriented transformative pedagogies, practice-based, pluralistic approaches which cultivate an openness to diverse norms and values. But are university teachers prepared for this? And if not, how will they be trained and by whom? Internationalisation of higher education necessarily challenges us on how we can support, train and develop teaching staff, effectively and with intentionality, so that, in turn, our students make a meaningful contribution to society. The book aptly addresses ways of infusing strategic thinking about internationalisation of higher education in the way we design the professional development of teaching staff by presenting a wide range of cases from across the world - with a specific focus on developing intercultural competences, and understanding the role of the language of instruction, for quality education. The book will prove a worthy addition to any educational developer's toolkit!
-Jennifer Valcke, Educational Developer, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
More than ever, we need inclusive internationalised programmes in higher education. But how can we actually take the leap from strategy documents to lived practice? This volume is an absolute must-read for any higher education professional who seeks to harness the opportunities of an academically, linguistically and culturally diverse classroom. By bringing perspectives on educational development and continuing professional development (CPD) into compelling dialogue with practice-oriented approaches to internationalising the curriculum, this book both inspires and enables readers to effect real change in the classroom.
-Tanja Reiffenrath, Internationalisation of the Curricula, Student and Academic Services Team, Georg August Universitat, Goettingen, Germany
In its introduction, the book's purpose is stated as developing staff to support inclusive internationalization in HE. This is essential for moving internationalization from rhetoric, to action, and then to results; it is also critical to integrating internationalization into core missions. It is unfortunately ignored or given brief attention in many higher education institutions. A book that brings attention to these issues and incorporates practical case studies is worthy of close attention.
-John Hudzik, Professor, Michigan State University, US
This book is a scholarly piece of work that was born out of two European research projects but goes well beyond those original projects. The major strengths of this text are its case stories from around the world, contextualising internationalisation of higher education, which is too often seen as 'one-size-fits-all'. The examples of ways in which institutions have operationalised intercultural competence as a graduate attribute come from varied contexts beyond the 'usual suspects' of the States and Europe to encompass Costa Rica, Poland, India, China and Oman, a truly global mix. The book gets at the ways in which internationalisation of higher education must be contextualised to make sense and the emphasis on internationalisation in relation to quality in education is timely and important. The book does not just position itself at a practical level for use as a handbook for institutions to locate themselves along a continuum of internationalised characteristics. The conceptualisations of internationalisation and the discussions of research and future perspectives provide crucial insights into genuinely internationalised curricula and CPD, constructing a platform from which the positive opportunities of internationalisation can be properly understood.
-Catherine Montgomery, Professor, University of Durham, UK
Despite a populist tsunami taking over the Western political space, knowledge workers will still be expected to engage closely with internationalization in the years to come. Whether an institution is trying to enrich its campus internationalization, or support society in re-developing the international domain, this volume is a must-read for teachers, researchers and developers in international higher education with its combination of insightful content and hands-on experience.
-Rui Yang, Professor and Associate Dean (Research), University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
