International strategy
Developing an international strategy is a multifaceted task that requires careful attention to elements such as recruitment (of both faculty and students), academic portfolios, institutional reputation, research initiatives, enterprise activities, and, crucially, the student experience.
The latter encompasses a broad spectrum of opportunities, including traditional and short-term mobility programmes, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects, and on-campus international experiences, among others. While many students take advantage of the global opportunities we offer and encourage, we also recognise the necessity of a more tailored approach for some.
Widening participation
At Manchester Metropolitan University, we are firmly dedicated to widening participation, a commitment that extends far beyond the scope of this blog. Within the Faculty of Business and Law, nearly half of our students are the first in their families to attend university, and 83% are classified as ‘home students.’ Additionally, 49% of our students come from backgrounds within the first and second quartiles of the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).
This diversity greatly enriches our university community, bringing together students from a wide range of backgrounds. However, we recognise that many of our students may encounter financial barriers that make participating in physical global experiences challenging.
GoGlobal
In line with our international strategy, we have developed the GoGlobal brand, offering a broad spectrum of international experiences, including those mentioned earlier, along with a dedicated GoGlobal Week during which students can create their own inclusive global experiences.
To further support these initiatives and cater to the diverse needs of our student body, we have established the GoGlobal Mobility Fund. This fund is specifically designed to empower students to create their own international experiences by providing the necessary financial assistance.
In line with our commitment to supporting students from non-traditional backgrounds, 50% of the funding is initially reserved for students who receive financial support from the University. This allocation is held until a specified time each year, after which any remaining funds are made available to the broader student population. Importantly, we ensured the fund is not solely reserved for home students; it is available to all students, from foundation level to PhD, and is accessible to both home and international students.
Students can apply to the scholarship fund, which supports up to 100 recipients, by explaining how their proposed global opportunity will enhance the four key capitals we aim to foster: employability, cultural awareness, knowledge, and networking.
In the first year, we received 71 applications and were able to support 49 students. Examples of supported projects include:
- an undergraduate student pursuing an internship in South America to explore how sustainability can be integrated into the tourism industry.
- a postgraduate taught student conducting data collection for their capstone project.
- a PhD student establishing a professional network and presenting their research at an international conference to gain valuable feedback.
We achieved a 60% response rate in our feedback survey, which revealed that 100% of participating students rated their experience as either excellent or very good, with 72% awarding it an excellent rating.
As shown in Chart 1, by offering opportunities for personalised global experiences, we have successfully enhanced the areas we set out to develop.
Sense of belonging
An important aspect of creating an individualised opportunity is to ensure students feel they belong to a community that supports their progress. Therefore, students were also asked how the funding contributed to their sense of belonging and the creation of a personalised learning journey.
As illustrated in Chart 2, 100% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that this opportunity enhanced their sense of belonging and made them feel supported.
The GoGlobal Mobility Fund allowed me to take part in an internship in Costa Rica and Panama by helping to facilitate the travel costs…The opportunity has been truly invaluable, allowing me to gain real-world experience….being able to see how the tourism industry operates within a global context and how other countries, cultures and policies work in action. I am grateful for a truly unforgettable experience.”A student
The response and feedback from students have been highly encouraging. While we recognise that this initiative represents just one component of a broader portfolio of opportunities, however, in an era that celebrates co-creation and personalised student learning journeys, this project has proven to be an inclusive success. As such, we are committed to its continuation.
Professor Liz Warren is Faculty Head of International, Professor Hannah Holmes is the Dean and Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Business School, Dr Claire Baird, Dr Reece Garcia and Stewart Morrell are Senior Lecturers. They work with a wider team at the Business School at Manchester Metropolitan University to enhance the international student experience.
Share your innovative teaching practices
We have a number of open calls for papers for our upcoming conferences and events that will showcase the latest innovations in teaching and learning practice within HE globally.
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Following the positive launch of the Essential Frameworks for Enhancing Student Success, we are delighted to bring you a series of free webinars that provide practical advice and guidance on using them.