All - AngloHigher

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All - AngloHigher

®
Volume 2, Issue 4
July-August 2010
www.anglohigher.com
ISSN 2041-8469 (Online)
Leaders in global higher
education
An interview with Professor
Ralf Hemmingsen, Rector,
University of Copenhagen,
Denmark
Choosing a university
- the viewpoint of an
international student,
By Athanasia Tsoukala
TeamStart creating
‘high potential’ startup businesses, By Jerry
Marshall, General Manager,
TBN, UK
Part of the series:
Leaders in global
higher education
Study in Sweden; the view
point of an Erasmus exchange
student
An interview with Professor
David Gillingham, President
of NIBS
By Diane De Masi, Final
year student, Nancy, France
In this issue:
How to succeed in your Master’s Degree and enjoy it! By Spiridoula Marinou, MSc graduate, Greece
Portfolio assessment, a valid tool to evaluate students’ achievements, By Zamira Alimemaj, Lecturer, University
of Vlora, Vlora, Albania & Lavdosh Ahmetaj, Director of the Albanological Center “Aleks Buda”, Kristal University,
Albania
Contents
3
Editorial, The era of global
competition, By Ioannis
Soilemetzidis
14
Leaders in global higher
education, an interview with
Professor Ralf Hemmingsen, Rector,
University of Copenhagen, Denmark,
By Ioannis Soilemetzidis, Photo: Heine
Pedersen
17
4
TeamStart creating ‘high potential’
start-up businesses, By Jerry
Marshall, General Manager, TBN, UK
Choosing a university - the
viewpoint of an international
student, By Athanasia Tsoukala, MA
Marketing (Digital Media) graduate,
University of Portsmouth, UK
Part of the series: ‘Leaders
in global higher education’,
an interview with Professor David
Gillingham, President of NIBS (The
Network of International Business
Schools) a members led higher
education association, By Ioannis
Soilemetzidis
6
How to succeed in your Master’s
Degree and enjoy it! By Spiridoula
Marinou, MSc graduate, Greece
7
Portfolio assessment, a valid
tool to evaluate students’
achievements, By Zamira Alimemaj,
Lecturer, University of Vlora, Albania
and Lavdosh Ahmetaj, Director of the
Albanological Center “Aleks Buda”,
Kristal University, Albania
9
Study in Sweden; the view
point of an Erasmus exchange
student, By Diane De Masi, Final
year student (Engineering Industrial
Systems) at Ecole nationale Supérieure
en Génie des Systèmes Industriels,
Nancy, France
12
2
Volume 2, Issue 4, July-August 2010
ISSN 2041-8469 (Online) www.anglohigher.com
Quarter page
86.5mm x 128mm
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AngloHigher® The Magazine of Global English Speaking Higher Education™
Copyright © 2009-10 by Panethnic Limited, All Rights Reserved.
®
ISSN 2041-8469 (Online)
Editorial
The era of global competition
Today, small players could tomorrow become
In the old days, higher education providers
major
higher educational providers.
could achieve national, regional and worldRecently,
I had a flash back when I visited a local
wide recognition by achieving excellence
family
business
that started a couple of decades
and high status in their home countries’
ago
and
today
is
a global leader in online learneducational structures. With the collapse
ing.
So
it
is
possible
and it can happen.
of the global political divisions of the
New
world
realities
and
possibilities; I wonder how
past, and the amazing achievements of
higher
education
will
look
like in a couple of dethe everyday accessible and affordable
cades,
what
do
you
think?
technology, over the last couple of decades profound changes have swept our daily life.
Ioannis
Higher education worldwide has been equally affected
and in today’s globalised world, higher education institutions have to compete at global level. This is true, not only
for those institutions that aspire to achieve a high level of
teaching and research and a strong relationship with multinationals and other high income generating activities.
Editor: Ioannis Soilemetzidis
It seems that it becomes also increasingly applicable for
General enquiries: [email protected]
the middle and bottom of the food chain. For example,
Advertising & Marketing: [email protected]
one could see what is happening in the market of forPhotography: by Heine Pedersen (Professor Ralf Hemmingsen,
eign language schools. Not that long ago, having a few
Rector,
University of Copenhagen) & cover by Ioannis Soilemetagents was enough in most cases to ensure profitability;
zidis
especially if the school was located in an English-speakAngloHigher® The Magazine of Global English Speaking Higher Educaing country. With the new reality of the “one system
tion™ is published by Panethnic Limited
one world” and the entry in the global marketplace of
The Venture Centre, Sir William Lyons Road
new higher education providers from all around the
University of Warwick Science Park
Coventry CV4 7EZ, UK
world, everything has changed.
How one can learn English to a native level almost
anywhere, no need to travel to an English speaking
country.
Copyright: No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form without written permisOn the contrary, sometimes there are signifision. Monetisation of any part of our materials including but not limited
cant benefits of learning English in a non-English
to this magazine or materials accessed through our website is strictly
prohibited. Any use of this magazine or any other materials accessed
speaking country. Thus, these new language desthrough our website or directly from us, printed, downloadable or in any
tinations have seen strong growth over the last
other form and media is subject to our Terms and Conditions, Privacy
Policy, Disclaimer, and Copyright and Permissions, which form part of our
decade. What about the quality one might ask?
Terms and Conditions (‘Terms of use’ and/or ‘Terms of our service’) availWell, high-level teachers with years of experiable from www.anglohigher.com
ence and the applicable qualifications now also
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this magazine (and in all
work globally. Just look what is happening in
other materials accessed through our website or directly from us) are those
of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect those of Panethnic
the Gulf; one can find high quality faculty memLimited (our trading names, Trade Marks, directors, employees, subsidiarbers from all over the English-speaking world
ies, successors and assigns). Advertising and/or acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement or recommendation. All claims within
in every single institution of the Gulf region.
advertisements, articles, announcements, case studies or any other materials
Competition, new technologies and globaliare strictly the responsibility of the authors and/or advertisers. Panethnic
Limited (our trading names, Trade Marks, directors, employees, subsidiaries,
sation are strong forces. As a result, today
successors and assigns) accept no responsibilities for loss or damage, however
one can find small and unknown language
caused. Despite our efforts, it is possible that the information will be out of date
or not relevant to your needs. Therefore, we cannot take any responsibility for
schools at major education fairs in countries
the consequences of errors or omissions, and we, our directors, editors, employall around the world, and that would have
ers, our subsidiaries, successors, assigns, vendors, partners and associates, are
not liable for any losses or damages arising from your use of our magazine,
been unthinkable just a few years ago. So
website and/or materials obtained from our website, our magazine or directly
globalisation for all, at all levels, is the new
from us, of any kind.
name of the game.
3
Leaders in global higher education, an interview with Professor
Ralf Hemmingsen, Rector, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
By Ioannis Soilemetzidis, Photo: Heine Pedersen - www.ku.dk/english
Dear Ralf, thank you very much for the interview. I would like to start with an introductory question, so my first question is:
What are the core characteristics of the
higher education system in Denmark and
what are the most important challenges,
current major trends, concerns and exciting developments in Danish higher education today?
Rector R. Hemmingsen: Basic research
and education are priority areas in Denmark, and the level of higher education is
very high. The University of Copenhagen’s
ranking on Times Higher is above many of
our counterparts in continental Europe.
One of the characteristics of the Danish
system is that universities are primarily
funded by the State. As such, Danish students do not pay tuition fees, because
education in Denmark is free.
There is a tradition for involvement in
student politics among our students, and
teachers and students interact in an atmosphere characterized by debate, critique and academic freedom.
In 2007, a number of Danish universities
merged, creating a Danish university map
with 8 universities. The University of Copenhagen merged with two top universities in health and life sciences, thus ensuring a gathering of core competencies
within this field. At the same time, the University of Copenhagen has maintained its
academic broadness with strong faculties
of humanities and social sciences as well as
interdisciplinary activities.
One example of such cross faculty efforts
is the University’s focus on climate change
with research projects on the environmental, social and economical consequences
of climate change. In 2009, faculty members from different departments came together in organizing a huge international
scientific congress on climate change with
our partners in the International Alliance
of Research Universities. The congress resulted in a synthesis report for COP15 and
a book that will be launched in 2011. Also,
the University has designed a climate strategy and a green campus strategy with an
aim of becoming one of the greenest campus areas in Europe reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
In terms of challenges, funding is of course
on the top of most university leaders’
minds in a time of global financial crisis.
Danish universities are looking at cutbacks
in State funding and must adjust their
4
strategies accordingly.
On the bright side, we have seen a marked
increase in external funding. In the past 2
years, for example, the University of Copenhagen has received donations in the
region of 200 million Euros for protein and
metabolic research.
In addition, the State has invested 400
million Euros in renovation and improvement of dated buildings and labs. Now, we
have started projects with new buildings
for both Humanities and Natural Sciences
such as the new Niels Bohr Science Park
and an addition to our Faculty of Health
Sciences.
At the University of Copenhagen, we are
very pleased with such investments. In a
time of crisis, it is imperative to continue
to invest in research and education as they
are the foundation of growth in society.
AngloHigher® : What are, in your opinion, the major differences in higher education between UK-Denmark and between
USA-Denmark?
Rector R. Hemmingsen: Again, funding
comes to mind, at least among the top
universities. For example, the funds available to a Harvard researcher are 5 times
the funds available to a researcher at the
University of Copenhagen.
On the other hand, a number of other advantages attract researchers and students
to Denmark such as good schools and day
care institutions, public health insurance
and high security.
Also, there has been a stronger tradition
of alumni work in the U.S. and UK. But in
that respect, we have been inspired by our
partner university Yale, and at the University of Copenhagen we are close to having
6000 members in our alumni association.
For now, our alumni work is focused on
“friendraising” rather than fundraising, but
maybe in the future, we will add more aspects.
Another major difference is how Danish
students prepare for their entry into the
labour market by having a relevant “study
job” for approximately 15 hours a week
during their academic studies. Students
work in ministries, consultant companies,
research companies, at the universities or
in various other jobs that provide them
with invaluable work experience that employers look for when hiring graduates.
AngloHigher® : How do you evaluate
the role, position and brand name of Danish higher education today in Europe and
worldwide? Are you concerned in that
respect? What are the steps necessary to
build further your brand identity globally?
Rector R. Hemmingsen: Danish universities have a strong brand, and I believe
they are highly respected internationally.
But there is global tendency that I like to
describe with an amusing story from the
world of whiskey.
In January, a whiskey blind tasting took
place in Scotland. But against all odds, the
winning whiskey was not from Scotland,
Ireland or even the U.S. No, the whiskey
was from Taiwan. When hearing about the
winner, the chief referee thought it was an
April fool’s joke, but it was no joke, and the
winner was announced.
The story serves as a fine analogy to the
development in universities worldwide.
Because in academia, the competition
from Asian countries like: China, India and
Singapore has increased over the past decade.
However, rather than seeing increased
competition as a threat, we should see it
as an opportunity for all parties to benefit, develop and cooperate while also
strengthening our individual brands. That
is why the University of Copenhagen cooperates with universities such as Peking,
Yale, Oxford and Cambridge in the International Alliance of Research Universities
(IARU). The Danish government launched
a vision statement in February with one
of its goals being that a Danish university
reaches the world top 10 by 2020.
Being Denmark’s leading university, the
University of Copenhagen is most likely to
reach such a goal. Currently, the University
of Copenhagen is 51 on the Times Higher
Ranking, and we aim to climb even higher.
But ranking is not the only aspect in university brands. The University of Copenhagen has a reputation for high quality education and research. And with our 2007
campus vision statement, we have focused
on an improved and more comprehensive
study environment with all the social aspects that are connected to the life of a
student such as better student service centres, shops, day care, cafés, better internet
facilities, study areas and much more.
AngloHigher® : Many say that the quality of higher education today is lagging
behind in comparison with 20, 30 or 40
years ago. Recently, a top manager was
telling me that: “the graduates that his
company employs today are of a very
poor quality and in need of extensive
training to do even the simplest tasks,
and that this was expected. When he
was a student they had classes of up
to 30 students and seminars of 7. Now
you can walk in to a lecture room and
find, in many cases, a couple of hundred of students. Higher education has
become an industrial unit.” What is your
opinion on the quality of higher education
today? What can be done to improve the
quality of graduates and how do you manage and control the quality in your university?
Rector R. Hemmingsen: There is no
doubt that top managers demand academic core competencies of a very high
standard from university graduates. And I
believe universities can do a lot to ensure
employability for their graduates.
At the University of Copenhagen, we have
seen no indication that the quality of education is lower than in the past or that we
produce graduates of less quality. And our
graduates find jobs. But we want to make
sure that we maintain a high standard of
education that is also compatible with the
demands of society. That is why we are in
continuous dialogue with employer panels with representatives from public and
private employers about the development
of higher education. We also offer mentor programs to our students, in which
employed graduates partner up with students to give them inspiration and a sense
of the labour market, a particular job function and the demands from employers.
Moreover, the relevant study jobs that
many Danish students have, prepare them
well for positions upon graduation.
In my opinion, the mass university is an
advantage for society, because many well
educated graduates join the Danish workforce. And it is our responsibility as a university to challenge both the average student and the elite student.
Universities must also nurture elite students and researchers to ensure core competencies and strong specialized research
environments. In addition to the researchbased education that all our students
meet, the University of Copenhagen offers
international programs such as the Copenhagen Masters of Excellence (COME),
a select group of two-year master’s programmes designed to challenge students
at the highest international academic level. And students that specialize in certain
research fields have access to top notch
research clusters through our Centres and
Programmes of Excellence that are specialized research units and projects.
AngloHigher® : In many countries, the internationalisation of programmes is linked
with the use of English as a medium of instruction. Is this the case in Denmark? Do
you consider that to be a threat to Danish
culture and national identity?
Rector R. Hemmingsen: English is the
language that connects international students with their teachers and their fellow
Danish students. I do not regard the use of
English as a threat to the Danish language
or identity. On the contrary, I believe it to
be a prerequisite for the growth and development of our society that the University
has an international outlook and students
and researchers can communicate well
with international counterparts.
Danes are generally known to speak fluent
English, but of course we must uphold the
didactic quality when Danes teach in English and ensure that students are met with
the same high standards as in their Danish
classes. Therefore, the University of Copenhagen has established the Centre for
Internationalization and Parallel Language
Use (CIP) that offers language certification,
language courses and research on parallel
language use in an academic context. All
lecturers in the Copenhagen Masters of
Excellence Programme (COME) are certified in English language proficiency by CIP.
The University of Copenhagen welcomes
international students and researchers,
because we consider internationalization a
core criterion for a top university. We offer
more than 500 courses in English and approximately 30 out of 110 full-time degrees
can be completed in English. We are very
pleased with the rising number of international students that attend the University
– 2000 last year.
AngloHigher® : One of the major current issues of global higher education is
the dropout rate/retention. What are your
‘insides’ on this issue and how do you deal
with it in your university?
Rector R. Hemmingsen: Overall, the
dropout rate at the University of Copenhagen has decreased by 12 % in the past
3 years with small fluctuations here and
there, and the dropout rate for freshman
students has decreased by 30 % in the
same period. However, from a society
point of view, we should not only look at
dropout rates, but also the education
progress for the individual student. That is
why we do not only work to reduce dropout rates, but also to encourage students
to take full course loads and complete
studies in due time.
Both factors are incorporated in a number
of initiatives before and after admission
and during the course of the students’
education. Open house and information
events present education options to potential students and enable them to make
informed choices before applying.
Improved orientation courses focus on academic skills and social interaction as well
as offering guided tours on campus, career
info and introductions to the students’
future teachers and other faculty. New
one-stop-shops offer students academic
support, study and career guidance and
administrative support. And students who
are behind schedule are contacted and
offered guidance sessions in order to get
them back on track, while graduate students work with “thesis time contracts” to
ensure a good and timely work progress.
In addition, we are currently launching
initiatives at the University of Copenhagen to develop the quality of education
even further. For instance by developing
teaching methods and our level of digitalisation. Also, we wish to make it easier for
students to put together a full course load
with credits from different departments in
order to make sure that the education they
receive at the University of Copenhagen is
up-to-date and provides students with the
best qualifications on a national and international level. Moreover, we have invested
largely in improving the study environment in terms of physical space, opening
hours in our libraries, technical aids and
social atmosphere. It is my impression that
our students welcome such initiatives and
have benefited from the University’s focus
on reducing dropout rates and securing
progress for each student. Anglohigher®
please email:
[email protected]
Anglohigher® Articles available
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5
TeamStart creating ‘high potential’ start-up businesses
By Jerry Marshall, General Manager, TBN, UK
www.tbnetwork.org - email: [email protected]
In 1999, Andrew was a mature 2nd year student with a business idea to use technology to assist doctors in prescribing drugs.
This year the business sold for £35m. Andrew was a TeamStart ‘Venturer’.
My first contact with TeamStart was as a
marketing consultant for the University of
Warwick Science Park. I helped recruit participants (called ‘Venturers’) for the programme. I was so impressed that I paid the
£800 fee to join the programme and started a marketing technology company with
two others. The company is profitable, fast
growing, has a turnover of over £2m and
employs 20 people.
The fastest growing companies tend to be
technology based (though generally using
existing technology creatively rather completely new technology); and they tend to
be formed by teams not individuals and
include experienced business managers.
TeamStart is a programme that picks up
on this and helps potential entrepreneurs
form high growth technology-based businesses.
Key elements of the programme are carefully managed recruitment (to find realistic and competent people willing to take a
risk with their own funds); a ‘group phase’
with 10 training days developing practical entrepreneurial skills and bringing potential teams together to work on business
opportunities; and a mentoring phase.
At first sight it looks like conventional entrepreneurship training. But the real value is more subtle: creating a climate of risktaking in the group; constantly pushing
Venturers into moving forward with their
idea week by week, feeding in ideas where
necessary; and encouraging them to form
entrepreneurial teams. It’s a ‘hothouse’
that pushes and supports those capable of
making things happen. The training itself is
usually done by guest speakers: a successful local sales director to teach sales skills; a
local firm of lawyers to cover shareholders
agreements, IPR and licence agreements;
practical marketing advice for start ups.
The style is highly interactive with small
groups working together and TeamStart
staff actively watching what is happening
and stretching participants. TeamStart has
a role in middle-income countries as well
as in developed economies. In most developing countries, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are underrepresented compared with developed economies; and yet
they have the potential to grow employ-
6
ment faster than micro- and mega-enterprises. As TeamStart businesses are technology-based, host countries or regions
need to have people with IT skills and education; and good and affordable ICT infrastructure; especially broadband. If that is in
place, there is no reason for TeamStart programmes to be any less successful in developing countries than in mature economies.
TeamStart also has a role in post-conflict
“The difference with TeamStart Palestine is
that it includes links with Israeli technology
companies, creating mutually beneficial
relationships across the divide.”
situations. If your enemy becomes your
partner or customer, and relationships
are formed, walls of hostility can be broken down. In 2008, I initiated a programme
in Ramallah, Palestine, training Palestinian staff and reviewing the first few programmes in October 2009. The difference
with TeamStart Palestine is that it includes
links with Israeli technology companies,
creating
mutually
beneficial relationships across the divide. We now plan
to extend it through
a university in Gaza.
TeamStart is a highly successful programme that could
be run in many other areas, evolving a
diverse range of individuals and companies. In this instance, universities
are particularly important. This is partly because the TeamStart participants are
younger in Palestine
– few older people
there have technology skills – and partly
because universities
are highly-respected
institutions, with the
resources, facilities,
knowhow and people to make it happen.
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Anglohigher®
How to succeed in your Master’s Degree and enjoy it!
By Spiridoula Marinou, MSc graduate, Greece
Hello, let me introduce myself. My name
is Spiridoula and I am from Patras, Greece.
Recently I have graduated from an MSc
course related to Project Management
from the University of Warwick in the UK.
Deciding to start a 1 year fulltime Master’s
degree is a difficult decision to make as it
is a very demanding and intense mode of
study compared with the 2 years MSc that
USA and the rest of the European universities are offering. On the other hand, it can
be an extremely fun, and an overall fulfilling and unforgettable experience.
For example, there are many opportunities
for socializing in the multicultural environment of any UK university and it is quite
“A balance between study and
relaxation is vitally important.”
easy to get lost in the many activities on
offer and get carried away. Almost in every
university there is a Postgraduate Society
that will arrange parties and special events
for postgraduate students. These events
are a great opportunity for socializing
and meeting people with similar interests.
There are also different societies organized
by region/country and their events are a
good opportunity to understand the different cultures, taste food from all over the
world and have special nights out dancing
to exotic music. So, don’t miss the Mediterranean parties and the Indian and Arad
food. Also, the International Office regularly organizes one day trips and it’s a good
opportunity for travelling in the UK in an
affordable way.
With all the opportunities for socializing,
you don’t want to spend the entire year
in the library studying and researching to
leave everything until the last minute; especially in relation to your final year project. A balance between study and relaxation is vitally important. Try to find that
balance between your studies and social life and stick to a well-scheduled programme. In that way, you will avoid unpleasant realities at the end of your studies
such as reassessment or failure to graduate, because you were too busy partying
and travelling around. The key for academic success combined with an extraordinary
year is to find the right balance between
your academic responsibilities and your
social life. And yes, after my experience in
Warwick I can tell you with confidence that
you need both.
At the beginning, you will find yourself extremely nervous and anxious about your
studies since many of you will have to
learn new things and adjust to a different
social and study environment. In my case,
before I arrived on campus, I thought that
this would be the most boring year of my
life, spending my time with my books and
my laptop.
Then you will meet a few new people and
if you are lucky enough as I was, you will
make new good friends quite easily. You
will have the opportunity to meet people
from all over the world, from India to Taiwan, Latin America, Africa and Hong Kong.
At the beginning, chances are that your
schedule will not be that full. You should
have the time to arrange nights out and
small excursions to the nearby areas. This
is a good chance for you to enjoy your
time, learn the country’s culture and get to
know better your new friends.
The key here is not to be carried away;
your social life it’s quite important and living in such a multicultural environment is
probably an experience that you will not
find easily again BUT do not forget your
goals and the purpose of what you want
to achieve by the end of the year. Here are
some simple and easy to follow steps that
could help you to achieve your goals while
studying abroad and at the same time help
you to have an amazing year!
Plan ahead and do not leave everything until the last minute: I am sure
also the holiday break. Universities in the
UK are quite organised and those dates, in
most cases, are available years in advance.
So, take a year calendar; you can get one
in the UK that will include local holidays
and your university schedule and put everything on it.
Usually you can buy that at the Student
Union or other university shop on campus.
Ask university staff and older students
when you arrive. Put your deadlines, the
days that you need to attend any modules,
the meetings with your supervisor, any
career fairs that you want to attend, the
days that your friends from home have arranged to visit you - you definitely will get
a lot of those, if you wish so! And here is
a tip that I wished someone had told me write down as much as you can, the dates
of your new friends’ birthdays. A surprise
birthday gathering is always a good excuse for partying and you do not want to
miss any of them because you have to submit an assignment the next day, so plan
ahead. After everything is written down,
you will be able to recognise that there
are some very busy and overloaded weeks
and some that are rather free. You can now
load your free weeks with some studying
- yes you need to do that also - and please
have in mind that, unfortunately, the work
you have heard that before and it sounds
like something simple that you will do, but
believe me, almost nobody really plans
ahead, and even if they do, they do not do
it correctly. So when I say plan I mean plan
in writing; buy a yearly planner or student
diary for that purpose, review and update
your plan regularly.
Do not just write
down the things that
you want or need to
do but make a plan
that actually works
for you. It is not that
difficult to develop a
plan.
please email:
In many aspects, the
[email protected]
year ahead is quite
fixed; you will know
your dissertation’s Anglohigher® Articles available
deadline, your mod- download at no cost from:
ules’ schedule and www.anglohigher.com
assessment days, and
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7
always takes more time than you think
it will and things can and will go wrong.
Computers can crash, printers can stop
working and sometimes people can let
you down which could be easily the case
in group assignments.
Thus, do not leave everything for the last
moment and give yourself sufficient time
to work without the deadline anxiety.
So, try not to be over-optimistic with objectives and days that you will need in order to study for exams or to finish an assignment. Expect that you will almost
certainly have some problems with your
schedule; a deadline will collide with a
party that your friends are organizing or
with a trip that you are planning to go
on. But, no worries, you have planned
ahead and a good plan should give you
the room for some flexibility and help
you to succeed with your academic work
as well as to have an amazing social life.
Dissertation: Choose your topic as early as you can. When choosing your topic,
have in mind that you will have to spend a
lot of time researching, reading and writing about it so it should be something that
you are really interested in.
Don’t choose something because other people told you too, or because it sounds catchy.
Choose a subject that is your own interest,
something that you enjoy reading about
and that you will love doing day after day.
This will make the time that you will spend
studying more bearable and will keep
you motivated. Moreover, try to choose a
subject with a supervisor with whom you
communicate well. It is very important to
work with someone that you get on well
with; it doesn’t matter if you share the
same ideas about the approach that you
will take - maybe it will make it even more
challenging and interesting if you do not
- the important thing is to share the same
ideas about the work style.
So, agree to plan with your supervisor and
try to stick to the plan. Create major milestones by dividing your work and arrange
meetings with your supervisor in order to
show him/her your progress and get feedback.
It is never too early to start writing. The research never ends, so stop using it as an excuse for postponing the writing part. The
earliest you start writing the better it will
be for you.
Actually, by starting to write quite early,
it can be quite advantageous as you will
have a better understanding of how to approach the subject and on which points it
is better to focus. It is important to place
strict deadlines on yourself and a word limit as well. It is very easy to get carried away
and start waffling and lose the bigger picture of the subject. The title is not something important and you can change it as
many times as you want; the important
thing is to know what you want to accomplish and how to do it. So set a goal from
the very beginning about what you want
to achieve by doing this research; what is
your target?
Every time you get lost and you do not
know exactly what to do, think whether
this is adding value to your project and
how it fits into your dissertation’s overall aim. When writing, make sure that you
convene the message well and that people
can understand your points without much
effort.
“But again, do not overdo it; make
a schedule of what you want to
achieve for the day, the words...”
Working on your project does not mean
that you need to lose your friends or stop
socializing. Probably most of your friends
will be in the same situation as you anyway. Everyone needs to study hard and
concentrate on their own work. So try to
combine your need to unwind with the
necessities of your studies by arranging
study groups or by
treating yourself to
a nice night out after a day of hard
work. The study
groups were something that worked
quite well for me
during the previous
please email:
year, but it is also [email protected]
portant not to overdo it. Group work is
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not the answer to all
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problems; especially
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if some are more focused than others.
So try to arrange to study with people that
you know take their study seriously and
are not playing around.
Arrange to meet in places such as a quiet
area in the library or a place that everybody will be able to concentrate and will
have their own space. During your breaks,
you can have nice small chats or maybe organize to go somewhere altogether, such
as going for lunch. But again, do not overdo it; make a schedule of what you want to
achieve for the day, the words you want to
write or the paragraphs that you need to
finish and stick to it. In the end, it is only
up to you how much effort you want to
put into your Master degree and what you
want to achieve from your experience of
studying abroad.
But the more effort you put into it, the
more benefits you will gain. Do not forget
that, while this will be a unique opportunity to get to know people from all over the
world and have some amazing times, it is
also a unique opportunity to learn, develop your knowledge and prove your project management skills; a unique chance
not only to get a degree but also to acquire
good social skills, job practice and habits;
to develop all those qualities that employers will highly value during the next stage
of your life after graduation.
After everything else is finished, you will
have forever all those memories, new skills
and ways of thinking, a Master degree,
many life changing experiences, lovely
friends and some amazing stories to tell.
So, try to balance everything by planning,
planning, planning and....then some more
planning.
Have fun, enjoy the journey, love every
moment and make it a success.
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8
Portfolio assessment, a valid tool to evaluate students’ achievements
By Zamira Alimemaj, Lecturer, University of Vlora, Albania and Lavdosh Ahmetaj, Director of the
Albanological Center “Aleks Buda”, Kristal University, Albania
www.univlora.edu.al email: [email protected]
www.kristal.edu.al email: [email protected]
Introduction
Portfolio assessment methodology has
generated a good deal of interest in recent years, with academics taking the lead
in exploring ways to use them. The function of assessment exists to offer information about how students are learning and
teachers are teaching, in order to facilitate
learning and teaching results. Traditional testing, such as standardised measurements or norm-referenced instruments,
is quite product-based so that it fails to
provide process-based evidence of learning and teaching. The problem associated with traditional testing is also that it
masks what the students really know or, in
the case of English as second/foreign language, what the students can do. As Padilla et al. (1996 p.429) indicates, “Traditional
assessment has emphasized the measurement of a given body of defined and discrete knowledge as determined by a student’s performance on an objective test.
This approach has often been limited to
assessment of student outcomes at a specific point in time and has provided little information about teaching and learning processes”. In addition, Huerta-Macias
(1995) points out that the testing situation itself often produces anxiety within the students such that they are unable
to think clearly. The students may also be
facing extenuating circumstances (e.g.,
personal problems or illness) at the time
that they are being tested; this also can influence the students’ performance on the
test. Wolf (1989) more completely depicts
the once-over and one-time nature of
standardised tests as 1) assessment which
comes without a personal responsibility, 2)
assessment which measures learners’ performance on the slice of skills that appears
on tests, but fails to demonstrate learners’
full range of intuitions and knowledge, 3)
sufficiency with first-draft work, and 4) exclusion of development.
Recently, educators have put emphasis on
searching for alternative measurements
with which students can be evaluated on
what they can integrate and produce instead of how well they can memorise.
There is no one best alternative assessment method, as well as no single approach to implement alternative assessment techniques. One of the alternative
possibilities is portfolio assessment; an effective addition to traditional forms of assessment. Portfolios provide evidence of
students’ learning processes toward meeting their goals as learners and the framework or backdrop for teachers’ instruction.
Portfolio assessment can also be seen as
an effective measurement to compensate
the disadvantages of traditional assessment. McNamara and Deane (1995, p. 21)
explain the importance of using portfolios as one educational assessment tool by
pointing out that it provides “a more complete picture of our students’ ability, effort,
and progress” and, more importantly, it allows students to “have a greater voice in
their language learning process”.
What is Portfolio Assessment?
Portfolio assessment is the systematic, longitudinal collection of students’ work created in response to specific, known instruction and objectives, and afterwards
evaluated in relation to the same criteria.
The assessment is done by measuring the
individual sections as well as the portfolio as a whole against the specified criteria, which match the objectives toward a
specific purpose. Portfolio creation is the
responsibility of the learner, with teacher
guidance and support, and often with the
involvement of peers and parents. The audience can participate in the assessment of
the portfolio. Academics have developed
portfolio instruction and assessment criteria, and gained appropriate administrative
support. During the development process,
they found answers to their own questions, as well as addressed issues concerning portfolio assessment coming from col-
leagues, students and parents. Concerns
are often focused on reliability, validity,
process, evaluation, and time. These issues
could apply equally to other assessment
methods. There is no assessment tool that
meets every teacher’s purpose perfectly, is entirely valid and reliable, takes no
time to prepare, administer, or grade, and
meets each student’s learning style. Foreign language educators need to be able
to choose and/or design assessments that
meet their most important instructional and assessment needs and which they
have the resources to implement and evaluate. Below are some strengths of portfolio assessment, seen in contrast to traditional forms of assessment, traditional
assessment versus portfolio assessment.
9
A specific distinction in using portfolio assessment in second/foreign languages
is that the learner’s ability to use the language is the primary goal of study. The
learner’s current use of the target language system and potential growth in the
abilities over a period of time is what is at
issue. This type of portfolio can capture
the learner’s use of the language in many
ways. Particularly, it can provide not only
the students’ progress in four main language skills areas (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) but also their entire
progress in the language learning process.
Specifically, considering the development
of the student’s reading skills and ability
to compose written products in the second/foreign language, the student’s written materials can be a part of the portfolios. Although the growth of oral skills is
difficult to be captured through written
means, the use of multimedia in this type
of portfolio, such as audio and video recordings, enhances the reliability. Some of
the advantages of using portfolios in the
field of foreign language education can be
to provide students with opportunities to
display their work, serve as a vehicle for
critical self-analysis, and demonstrate mastery of a foreign language.
While some researchers such as Padilla et
al. (1996), have pointed out the general advantages, innumerable strengths of using
portfolios in second/foreign language assessment have been reported by many researchers (such as: Wolf, 1989; Singer, 1993;
Gottlieb, 1995; Huerta-Macias, 1995; McNamara & Deane, 1995).
More specifically, this type of portfolio, for
students, is able to: 1) help them become
aware of the language learning contexts
that work best for them, 2) establish their
goals for future independent learning, 3)
allow them to assume responsibility for
their own learning and provide evidence
of their progress toward meeting their
goals as learners, 4) provide them with opportunities to display good work, 5) serve
as a vehicle for critical self-analysis, and 6)
demonstrate mastery of a second/foreign
language.
For teachers, the use of such type of portfolio assessment in the classroom can: 1)
provide information on the strengths and
weaknesses of each individual student, 2)
provide multiple indices that can be used
to gauge and document each individual
student’s progress, 3) help identify effective language learning strategies and materials or reflect the curriculum that is actually being implemented in the classroom,
and 4) provide information into their students’ language learning process and al-
low teachers to individualise their instruction.
Concept and Purpose
Portfolios have been used for a long time
by various professions as a means to document a person’s achievements. For example artists, architects or designers collect samples of their work in portfolios.
They use them to show evidence of their
best practice, but also to demonstrate how
their skills have developed over the years
as a consequence of the learning process.
In second/foreign language classrooms,
the greatest potential of portfolios is to
document and chart students’ growth in
proficiency in the four language skills. Specifically, items placed into the portfolios
over time enable anyone to examine the
students’ increased knowledge and sophistication with using vocabulary, greater accuracy in pronunciation, increasing
fluency of oral production, and growth in
using the language for written purposes.
In a pilot project of portfolio assessment
in foreign language education, realised in
1993 (Singer, 1993), researchers indicate
that, in contrast to more than just a container full of stuff, this type of portfolio is
systematically collected with organisation.
It is used to monitor the students’ learning
process or to exhibit their efforts, progress, as well as achievement with respect
to their knowledge, skills, and attitudes in
second/foreign language learning. Portfolios may be used for different purposes in
second/foreign language due to different
instructional needs. However, first of all,
the teachers and the students should clarify the purpose of their portfolios. Carefully considering the following questions
should help the teacher and students to
work out the purpose of their portfolios.
• What should be placed in the portfolio?
• How often should materials be added to
the portfolio?
• Who decides what goes into the portfolio?
• Who should be given responsibility for its
safekeeping?
• What should be done with the portfolio
at the end of the school year?
Approaches to implementation
There is no single way to implement portfolios in second/foreign language education. They tend to represent different
intents; however, all of them are educationally defensible. As a means of implementing portfolios in second/foreign
language assessment, the following approaches, which represent equal weight,
importance as well as validity, address de-
2, Issue 4, July-August 2010
10 Volume
tailed stages to develop this type of portfolio, with a unique function shaped by a
set of specified criteria. They are:
a) Collection
Brainstorm with students and other teachers to generate a list of tasks, projects, or
exhibit checklists to help students select
samples from their working portfolios that
represent their academic growth. By the
use of these checklists, students repeatedly review and add new accomplishments
into their portfolios to show their continual knowledge growth over the language
level during a set timeframe. To solve the
difficulty of capturing the oral abilities of
a target language through written means,
one can use technologies, such as audio and video recordings. In order to enhance students’ involvement during the
portfolio development process, they can
be asked to establish goal cards and time
planning sheets.
b) Reflection
The teacher can have the students explain why they would include certain pieces of their work into their portfolios by asking them to write a reflective statement
which expresses their attitudes, reactions,
and thoughts (e.g., reading logs, response
journals, or learning logs). The teacher can
work with the class to generate different
types of reflection, such as a class-generated checklist, to help the students edit their
writing or help them check the content of
their work, as well as their learning strategies.
c) Documentation
The portfolios should be systematically
documented in order to be clear to the students and their parents. Results from standardised testing, as available, can provide
one source of documentation in the portfolio and contribute to a comprehensive
view of student achievement.
d) Linkage
Portfolio assessment in second/foreign
language education should 1) build up
communication networks among the
school, home and community regarding
goals of the programme, curricula, and
teaching materials, 2) ease transitions of
students from one language level to another, and 3) promote articulation among
teachers regarding students’ progress in
the language development across time
and levels. Such a linkage is aimed to promote students’ learning result with an efficient communication among students,
teachers, and parents.
e) Evaluation
Periodical evaluation (e.g., at the completion of a language level or at the end of an
academic year) on the worth and accuracy
of the portfolios is needed to improve this
type of portfolio practice.
The summative data generated by the
evaluation can also be used for teaching accountabilities. This is because a language portfolio can act as a large expandable file folder that holds the following: 1)
samples of the student’s work selected by
the teacher or the student, 2) the teacher’s
observational notes, 3) the student’s own
periodic self-evaluations, 4) progress notes
contributed by the student and the teacher collaboratively.
The range of items is almost limitless, but
may include the following: 1) written responses to reading, 2) reading logs, 3) selected daily work, 4) pieces of writing at
various stages of completion, 5) classroom
tests, 6) checklists, 7) unit projects, 8) audio and video recordings.
The key is variety, so that teachers, parents
and students can build a complete picture
of the student’s development. This type of
portfolios can be evaluated through the
collaboration of classroom teachers, students and course administrators.
Before portfolios are actually used in second/foreign language assessment, validity
and reliability of this type of assessment
should be established. Validity can be enhanced when the materials, resources, and
procedures correspond to those of instruction. Specifically, students should understand the goal of their portfolios, such as
the content and evaluation criteria, before
using the portfolio assessment in the classroom. Academics should be consistent
with the criteria toward the whole class
in order to strengthen the reliability once
the rubric is established. Rubrics, serving
as a yardstick for the assessment, should
be aligned with specified tasks. The possible form of them might be a checklist, a
rating scale, or a matrix. Students should
participate in the development of rubrics
along with their teacher as a gauge of their
achievement in order to get the informa-
tion about, and agree at how to use, the rubrics. As Gottleb (1995) mentions, “reaching close to unanimous agreement among
teachers on ratings within a rubric (not an
easy feat) on individual entries or the portfolio as a whole provides consistency or reliability”.
The teacher’s assessment sheet consists
of at least three domains - what, so what
and now what? The questions concerning what may be “What did the student do,
step-by-step?” and “What did the student
learn, step-by-step?” As to so what, questions like “What was important, valuable
or interesting about this unit of work?”
and “What new thoughts, knowledge or
understanding did the student develop?”
can be asked. Finally the questions related to now what may include “What might
the student have worked on more or done
better?”
“What could have been done by others to
facilitate this work?” “Based on this work,
what new questions or goals does the student think should be next?” and “Based
on this unit, what has changed for the student?” With that, students receive the final
grade, which must also include a rationale
explanation from the evaluator.
If a test is used only for a judgmental and
prescriptive tool, it is hard for such a test
to provide information for a teaching and
learning diagnosis or repair. Tests can be
effective when they are integrated with
multiple assessment methods, so that
they can present a broad and extensive
picture regarding the student’s learning,
for not every aspect of language learning
can be accessed through tests. Portfolio
assessment in second/foreign language is
continuous, formative, and diagnostic because it provides an elaborated system of
scoring that reflects the diversity and variation of language skills in different situation
and purposes. It also provides teachers
with evidence of the development of their
students’ learning process over time and
helps students regularly examine their
own learning strategies as well. However, given the fact that
no single assessment
can provide comThis advert space could
plete evidence for
each individual’s lanplease email:
guage development,
[email protected]
portfolio assessment
in
second/foreign
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used in conjunction
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with other assessment methods. Ini-
Eighth page
86.5mm x 63mm
tially, implementing portfolios in assessment no doubt needs an extra investment
of time, effort and money, which easily
causes resistance or negative responses
from teachers and/or students, especially
from novice teachers or teachers who hate
to make changes.
Therefore, training programmes or workshops should be developed by the government or educational organisations to help
teachers understand the advantages of using portfolios in second/foreign language
assessment and direct/guide teachers how
to practice this type of portfolio assessment in their classrooms. Information networks should also be built up to provide
teachers with necessary information.
Finally, to novice teachers, it may be better
for them to start from a small-scale portfolio, such as reading portfolios only.
References:
Castiglione V.L. (1996). “Portfolio assessment in
Art and Education.” Arts Education Policy Review, 97 (4), p. 2-9.
Gottlieb, M. (1995). “Nurturing student learning through portfolios.” TESOL Journal, 5(1), p.
12-14.
Grady, E. (1992). “The portfolio approach to assessment.” Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Huerta-Macias, A. (1995). “Alternative assessment: Responses to commonly asked questions.” TESOL Journal, 5, pp. 8-10.
McNamara, M. J. & Deane, D. (1995). “Self-assessment activities: Toward autonomy in language
learning.” TESOL Journal, 5(1), p. 17-21.
Padilla, A.M., Aninao, J.C. & Sung, H. (1996). “Development and implementation of student
portfolios in foreign language programs.” Foreign Language Annals, 29(3), p. 429-438.
Singer, S. (1993) Portfolio assessment in foreign
language, Document Reproduction Service No,
ED 368197.
Smolen, L., Newman, C., Wathen, T., & Lee, D.
(1995). “Developing student self-assessment
strategies.” TESOL Journal, 5(1), p. 22-27.
Wolf, D.P. (1989). “Portfolio assessment: Sampling student work.” Educational leadership,
46 (7), p. 35-39.
Anglohigher®
11
Study in Sweden; the view point of an Erasmus exchange student
By Diane De Masi, Final year student (Engineering Industrial Systems) at Ecole nationale Supérieure en
Génie des Systèmes Industriels, Nancy, France
http://www.ensgsi.inpl-nancy.fr
Have you ever considered studying
abroad, but you are not quite sure whether it’s worth your time? Well let me tell you
about the life-changing experience that
I had as an Erasmus exchange student
in Sweden for a year; one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Since my
first year at the University, I had decided
to spend one year abroad. On my second
year, I went to see the coordinator for International Relations in my University. She
shows me all the partnerships and options available. I chose the University of
Lulea; the northernmost technical university of Scandinavia close to the polar circle.
I wanted to experience the real Swedish
winter when temperatures drop to minus
20°C and the sunset is at 2.00p.m. Once
I took my decision and had informed my
university administration of my choice, the
process was really simple. The coordinator
gave me all the paperwork required. I filled
them out and sent them with a CV and a
cover letter to the coordinator of the University of Lulea in Sweden. One month lat-
er, I received an acceptance email and my
excitement gathered speed as I got ready
to travel aboard. My first positive surprise
was at Lulea’s airport. The international
student support team was waiting for me.
They took me directly to my flat and gave
me the keys, my Swedish student PIN card,
and everything else I needed for the first
days. During the academic year, their organisation, helpful mentality and dedication to all exchange students was amazing. In Sweden, they have a high level of
“I went abroad because, in my
opinion, it is the optimal way to
learn a foreign language.”
respect regarding people’s timetables,
delays are rare and organisation is very
strong. I really appreciated that. However,
due to the luck of cultural understanding,
some Swedish people think that French
people are rude because of our nonchalant behaviour. I went abroad because, in
my opinion, it is the
optimal way to learn
a foreign language.
At first, I took Swedish courses. However, you don’t need to
speak Swedish to live
in Sweden. Swedish
people are almost all
fluent in English and
courses at the university were taught
in English as well. In
Lulea, you have the
option to leave with
10 other students in
a shared flat. Learning to live with people from around the
world is a great experience. It gives you
the opportunity to
make friends and to
get to know other
cultures first hand. In
my case, I was leaving with students
from Sweden, Russia,
Australia, Spain, Germany, Singapore and
Hong Kong. I love
cooking and prepar-
12 Volume
ing our ‘international dinner’ will remain
as one of my best flat-sharing memories.
As students, we are all the same when it
comes to having fun. However, there are
differences that one can spot on the daily
routine. I also went abroad to see and experience new things and to face and learn
about cultural differences.
In addition it was the perfect timing to
break out of my academic routine. I became familiar with an entirely new aca“For the field trip, we went on a military
base and built Igloos for the night.”
demic system. In Sweden, teachers and
students are closer than in France. Teachers expect their students to be adult and
treat them accordingly.
Consequently, there are fewer lectures –
in my case it was only 10 hours per week
- however, you have to work a lot on your
own. Working long hours at the library was
quite productive and I met Swedish classmates, which were really happy to help
me. I took modules that are not available at
my home campus. For instance, during the
“Snow and Ice” course we had the opportunity to learn about the impact of leaving
in cold weather. For the field trip, we went
on a military base and built Igloos for the
night.
What an amazing experience to sleep inside
Igloos and to have ‘Reindeer Kebab’ for dinner! I will never forget it!
For me, another advantage about living
abroad as an international student was not to
have routine and monotony. You could travel
during weekends and academic breaks.
Besides, because of the time constraint, one
is more focused and normally will take the
opportunity to explore surroundings much
more than in one’s home country since an
opportunity like that might not occur again.
In my year as an exchange student, I have
visited many great places such as the
Ice Hotel in Kiruna, Rovianemi in Finland
where the Santa Class village is located. I
also did activities that I would never imagine doing in France like ice climbing, killer
whale watching, dogs sledding, and snow
sculpture.
During the six months of winter, I started
snowboarding and visited nearly all the ski
“For a student, the monthly living cost
is around 7000SEK which includes,
for example, accommodation costing
approximately...”
resorts of the north of Scandinavia. All activities can be great fun and there is nothing I wouldn’t advise you to do. However, if you go to Lulea, it will be easier and
less expensive for you to travel only in the
north of Scandinavia. To reach, for example Stockholm, it takes more than 10 hours
by train and the return flights are around
1000SEK. Also, living in Sweden can be
quite expensive compared to France and
many other countries. For a student, the
monthly living cost is around 7000SEK
which includes, for example, accommodation costing approximately 2300SEK and
food costing about 2400SEK. Course literature can be purchase for around 500SEK
for one module. Therefore, do not forget
to explore any scholarships or other funding opportunities that might be available
from your county or home University. This
experience has expanded my worldview.
I like the feeling of being with people
from other cultures. I returned home with
a much more informed and much less biased perspective regarding other cultures
and people. Sweden and France are two
quite different countries. I really enjoyed
Sweden because in my experience I found
Swedish people to be much more respectful and eager to help than French people I
know. When speaking, Swedish speak softly and calmly. During my stay I have never seen a Swede demonstrating anger or
other strong emotion in public. However,
sometimes they can appear to be shy. In
“In France, it is easy to make contact
with strangers. On the contrary, it takes
much longer to get to know people in
Sweden. ”
addition, during my first months in Sweden, I was very surprised because Swedish people didn’t talk to me. In France, it
is easy to make contact with strangers. On
the contrary, it takes much longer to get to
know people in Sweden. So, even if you are
not confident with your English, I’d advise
you to talk people as much as you can and
try to meet new friends. Check the student
office schedule to learn about the different
events and activities.
Once you start your international journey,
you will love it and will not be able to stop.
Coming back home with a new vision, I
realised that there were plenty more opportunities to travel and work abroad and
keep meeting people from all over the
world.
After my Erasmus year in Sweden, I spent
a summer working in Greece and am currently working in UK before returning to
France to finish my degree.
I trust that I will continue to love living
abroad because of the multicultural experience that one can have, meeting new
people and wondering what new adventures tomorrow will bring.
If you would like to explore the unique opportunities of studying abroad, your first
stop should be the relevant departments
of your university and national organisations involved in student exchange.
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13
Choosing a university - the viewpoint of
an international student
By Athanasia Tsoukala, MA Marketing (Digital Media) graduate,
University of Portsmouth, UK
Undoubtedly, our choice of university is a
very crucial decision and should be made
after thorough consideration of the different available options based on facts. This
decision will affect our future life in the
short and the long term. There are several
factors that can have a significant impact
upon our decision; some key points are
presented below. To begin with, a key issue is the availability of financial resources. This, among others, is linked with the
reality of how expensive it is to study in a
particular university. Leading universities
with good reputations and high ranking
scores, usually have higher fees. Additionally, big cities and especially capitals cities
are much more expensive in which to live,
in comparison to smaller cities or towns.
The decision will be easier if you already
have the necessary budget to fund your
studies, either through personal income,
your home country government scholarship, scholarship granted via your univer-
sity, or other source of funding.
As a student, you should not believe that
you would be able to fund your studies
wholly through a possible job that you
might get. First of all, there are some countries which place limits on the total number of hours a student may work. For example, in the UK, all students who are
eligible to work are prohibited by law to
work in excess of 20 hours per week during
term time, while they can work full-time
during holidays and working placements.
Moreover, a student may not have the ability to work based on his/her visa situation
which determines the eligibility to work
and the total number of working hours
“A more organized career service
offers a great wealth of information
and training opportunities... ”
(“Working in the UK during your studies”,
n. d.). Finally, even if the law permits, at
times it can be really
difficult for someone
to combine work and
studies and although
many people manage to do so, they
end up being overtired or producing results of medium quality in both fields.
Speaking about job
opportunities,
it
should be mentioned
that you could check
out employment during or immediately after your studies.
Most UK universities
offer two ways of the
so-called “work experience placements”.
One option could be
between the second
and the third year in many cases as part
of your degree, or between the third and
the fourth year. This
placement will last
for a full academic
year. A second option
could be a six-month
14 Volume
placement during your third year. This
work experience can offer you real handson experience in the field you want to follow; necessary for when looking for jobs
after graduation and actually to see if what
you study is what you really want (“Before
University”, 2005).
Needless to say, it could be a good idea to
choose a subject matter in which you are
more likely to find a good job after graduation, unless of course you have a particular interest in a field, no matter its prospects. Moreover, there are some courses
that lead directly to employment such as
military studies; while in some other fields
it might be more difficult to find employment because of the competition. A student should think about these and other
parameters before deciding in which field
to study. In your effort to find a job during studies or after graduation, you could
get help from the career office, alumni and
maybe the student union of your university.
A more organized career service offers a
great wealth of information and training
opportunities and also could offers career
advice to help students and graduates find
employment. A university will usually hold
open days with local, national and international businesses to help its students with
finding a job. In order for the university to
show its achievements in this field, it will
usually present tables with the percentage of students working within their studies or, for example, within six months after graduation. Therefore, you could also
look through these tables - usually available online - before deciding whether or
not a particular university is the best option in your case. In addition, the university
itself is a very important factor that can impact on the decision where to study. You
could look at the reputation of the university, where the university is located in official rankings, what courses the university
offers and if it offers the exact course that
you want to study, what activities the student union offers, how strong the alumni
is and the success rate of prior graduates,
and so on. The importance of an active and
influential student union is, that students
can feel that they play a more active part
in the university, participating in the decision-making process. Moreover, this
could help students to become more easily aware of different issues relating to their
studies and the possible routes after graduation. Therefore, the students should become more motivated and stronger relationships among the members are being
created. Student Unions and, in general,
student groups are also important in persuading fellow students who are undecid-
“However, this is only one factor of the
university’s overall quality. Another
important issue that...”
ed of what to study (Owens, 2003, p. 3).
Additionally, students need more activities than just studying. They need to relax and have fun; they need to travel and
participate in different social activities that
can help them relax and socialize. Student
unions usually play a major part in all students’ activities. Nowadays, these activities
are announced via the university’s website;
you can check online and compare different universities. However, this is only one
factor of the university’s overall quality.
Another important issue that could help
with your future career is the development
of your friends and professional network.
One of the aims of the alumni association
in a university is the maintenance of these
relationships that were built during studies. It also has an emotional impact, since
graduates were and always will be a member of the university no matter how many
years have passed since their graduation.
In addition, alumni play important roles in
giving advice to prospective students and
funding the university (Dolan, 2002).
By the same token, the links of the university with employers can play an important role, especially after graduation
during the crucial time when most graduates are impatiently looking for their first
graduate employment. When a university
has strong relationships with companies,
it should be able to help more effectively
graduates to find employment.
Moreover, in most cases, it should be possible to ensure that managers from different
companies will give talks and guest lecturers offer real, everyday industrial tips,
rather than the sometimes out-of-date examples presented in handbooks. Another
factor to consider is the options within the
study programmes and the entry requirements (“Choosing a University”, 2009).
Further prestigious universities might offer more demanding courses and it could
be harder to secure a place because of
the higher entry requirements. Lastly, you
should check what accommodation and
“However, this approach has been
criticized by others that regard choosing
a university under the influence of...”
other facilities the university offers. If you
are a person with a learning difficulty or
some other special need, you should find
out whether you will be provided with adequate support.
Also, sometimes the presence of a relative
or friend at a university could be the deciding factor influencing your choice to
attend a particular university. While this
could ensure that you will have a familiar
face close by and therefore are less likely
to feel alone or homesick, it might not be
the best course of action for your future. In
my case, I had chosen to study at the same
university as my boyfriend and was lucky
enough that the particular university offered what I wanted to study. Although I
had doubts regarding my decision at the
beginning, in time it proved that this decision was correct for me. Also, this made a
lot of financial sense since we could share
a lot of the expenses and managed to accomplish our studies on time and within
budgets. However, this approach has been
criticized by others that regard choosing
a university under the influence of your
personal life situation to be totally wrong
(“Top ten rules for selecting a college or
university”, n. d.).
Others argue that if you already have
friends at your future university, it is possible that this will limit you from getting
to know new people (“Before University”,
2005). Additionally, you have always to
keep in mind that your friends’ commitments may stop them from spending time
with you, especially if you enrol on a different course.
On the other hand, if you do not know
anyone at your new university but want
to meet people attending courses from
your home country, you can always check
with the student union or university support services for opportunities to network
with people from the same country as you.
Also, friends and family could have a dated impression about a university or course
based on old facts. Higher education is
changing quickly and a lot of things could
be different from the time that they were
students at the university.
A visit to the university, including at the
exact campus and school that you will attend, will give you the chance to evaluate
the location and maybe speak to current
students and staff. A visit could also help
with application and admission issues, especially if you meet staff members.
During that visit, you could submit the
necessary documents directly and provide
any clarification needed. Another issue for
future students could be the fact of how
easy it will be to obtain a visa from your
home country to your destination country.
However, the issue of visas does not exist
in the cases of students’ movement within
regional cooperation groups, such as between countries of the European Union. In
that case, all you need is a passport, driver
licence or a national identity card.
Another important factor is the recognition of the particular degree in your home
country and worldwide, including issues
related with academic status and professional rights. For example, it is uncommon
to train to become a primary or secondary
school teacher in a country other than the
one in which you wish to work. This is due
to the significant differences in the educational systems and qualifications needed
to be able to practice. In such cases, further studies, training and examinations
might be necessary. As far as the location
is concerned, you have also to think about
how easy is to integrate within the culture
of the country in which you wish to study.
This is especially important for undergraduate and PhD students since they will have
to stay abroad significantly longer.
So does the country of your choice have a
completely different culture from the one
you are used to? Will the particular environment give you the opportunities to explore your full potential? Can you stand
the weather?
In addition, is the location of the university
a nice place to live in, with a good reputation and low crime rates? What is the general reputation of the country and its educational system in comparison with other
options? Is the university located in a big
city or a small student town?
Other important issues could be the distance of the university to your home country, the language of the country, the duration of the course and the language in
which the course will be taught. All the
above can have significant financially-related consequences.
Language knowledge is an important factor and it is a good idea to know the language of the country in which you want to
study, even if the language of the course
will be an international language such as
English.
You need to know the local language at
least at a basic level in order to be able to
communicate in everyday basic situations,
such as buying food, travel and so on.
15
Finally, one other fact that can affect your
decision is the total duration of the studies. For example, Master courses in the UK
usually last for one year – there are some
18 months Master courses - while for most
of the universities in the USA and the rest
of Europe, the duration is two years. The
choice of the location will often depend
on how quickly you must finish your studies and that is, in many cases, linked with
your financial status.
Likewise, you should also consider other general commitments that you might
have. For example, you might have a family or a job you do not want to leave behind.
This automatically may limit your choice of
places and mode of study. You could be
limited only to distance learning courses or countries nearby, or those providing
services, facilities and support for couples
or young families. Besides all these, what
can influence the opinion students create
about a university is the overall impression
of the university website. If a university’s
website looks old or is difficult for a viewer to navigate, search and find the information, it is most likely that potential students
will develop a negative first impression of
the university and search for alternative
options. Thus, while the reality can be far
away from what the website shows, we are
living in the internet age and the first impression is very important for all universi-
“As a result, universities should put
great effort into creating a website of
good quality, representative of the
image they want to...”
ties. International students are particularly
limited to finding the majority of information online. As a result, universities should
put great effort into creating a website of
good quality, representative of the image
they want to promote about themselves
and the actual reality of the everyday life
that their current students experience.
Summing up, there are a variety of different factors that can influence a person looking for higher education courses.
Therefore, prospective students ought to
consider all possible options and potential
issues before deciding upon the university
they will attend. This will be a decision that
will have a short-term affect on your life for
the next one to five years, and could also
be a long-term influence on your entire future life. Remember there are choices out
there for you!
Merlin Helps Students website: http://www.merlinhelpsstudents.com/studentlife/beforeuniversity/
choosing/choosingauniversity.asp
Choosing a University- Quality and reputation. (2009).
Retrieved June 15, 2010 from The Complete University Guide website: http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6444
Dolan, R. (2002, March 11). The Importance of Student
& Alumni Support. The Monroe St. Journal. Retrieved
June 16, 2010 from http://media.www.themsj.com/
media/storage/paper207/news/2002/03/11/News/
The-Importance.Of.Student.Alumni.Support-207870.
shtml
Owens, J. R. (2003). The Importance of Student Organizations [Electronic version]. Journal of Industrial Technology, 19 (4), 1-4.
Top ten rules for selecting a college or university.
(n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2010 from http://www.college-scholarships.com/ten_rules_for_selecting_a_
college_or_universities.htm
Working in the UK during your studies. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2010 from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website: http://www.
ukcisa.org.uk/student/working_during.php
Anglohigher®
References:
Before University. (2005). Retrieved June 16, 2010 from
177mm x 128mm
please email:
[email protected]
Anglohigher® Articles available
to download at no cost from:
www.anglohigher.com
16 Volume
Part of the series: ‘Leaders in global higher education’, an interview with
Professor David Gillingham, President of NIBS (The Network of International Business Schools) a members led higher education association
By Ioannis Soilemetzidis
NIBS: www.nibsnet.net
AngloHigher® : David, how was the idea
their presence.
of NIBS conceived?
D. Gillingham: NIBS was conceived in
1993 whilst I was Dean of a French Grande
Ecole, ESC Rennes. At that time we had
a number of partner schools and we decided to invite them all to a conference in
Rennes, France to discuss international cooperation between business schools. We
proposed that we form a non-profit association of business schools interested in
international business education and they
all agreed.
AngloHigher® : How fast have you grown
and what is the status of NIBS today?
D. Gillingham: The initial group was of
about 15 business schools and we have
grown continuously to our current membership of about 70 schools.
AngloHigher® : There is a lot of discussion currently about internationalisation
of programmes and the use of English as a
medium of instruction. What are your predictions, how will the future look?
D. Gillingham: I see a continuing growth
of the international aspects of business
education. English has become the world
language of business and I do not see that
changing. However I think that there are
big differences in attitudes to internationalisation in different countries and different business schools. Many British schools
have a short term vision which is only related to gaining the income from recruiting international students. They are not
committed to true international education and they have little interest in student exchange or other internationalisation projects. Whereas some European
schools, who often have limited resources,
are much more committed to true internationalisation of their schools.
AngloHigher® : We are witnessing an unprecedented movement/migration of academics and students and the internationalisation of higher education in research
and innovation. How do you evaluate this
situation and what are the pluses/minuses?
D. Gillingham: I don’t see any disadvantages only advantages. The increasing
number of international students and international academics is a positive force for
change. They represent a major resource
for internationalisation if the schools that
have them can really take advantage of
AngloHigher® : Private education is on
the rise. Could you share your thoughts
on the comparison: private versus public higher education can they coexist and
what is the right balance?
D. Gillingham: Experience from the USA
indicates that they can co-exist and that a
diverse ecology of institutions is generally
beneficial to all concerned. Of course the
problem is that one cannot copy a system
which has existed for decades and which
has grown over the years. Additionally
the private providers are themselves very
diverse with non-profit universities, charities and for-profit providers. In many parts
of the world Catholic universities are major providers of high quality higher educational programmes. The for-profit sector
is likely to target programmes which have
higher volumes and lower costs. I believe
a large publicly funded system is an essential component of a high quality higher educational system.
AngloHigher®: What is the role of an
organisation such as NIBS in today’s globalised higher education?
D. Gillingham:
NIBS provides the opportunity for business
schools from around the world to co-operate in providing international business
education. We facilitate student exchanges, dual degree programmes and international activities. Each year we organise
the oldest undergraduate student business case competition which involves students from around the world competing
for the Trophy. This year the competition
was hosted by IBA in Kolding, Denmark
where the ten teams met for the finals in
March. Three of our member schools run
a joint undergraduate degree called the
European Business Management Degree
in which students gain a BA after one year
in Denmark, one year in Belgium, and one
year in the UK. One of our other projects
is start-up café which promotes entrepreneurial education on-campus. Each year
the members of NIBS meet at our Annual
Conference and our next conference will
be in Maastricht in May 2011.
NIBS also operates an accreditation
scheme. NIBS Accreditation is not intended as a competitor to other bodies such as
AACSB or EQUIS, rather it focuses on the
degree to which any business school has
become international in all facets of its organisation. The NIBS Accreditation scheme
can be used as a supplement to other accreditations, as well as an award in its own
right, especially for institutions committed
to “deep” internationalisation.
AngloHigher® : Do you think organisations similar to NIBS will continue to develop?
D. Gillingham: Yes I do but NIBS is rather
unique in that it has no central administration. All activities are run by our members.
Of course we have a very hard working
Board of Directors who are all volunteers
but each of our activities is hosted by a
member school. In this way we ensure that
our membership is actively involved and
that our membership fees are kept low.
AngloHigher®: New technologies and
the social media phenomenon have
changed global higher education for ever.
How can these technological developments affect current and future strategies
and education policy-making, including
for associations such as NIBS?
D. Gillingham: Of course technology is
very important and NIBS uses these technologies to its advantage. Our website is
important and we make increasing use of
social networking sites and Skype conference calls. However associations such as
NIBS work because of the dedication of
people; without our active Board of Directors NIBS would collapse. The new technologies facilitate our work but it is the
people who make it happen!
AngloHigher®: In many countries, there
is a fear and resistance in relation to internationalisation. How do you think we
could address those fears of threats to, for
example, regional/national culture, language, academic style etc?
D. Gillingham: We can only keep repeating the message that internationalisation
is not a danger in itself. Most Finns speak
English and engage in a strong international business environment but two Finns
left together will speak Finnish or Swedish.
17
Their small country which depends on international trade has a rich local culture, a
highly successful education system, and
local customs. Internationalisation is only
a danger if you don’t support your own
culture and traditions.
AngloHigher®: One of the major challenges of the international campus in
terms of student support is the integration
of students from different cultural, educational, religious, financial and political
backgrounds in one ‘student body’. Can
associations such as NIBS help higher education providers to face the ‘ghetto phenomenon’?
D. Gillingham: Belonging to NIBS enables
the academics and administrators to address these issues at our Annual Conference. But once again the business schools
that take true internationalisation to heart
will be motivated to seek solutions to
these issues whereas those who only see
international students as a revenue stream
will not.
AngloHigher®: What is the feedback you
have in that respect from your members: is
student integration an issue for them?
D. Gillingham: Generally all schools see
student integration as an issue but those
schools that have a deeply embedded internationalisation policy see it of less of a
problem than others. Many schools explicitly address this issue through mechanisms
such as buddy systems; integrated work
teams in class; special events; and, specific
activities undertaken by student bodies.
AngloHigher®: Does NIBS work closely with other associations and on which
projects?
D. Gillingham: We don’t work closely
with other associations but we do co-operate with Magellan and SPACE.
AngloHigher®: Are you currently open
(NIBS) to further cooperation with other
associations or professional organisations?
D. Gillingham: Yes indeed. We are always
looking for ways in which we might be able
to improve the benefits for our members.
AngloHigher®: What are the core values
of NIBS as an organisation?
D. Gillingham: The Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) is a group
of business schools from around the world
which believe that the internationalization of business and the globalization of
the economy are essential elements in the
evolution of managerial practices.
NIBS members believe that higher education and training must integrate a strong
international dimension, including the
practice of foreign languages, the study
of comparative management techniques
and the experience of working and study-
ing abroad. They also believe that cooperation between educational institutions in
different countries contributes to a better
understanding between nations by furthering awareness and knowledge of other cultures and social practices.
AngloHigher®: Could you give us the top
five reasons why organisations would benefit from NIBS membership?
D. Gillingham: There are many benefits
of being a NIBS member some of which
are intangible. Members of NIBS recognize
each others’ qualifications, have a common goal of collaboration, and encourage
participation in the following: Student exchanges/interactions; Faculty exchanges/
interactions; Exchanges of ideas for teaching programs; and, Joint teaching and research programs.
Membership in NIBS entitles an institution
to participate in the following:
The Annual NIBS Conference, based on a
current theme in international business education, is primarily about the opportunity for member schools to discuss common
problems. A major benefit of the NIBS Conference is the ability to network with members from like minded institutions and to
form lasting partnerships.
NIBS International Undergraduate Student
Case Competition, the Competition is open
to any student registered, for the duration
of the competition, in an undergraduate
(bachelor level or equivalent) – business
program (commerce, administration, management, etc.) at any member institution
of the Network of International Business
Schools or through special invitation made
by the host institution. Students compete
in teams of four members. The first round
of the competition is in the Autumn where
the students complete a written case study
analysis, the winners from this round go
on to compete in the finals. The student
teams travel to the host institution for one
week of case presentations in the spring.
The case competition is often seen by students as a life changing experience that
frequently contributes to them being
successful in subsequent job applications.
NIBS
International
Accreditation, NIBS
Accreditation is not
intended as a competitor to other bodies such as AACSB or
EQUIS, rather it focuses on the degree
to which any busi-
18 Volume
ness school has become international in
all facets of its organisation. The NIBS Accreditation scheme can be used as a supplement to other accreditations, as well
as an award in its own right, especially for
institutions committed to “deep” internationalisation. Schools that have become
accredited have remarked on how useful
the accreditation process has been to their
own development of an international policy. Any full member school of NIBS may
apply for accreditation which consists of
a three-step process: completion of a selfassessment questionnaire on internationalisation; a visit by an accreditation team;
and a decision by The Board of Directors
of NIBS.
NIBS Entrepreneurship Education, the
NIBS entrepreneurship education project
is called start-up café. The concept of Start
Up Café is of a virtual and physical space
that provides education and support of
entrepreneurs on campus.
This project is about changing the entrepreneurship culture on campus and encouraging the development of student
and staff based ventures. NIBS members
are eligible to apply to become a start-up
café host for their country or region. In
each country one member institution will
act as the hub for other start-up cafes in
that country.
NIBS Projects, each year NIBS schools engage in collaborative projects. Current
projects include a study of issues surrounding Intellectual Property and Youth
Entrepreneurship.
Other Outputs from NIBS, NIBS members
frequently collaborate with one another
in other ventures. For example members
from England, Denmark and Belgium have
developed a joint undergraduate degree
in international business. Students study
in Denmark, Belgium and England and
have the opportunity to earn more than
one award (A three year Honours Degree
in European Business Management).
AngloHigher®:
With bilateral agreements, Joint and Double degrees, the issue of quality assurance arises. What could
be some of the challenges and opportunities for organisations from their partnership relations?
D. Gillingham: I think the QA issues are
often exaggerated. Most countries and
institutions have robust QA processes in
place and there is no reason to suppose
that these become less robust when these
institutions create joint or double degrees.
Certainly all those involved have to ensure
that QA concerns are addressed.
AngloHigher®: Does NIBS provide support for the need to develop common
standards in students’ support and degree
recognition issues?
D. Gillingham: We don’t engage directly in creating standards. This is not really
necessary as there are national and European frameworks in place. However NIBS
members support the concept of mutual
recognition of qualifications and credits
using established systems such as CATS,
ECTS and credit hours.
AngloHigher®: Do you think that universities should, during curriculum development, take into consideration the issue of
professional rights and degree recognition
in global settings?
D. Gillingham: Yes indeed but this is quite
difficult once you get beyond Europe!
AngloHigher®: What is your opinion on
bilingual programmes and the future of
multicultural awards?
D. Gillingham: I am very much in favour
of bilingual/multi-lingual/multi-cultural
awards although they are easier to “sell”
in non-English speaking countries. My
French business school, ESC Rennes, was
very much of this philosophy with French
students having to study in English plus
have an additional foreign language; they
were also required to both study abroad
and undertake an internship abroad. However these programmes are likely to remain the domain of more privileged students and the real challenge is to deliver
an international business education to all
students. So I think the future is bright for
such programmes but we need to do more
for the average business student.
AngloHigher®: What would you aspire
the role of professional associations such
as NIBS to be in the future; taking in to
consideration the developments in global
higher education, what is changing?
D. Gillingham: I believe our role will grow
in importance as more and more business schools recognise the importance
of international business education. Cer-
tainly there is an increasing number of international students and there are new
geographic areas that aspire to leadership in providing international education
especially in Asia. NIBS needs to increase
its membership base in Asia so that we can
better serve all of our members.
AngloHigher®: What are the most important challenges and the most exciting developments for NIBS today?
D. Gillingham:
Our biggest growth area in recent years
has been International Accreditation and
I believe that this will continue to be important in the years to come. We have
new activities coming through each year
and some of these will prove to be important areas of development. Start-up café
is likely to go through a renewed growth
stage incorporating an international student business plan competition. We also
expect to develop student chapters over
the next few years.
Anglohigher®
177mm x 128mm
please email: [email protected]
Anglohigher® Articles available to download at no cost from:
www.anglohigher.com
19
20 Volume

All - AngloHigher

Transcription

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