INTERNATIONALIZATION

An important innovation planned at Acadia is the creation of a Centre for Internationalization, as part of the Learning Commons. Presently there is not any university-wide coordination of “international activities and global education”. This is a serious short-coming given that Acadia has the highest percentage of international students (nearly 19%) of any Canadian university of its type. Acadia is also more international than other Maritime universities; for instance, Dalhousie’s international students only number around 10% of the student population. The majority of the international students come from China (53%) followed by the USA (12%), Bahamas (8%) and Bermuda (5%). The trend is growing. The number of international students has doubled in the past four years from 409 in 01/02 to 773 in 05/06.

An important step forward was Ralph Nilson’s interim report on internationalization. The report commented upon things that were already happening at Acadia, such as exchange programs, but the final draft should make recommendations on resources and infrastructure. At present the International House and the Registrar are organizing exchange programs in addition to their normal responsibilities. The Centre for Internationalization will set up a staff responsible for coordinating programs and resources, including faculty resources.

Shawna Garret at the Hayward House observed, however, that meeting the needs of rapid internationalization will require a reorganization of government programs or at least increased funding for organizations involved in international education such as the Canadian Education Centre Network. The CEC provides information on Canadian schools, but only on a fee for service basis. There is a need for Canada to adopt the UK model where there is a national consortium of universities administered by the British Council. The UK also supports agencies that create partnerships between British and foreign universities. Shawna Garrett underlined that one of the problems establishing policies on internationalization is that it means different things to different people.

One way to think about internationalization is to put it in the context of economic globalization, wherein education is a marketable commodity. The basic exchange involves the import of students and the export of degrees. From this perspective the university system has to respond to a rapidly expanding global market in students and degrees (since the 1980s there has been a 35% increase in the number of international students coming to Canada). In short, this means investing adequate resources in recruitment and institutional support for international students. Overall, Canada lags behind other OECD countries in both categories. As a result the rapid expansion of internationalization is poorly managed.

Economics is only a part of the process. There is also global education. Ideally, internationalization should have an impact upon curriculum, as well as enrich cultural life on campus and in the local community. Julie Snair at the International House says that internationalization is inclusion of an international or intra-cultural dimension into teaching and the learning processes. To what degree have these goals been realized? Sonya Symons in Psychology and Stephen Ahearn at the Writing Centre are attempting a scientific measurement of the international experience at Acadia through a series of focus group discussions. An important question is to what degree Acadia accommodates students with varying degrees of English language competence. A report will emerge this summer and will be made available to the community.

The study is also investigating thorny issues such as social and cultural inclusion of international students in the community. An important part of the process of internationalization is engagement of Canadian and international students. Many have noted the problem of “two solitudes” on campus. Informal interviews across the university indicate that international students value Acadia academics, but social and cultural integration lags. Snow is not the only shock to international students coming from regions like China, Africa, and the Middle East. Even casual references to seemingly mundane matters – like drink and sex – can cause social discomfort. An obvious recourse is to create exclusive cliques secure from such shocks. The International House provides an important service as it serves both as a sort of haven, as well as a venue that enables social integration in a respectful and sensitive manner.

Julie Snair notes that Canadian students who have studied abroad are some of the most important agents of internationalization on campus. Students returning from international programs want to share their experiences in the classroom and take up roles as assistants at the International House. The university cannot meet student demand for programs, which is a major setback for the overall process of internationalization. According to Julie Snair, the community needs to be aware that a global education is not simply about students coming and going, but a process that impacts upon teaching, learning, curriculum – and the local community.

Jamie Whidden

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