Confirmation of PhD study - "Academic staff and international engagement: motivations and drivers in Australian higher education"

Delighted to confirm the final shape of my PhD research project at the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne. With thanks to my supervisors (Sophie Arkoudis & Chi Baik) and broader Advisory Committee (Bill Harley & Stefan Popenici) for their support in getting me this far - one year down, two years to go!!

Abstract
This research investigates the factors which influence the international engagement of academic staff in Australian universities.

In line with global changes to higher education and the academic profession, Australian universities and their academic staff have been influenced by a new wave of internationalisation. In response, many higher education institutions in Australia have adopted comprehensive international strategies across their teaching, research and outreach agendas.

Tony Adams Fund award to support research project over three years

Very pleased to be one of the 2014 recipients of a Doctoral Studies in International Education award from the Tony Adams Fund. Here's the write-up from the Tony Adams Fund website:

Waking the giant: the role of academics in the next wave of internationalisation

Attendees at the EAIE Conference in Prague last week were interested to learn more about the role(s) of academic staff in the internationalisation of higher education, with around 60 conference delegates attending Friday's session.

Fostering global competence - are students the only target?

At the recent IEAA National Symposium on Fostering Global Citizenship and Global Competence held in Melbourne, delegates were asked to critically examine what is meant by global citizenship and global competence and how they can best be embedded into higher education.

Academic role(s) in the next era of internationalisation

The future success of international education may well depend on deeper engagement by academic staff. Indeed, there is broad consensus among scholars that the support and involvement of a critical mass of academic staff is crucial. In the words of the American Council on Education, "faculty engagement drives successful internationalization".

But what do we know about the international engagement of academics on our campuses? Where do the motivations of academic staff lie in terms of international activity - in research, in teaching, or more broadly? How do academic staff understand the internationalisation of higher education? And how best can they be supported to drive the implementation of an institutional international strategy?

These are the questions I have been asking, stimulated by the seeming absence of academic staff from the programs of the major international education conferences in 2013.

Engaging the Academy: the Next Frontier?

What role do academic staff play in the internationalisation of your institution? To what extent are they involved in the implementation of your international strategy? What do you know about their motivations to drive or support international education initiatives or to contribute to broader internationalisation endeavours?