One of the main elements of many higher education institutions\u2019 internationalization strategies is staff mobility. Traditionally, the focus was on academic staff, but higher education institutions are now encouraging and investing in the mobility of both academic and administrative staff. Mobility for teaching and\/or training purposes is an enriching experience, and not only for the individual participants. It also benefits the institutions involved in multiple ways.<\/p>\n
The role of staff mobility in internationalization<\/strong><\/p>\n When talking about mobility, we tend to focus on student mobility (see, for example, Hudzik, 2011, 9 and de Wit et al., 2015, 47). In fact, however, the mobility of faculty and staff is also a central aspect of internationalization: \u201cUnless faculty and staff are mobile, connections to what happens abroad to students and what happens to them on campus will be weak\u201d (Hudzik 2011, 9). Moreover, as Postiglione and Altbach (2013, 11) state, \u201cthose who teach at a university, the academic staff, are key to any academic institution’s internationalisation strategy\u201d. According to these authors, it is the professors who, amongst other things, \u201cengage in collaborative research with overseas colleagues, welcome international students into their classrooms, publish in international journals [\u2026]. [\u2026] without the full, active and enthusiastic participation of the academics, internationalisation efforts are doomed to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n On a personal level, an international experience involving teaching and\/or training abroad can be an important step on an academic\u2019s career path. Participants gain new skills and competencies and strengthen existing ones through the exchange of knowledge and expertise with colleagues at the host institution. On an institutional level, staff mobility promotes new international and inter-university cooperation and enhances existing links. It contributes to high quality teaching and learning and can lead to a change in perspectives with regard to established practices and approaches at the universities involved \u2013 both academically and administratively.<\/p>\n Teaching staff mobility may result in the enrichment and expansion of the range and content of the institutional courses on offer. It provides an excellent opportunity for students who, for whatever reason, are not able to go abroad themselves to benefit from the experience and approaches brought in by both incoming staff and staff returning from mobility abroad. As de Wit et al. (2015, 47) point out, internationally experienced staff can bring added value to the classroom, which is particularly important in countries where internationalization in academic recruitment is restricted. The mobility of both academic and administrative staff significantly contributes to \u2018internationalization at home\u2019.<\/p>\n In order for staff mobility to be beneficial and impactful for the participants and institutions involved, the following are key factors: Sample statements on the benefits of engaging in international staff mobility:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe Erasmus+ programme provides an opportunity for me to engage in the promotion of young researchers at our partner institutions and to offer mentoring sessions for local PhD students. Students in Graz also experience international networking through Erasmus+ teachers from partner universities who present recent research results or current research projects.\u201d<\/em> \u201cThe Erasmus+ Teaching Mobility abroad offers a unique opportunity to learn about different methods of teaching, to share academic expertise and to gain new cultural insights.\u201d<\/em> References<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Comprehensive Internationalization: From Concept to Action One of the main elements of many higher education institutions\u2019 internationalization strategies … <\/p>\n
\n\u2022 reliable and committed partners and networks
\n\u2022 suitable funding opportunities
\n\u2022 efficient promotion of the mobility programmes
\n\u2022 backing by the different units (faculties, departments, offices, rectorate, etc.)
\n\u2022 some form of official recognition of the staff mobility by the home university<\/p>\n
\n(Silvia Schultermandl, University of Graz \u2013 on mobility at the University of Copenhagen in the academic year 2017\/18)<\/p>\n
\n(Christian Hirt, University of Graz \u2013 on mobility at Edinburgh Napier University in the winter semester 2017\/18 and at Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Uruguay in the summer semester 2017)<\/p>\n
\nJohn K. Hudzik
\nNAFSA, 2011
\nhttp:\/\/sustgglobaleducation.pbworks.com\/w\/file\/fetch\/59358291\/2011-Comprehensive%20Internationalization%20by%20John%20Hudzik.pdf<\/a> (accessed 02.11.2018)
\n\u2022 Internationalisation of Higher Education
\nHans de Wit, Fiona Hunter, Laura Howard, Eva Egron-Polak
\nEuropean Parliament, Policy Department, 2015
\nhttp:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/RegData\/etudes\/STUD\/2015\/540370\/IPOL_STU(2015)540370_EN.pdf<\/a> (accessed 19.04.2018)
\n\u2022 Professors: The key to internationalization
\nGerard A. Postiglione and Philip G. Altbach
\nInternational Higher Education, 2013 (73)
\nhttps:\/\/ejournals.bc.edu\/ojs\/index.php\/ihe\/issue\/view\/666<\/a> (accessed 23.04.2018)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"