An internationally minded student body

As any reader of University World News will be aware, internationalisation is a central agenda item for higher education these days. And with good reason. There are many benefits to internationalising our universities and colleges.

While there are a range of initiatives that advance this agenda, the main trends, according to last year’s European Association for International Education, or EAIE Barometer, are: strategic partnerships, improving recruitment of and services for international students and improving the quality of international courses and programmes.

As is somewhat evident from the above list of priorities, what often seems to be missing from the conversation on internationalisation is how to prepare our students to not only survive in the new world of international higher education, but thrive in it and meaningfully contribute to it.

While recruiting international students is a step in the right direction, how much do international students really contribute to creating a truly international campus if they remain segregated, lack the confidence or language ability to participate in class discussions, do not bring with them an international outlook or are not genuinely curious about their host culture?

Likewise, are our domestic students, typically the majority of the student body, well prepared to take full advantage of the new opportunities internationalised higher education offers them? Will they meaningfully engage with their new peers from very different cultural backgrounds? Will they make international students feel welcomed and at home? Might they be able to communicate with them in their native language?

Internationally minded students

For students, both domestic and international, to meaningfully impact a university’s international climate, they should demonstrate an interest in learning about other cultures and places; be proficient in multiple languages; understand the impact that local action can have on global issues; respectfully question the world view of their professors and classmates as well as their own, and have the confidence and ability to share their unique cultural perspectives.

In essence, students must not just be international, but ‘internationally minded’.

Although many local individual secondary schools and districts strive to prepare such students, there are few large scale national or international efforts, apart from the International Baccalaureate, or IB.

What started in the late 1960s at a handful of international schools as a common school-leaving diploma that fostered international understanding and respect, has grown into a global network of over 4,000 schools in 147 countries, with nearly 150,000 students matriculating to higher education each year.

Surprisingly to some, IB programmes are not only found at elite international schools where students would likely get exposure to an international climate anyway. Well over half of the schools that offer IB programmes are publicly funded state schools and around two thirds of IB students go on to attend universities or colleges in their home country.

The IB has long since been established as one of the world’s premium providers of rigorous international education. A substantial body of evidence now suggests that the IB students are among the most academically well equipped for university studies in the world.

Wide-ranging research suggests a very high level of demand in IB courses; greater likelihood of IB students entering university, persisting and graduating; exceptionally smooth transitions to university study; and strong interest and involvement in research.

But there are many secondary programmes which offer exceptional academic preparation. What makes the IB unique is its commitment to combining rigorous academics with developing in students a global 21st century skill set, international outlook, sense of social responsibility and the ability to draw connections across disciplines. All are critical to succeeding in today’s globalised and interconnected world.

Thus, regardless of whether at an international school in Singapore or a public school in small-town America, IB students:

• • Have demonstrated an interest in learning about other cultures and places;
  
• • Have studied an international curriculum which challenges them to take perspectives different from their own;
  
• • Are proficient in at least two languages;
  
• • Understand the impact that local service can have on global issues; and
  
• • Have explored the meaning of knowledge and how that knowledge can shift across cultures.

Diversity

However, IB programmes cannot claim all of the credit for developing students ready to succeed at international universities. Students join IB programmes with an incredible diversity of backgrounds, interests, experiences and goals, but they all share a strong desire to challenge themselves, to explore the world around them and to grow as individuals and responsible members of society.

IB programmes simply offer guidance and assistance for such students, along with rigorous assessments that allow students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply information to new contexts, solve problems creatively, analyse and synthesise, communicate effectively and consider intercultural dimension, as well as mastery of content.

The reality, though, is that an IB education is not available to all students, and there are many students around the world who would indeed thrive in an international environment with the proper preparation.

To this end, both the secondary and tertiary sectors should take to heart the benefits of an international education. There should be greater commitment on both sides to develop international competencies in students, acknowledge such attributes in admissions decisions and continue to foster and build upon them at the tertiary level.

To create a truly international campus climate, there is more to consider than just country of origin and academic ability. To make meaningful contributions to the university and to the world, students should not be just international, but internationally minded.

Justin Sanders is a global recognition manager for the International Baccalaureate, or IB, where he works towards developing pathways for IB students into higher education around the world. He has been in the education sector for over a decade and holds an MA in international education from the George Washington University, USA.