UK Strategy for Outward
Student Mobility
Callista Thillou
Assistant Director
UK HE International Unit
Session outline
• The UK Higher Education International Unit
• UK outward student mobility
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Background
The consultation
The proposal – Outward Student Mobility Unit
Questions / Feedback
UK Higher Education
International Unit
• Mission: To represent the UK higher education
sector internationally and to empower, with skills
and knowledge, the sector to secure maximum
value from international opportunities.
UK higher education International Unit:
priorities and objectives
Shape international and European policy
• Supporting and influencing UK Government system
to system approach
• Representing the sector on delegations
• Influence European Union decision-makers:
– Bologna Process, Horizon 2020, Yes Europe (Erasmus for
All)
Science without Borders UK
• Up to 10,000 Brazilian students will study in the UK
over four years:
– Strong business and industry support
– Applications received from over 70 Brazilian universities
and placed at 71 UK universities
– Over 500 students placed in first cohort and offered over
600 places for January 2013
– Engineering (42%) most popular followed by biology,
biomedical and health sciences (23%)
New publications
Outward student mobility
Background
• Sector concern on Erasmus Fee Waiver in 2011
– Established joint BIS and Universities UK/International Unit
National Steering Committee and Expert Working Groups
– Review of current UK outward student mobility
– Recommendations to Minister for Universities and Science in
March 2013
• Sector consultation on outward student mobility July to
August 2012
– Proposal for a UK strategy for outward student mobility overseen
by an independent sector-led coordinating body
Sector Consultation
• 88 responses in total
• majority of respondents UK HEIs (69); but also
sector organisations (including BUTEX),
individuals, academic associations, student
associations, a mission group, private
companies, government department, nondepartmental public body and officers of a
funding council
Sector Consultation Respondents
Break-down by Mission Group, where
applicable
Break-down of respondents by country
Q 1: What are the benefits of the UK developing a sectorled national strategy for
outward mobility?
• raising awareness of student mobility and its benefits
• providing the UK HE sector with a coherent and coordinated
approach
• Improving the UK’s image internationally
Q 1: What are of the challenges of the UK
developing a sector-led national strategy for
outward mobility?
• Successful implementation of a national strategy or obstacles
to increasing mobility more generally
• diversity of the UK HE sector
• issue of funding
• UK’s language provision deficit
Q 2: What are the necessary features
of any national strategy in your opinion?
• promotional activities
• advice and guidance for HEIs
• data collection
• stakeholder involvement
• financial resources for students • the sharing of best practice
and institutions
Q 3: How would you define a period of
mobility?
• flexible definition that includes shorter and non-credit bearing
stays abroad  WP agenda
• Quality more important than quantity
NB. Bologna Process
Definition = 3
months
Q 3: What would be a credible minimum
length for a mobility period?
• preference for flexibility and quality re-emphasised
• two to four weeks as a credible minimum length
• ‘Other’: credibility of a mobility period depending on
outcomes rather than length
Q 3: Do you envisage this definition including
volunteering, as well as work and study?
• 89% of respondents saw volunteering included
• Again emphasis on quality: volunteering should be
quality assured by the home university
Q 4: Which existing initiatives would you
like to see feed in to work on a national
strategy?
• International:
– 67% of respondents mentioned the European Union mobility agenda
– 52% mentioned the Lifelong Learning Programme or its successor,
Erasmus for All
– International mobility organisations, such as the European Association
for International Education (EAIE) (9%), NAFSA: Association of
International Educators (6%) and the Forum of International Education
(2%), European University Association (EUA) and the Association for
Sandwich Education and Training (ASET)
– international best practice countries: Australia, Germany and the United
States
Q 4: Which existing initiatives would you
like to see feed in to work on a national
strategy?
• National:
– Prime Minister’s Initiatives for International Education
– devolved administration strategies: Scottish Government and NUS
Scotland - Scottish Year of Study Abroad and the Saltire Scholarships for
Outward Mobility
– British Council programmes: Connecting Classrooms, Language
Assistantship Scheme, the International Association for the Exchange of
Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) programmes and
Scholarships for Excellence, Hong Kong scheme
• Institutional:
– examples of best practice from own institutions
Q 5: How do you envisage a national
strategy intersecting with the employability
agenda?
Q 6: How could such a strategy include
under-represented groups?
UK Outward Student Mobility Unit
Develop and coordinate a UK strategy to include activities
such as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Promoting mobility, including the social mobility and widening
participation agenda in this
Sourcing business and industry sponsorship and philanthropic
support
Providing scholarships
Conducting research
Coordinating stakeholder engagement and dissemination of best
practice
Website Portal (cooperation with British Council)
The Unit will be based in the International Unit and work
closely with sector agencies.
Next Steps
• Government support: financial and in-principle
• Mobility Unit to have 2-3 staff
• Operational by May/June 2013
• Institutions invited to discuss their engagement
and support of the Unit and its aims over
coming months
Now to the important part...
Questions and feedback
– what would you like to see the Outward Student Mobility
Unit doing?
– What activities would add benefit to the work of your
institution?
– Potential research projects?
– Guidance - generic institutional guidance – HR, safety,
security?
Register your interest in keeping
informed: contact
info@international.ac.uk
www.international.ac.uk