National Benefits and Challengesof Internationalization in Higher Education

Marlene Wall, PhDInterim PresidentLCC International University

INTERNATIONALIZATION DEFINED

INTERNATIONALIZATION DEFINED

• A process• Internationalization “at home”• Internationalization “abroad”

LCC: A CASE STUDY OF INTERNATIONALIZATION

LCC: A CASE STUDY

• 1991: joint venture between Lithuania, Canada, and the United States

• Degree-seeking students– 50% from Lithuania– 50% from 24 other countries

• Study Abroad students– More than 50 students annually from

30 US partner institutions

LCC: A CASE STUDY

• Student exchanges• Professors – 35% from Lithuania; 65% from other countries– 7 Fulbright scholars in the past 9 years

• Accreditation – Lithuanian Ministry of Education– Seeking US accreditation

• Language of instruction– English

LCC: A CASE STUDY

• Curriculum– 8 competencies, including “multicultural

perspective”– Develop a multicultural awareness and an

understanding of the global nature of contemporary issues.

• Summer programs– Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia

LCC: A CASE STUDY

• INPUTS– Requires international recruitment strategies– Requires accurate evaluation of home country

educational systems– Requires extensive migration work

• PROCESSES– Requires a well-structured residential model– Requires clear systems of academic credit transfer

(beyond ECTS)– Requires intentional programming for the celebration

of diversity

LCC: A CASE STUDY

• OUTCOMES– Requires cross-cultural competence of faculty– Requires data-collection methodology to assess

effectiveness

Deardorff, Pysarchik and Yun (2009): “With globalization driving the demand for global-ready graduates, it becomes crucial for administrators to assess these outcomes of internationalization to determine exactly what our students are learning through these efforts and how effective our programs are in achieving the stated learning outcomes.”

NATIONAL BENEFITS OFINTERNATIONALIZATION

NATIONAL BENEFITS

• Attraction of good students from abroad• Acquisition of intercultural skills among all

students• Promotion of global responsibility• Positive change in social environment

NATIONAL BENEFITS

• Contact between countries for future business development

• Contact between scholars for future research projects

• Economic benefit of foreign investment• Marketing of the country

NATIONAL CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONALIZATION

NATIONAL CHALLENGES

• Create a safe environment.• Create convenient legal work and study

conditions.• Liberalize visa policies.• Consider student practicum requirements.• Pay attention to infrastructure issues.

CONCLUSIONS . . .

www.lcc.lt