Internationalization questions

I have been asked to create a plan to enhance my own or my students' internationalization. I chose the internationalization of my students. Here goes!

To help matters along, the group have asked some pertinent questions:

1. What kind of skills you need for encountering diversity? Knowledge? Attitudes? 

The key skills that are needed are, I would suggest, patience, acceptance and adaptability.

2. How would you develop your intercultural competences 

In terms of how to develop those skills in the internationalization context, spending time with foreigners both at home and abroad in their own country seems to be the key. One way in which this can be achieves would be to make is a mandatory part of the curriculum, rather than something optional, though strongly advised.

The challenge there is the funding. We have had in place for some time the funding to send many students abroad, but it is by no means guaranteed for the future. To guarantee this, it would take a financial commitment from the school to back the project in the event that outside funding dried up.

3. What kind of international competences students will need for working in future’s society? 

I think students must be confident in their English skills (all round, including grammar, professional vocabulary, writing, reading, listening, formal language, conversational language) as this is something that becomes more and more necessary in the workplace of the future.

In addition to that, a willingness to adapt and accept foreign cultures is necessary. Students should not be afraid of new ideas, new ways of doing things and should be aware of the opportunity to improve that comes with shifting consciousness in the face of other cultures.

4. How could you support your students’ globalization process

The support can come through various methods. I can encourage them to go abroad, I can help them to find places, I can make moves towards securing funding for them to do that, I can offer support before and during the period abroad and I can encourage them to process the experience and pass on their feelings and suggestions to other students.