UK higher education professionals are invited to deliver sessions at the International Student Experience Conference hosted by the British Council and CEAIE in Beijing in March 2020.
Details
Date: Monday 9 March 2020
Time: 09:30 – 17:00
Location: Beijing, China
The British Council will cover selected speakers’ return economy class flights from the UK to China and 2 nights hotel accommodation.
The International Student Experience Conference aims to bring together practitioners from both the UK and China to share their experience and expertise of hosting international students. Experts will discuss and share best practice on how to improve the experience of international students studying at higher education institutions overseas, with specific reference to the experience of UK students in China. In the long term, this is anticipated to lead to an increased two-way flow of mobile students between China and the UK, an improved student experience and engagement in both countries.
Experts are invited to deliver relevant training to achieve the following objectives:
- Improve the quality of provision of international student services at host universities for students studying abroad.
- Create a more favourable environment for students studying abroad in China and the UK to pave the way for increased two-mobility.
- Share knowledge and best-practice in international student experience and pastoral care for both inward and outward mobility.
- Identify specific areas of collaboration between UK and China to improve student experience for both inward and outward mobility
Applicants are invited to deliver sessions on a variety of topics related to the international student experience, focusing in particular on one of the following:
Workshop Topics
- Pre-Departure Support: preparing students for studying overseas
a. Practical issues: visas; on-arrival arrangements; accommodation; peer support etc.
b. Cultural issues: culture shock
- Academic Readiness: preparing students for different learning and teaching styles
a. University organisation systems and procedures
b. Student-teacher relations
c. Study and research skills
d. Language and culture
- Internationalisation at Home: maximising the benefits of hosting international students for the host and home institutions
a. On-arrival induction
b. Providing an enriching experience for home and international students through student activities
c. Cultural programmes
- Pastoral Care: overcoming issues affecting international students such as homesickness and culture shock
a. Best practices for providing student health and wellbeing services for international students
b. Mentoring and peer support
- Alumni Engagement: cultivating an international alumni network
- Graduate Employability: developing mechanisms to support international students’ employability and future job prospects
Overview
China has ambitious goals to internationalise its higher education sector, which includes a target of hosting over 500,000 international students a year by 2020. It is well on the way to achieving this goal, with a total of 492,185 international students studying in China in 2018. In the drive to boost international student numbers, issues such as pre-departure support, academic readiness, pastoral care, and post-study employability are important considerations to ensure positive international student experience.
The UK has a strong track record in hosting international students, with international students making up 19 percent of the UK student population. As UK institutions look to increase the numbers of domestic students going abroad as part of their degree, China has become an increasingly prominent host country and now ranks within the top ten study abroad destinations for outwardly mobile UK students. There is much for the UK to share and learn on matters relating to hosting and supporting international students, specifically jointly tackling the common challenges of pre-during-post study support.
Action required
Please complete the attached application form, and send along with the following additional documents by email to gen.uk@britishcouncil.org.cn.
Additional documents:
- CV
- Bio
- Sample materials from previous conference sessions delivered
The deadline for applications is 23:59 GMT on Tuesday 31 December 2019.
Please contact gen.uk@britishcouncil.org.cn for any enquiries.
Please complete the attached application form, and send along with the above mentioned additional documents by email to gen.uk@britishcouncil.org.cn.
The deadline for applications is 23:59 GMT on Tuesday 31 December 2019.