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Going boldly into global interaction!

The World 100 Reputation Network gathered members, new delegates and interesting speakers at its conference (‘To Boldly Go’) in Washington DC last week.  We were there to talk about global reputation, brand, rankings and internationalisation.  The fact that people came from the four corners of the earth to debate these issues (Australia, South Africa, China, Japan, Europe, US, Canada...) made the discussions rather different from the domestic conferences we all attend.

First the Dutch experience – Pauline van de Meer Mohr (President at Erasmus Rotterdam) led us through the fascinating discussions that Leiden, Erasmus Rotterdam and TU Delft have been having about the nature of their collaborations.  Central to this are the potentially conflicting issues of individual brand identity and having global impact by working together.

Stacie Spector, Coms Director extraordinaire, shared her experience as White House, UC San Diego and now Salk Institute communicator in the US.  The ‘bench to bedside’ journey of biomedical research is how she characterises Salk’s efforts to bring their research to the attention of policy-makers and the public.

And from Seoul, Jun Ki Kim, Vice-President at SNU demonstrated the detailed and complex work they do on co-citation analysis, partly to determine where they should pursue global research alliances.

Monash, Melbourne, Manchester, Tsinghua, Helsinki, Cornell and Hong Kong also led debate and discussion.   We were hosted by American University.

One thing I learned – the international agenda for higher education is getting more complex (but more interesting!) all the time.  World rankings, overseas campuses – they get the headlines, but the detail of what people in universities are doing every day in order to grow global activity is compelling and encouraging.

Hilary Layton

Director of Internationalisation

Guest Blog: Creative writing partnership with South Sudan

A group of students in York have been working with Juba University, South Sudan, since 2011 to put together a creative writing anthology - to be published this Easter - with contributions by students from both places.

The theme for the anthology is 'change' as this is a fundamental issue facing students in South Sudan following their country's declaration of independence, andat the same time a central day-to-day challenge for students at York.

The anthology includes a wide range of writing from both York and Juba students, including poetry and prose. It includes topics as varied as Juba students' experience of war, to traditional fables, the ups and downs of relationships and the dangers of drinking too much alcohol. York students have contributed pieces exploring themes from the philosophical to the ordinariness of home.

South Sudanese author Taban Lo Liyong (who is involved in the Juba Arabic production of Shakespeare's Cymbeline at the Globe in May, and a Professor of English at Juba University) has helped with the final stages of the anthology. We have also been working closely with another lecturer in Juba, Adam Cholong.

The launch for the anthology will take place at Pitcher and Piano in York on Thursday 14th June at 7.30. There will be a band and some readings from the entries by York students.

Anthea Gordon 

English & Related Literature Department

From an intern’s perspective

My name is Yumino Kira, a York Masters graduate. I have been working in the International Relations Office for a couple of months and have had a fascinating experience. All the staff in the International Relations Office were friendly and professional. I learnt that they have a very diverse role regarding international activities at the University of York, all of which enhances Internationalisation, one of the four strategic objectives in the University Plan.
There are range of role and activities in the International Relations Office including:

• Developing international teaching and research partnerships
• Establishing formal departmental agreements with strategic partner institutions
• Accessing funding to help international collaborations
• Working on range of international student mobility programmes, including Study Abroad
• Visiting priority countries as part of a delegation of York staff from a range of disciplines to exchange ideas and discuss sustainable collaboration
• Hosting overseas visitors on campus

While working on a research project in this office, I have contacted the university’s Worldwide University Network (WUN) as well as the Worldwide exchange and Erasmus partners. I was very much helped by the range of networks the University of York has - those partners contributed greatly to the research, which made me realise the importance of continuing partnerships and collaboration. There Study Abroad Office is increasing its partnership with worldwide universities through exchange and summer programme schemes - those universities who have an exchange scheme with the University of York also helped my insight into the research.
The International Relations Office had many visitors while I was here at the office and there were trips made to other worldwide universities. I was able to see how these trips contribute to the University of York’s new and continuing partnerships, which was a very interesting experience.

Yumino Kira

Lyse Doucet, BBC correspondent, receives honorary degree

Lyse Doucet, the acclaimed BBC presenter and correspondent, was awarded an honorary degree by the University of York on 21 January 2012.  Well-known for her in-depth reporting and strong insights in the Middle East and South Asian regions, she is also a Member of the International Council on Human Rights Policy. 

After receiving the honorary doctorate from York Chancellor, Greg Dyke, she spoke directly to graduating students about their own future and the setting aside of journalistic scepticism when faced with ‘the perfect day’.

[caption id="attachment_65" align="alignnone" width="214" caption="Lyse Doucet receiving her honorary degree from the University of York"][/caption]

Opportunity beckons with Global York

It has been a busy year for York’s Study Abroad Office. We have launched our Global York brand for the range of international opportunities open to York students, moved into our new headquarters in Derwent College, and have developed new agreements for student exchange with Rhodes University in South Africa, Seoul National University in South Korea, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and University of British Columbia.

With the New Year comes new opportunities - We have 10-month job opening in 2012 for an office administrator – follow the link below for the job details , and we’re moving the University’s Visiting Student programme into the Study Abroad Office.
https://jobs.york.ac.uk/wd/plsql/wd_portal.show_job?p_web_site_id=3885&p_web_page_id=141050&p_no_apply=Y&p_show=Y&p_seo=noindex
This week we interview for our highly competitive worldwide exchange schemes. Students from York have the chance to spend their second or third year at universities in the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. A year abroad as part of your study can build self-confidence, widen your horizons and give you a global perspective. All of these things can make you highly employable after graduation.

We’re also planning next year’s Erasmus exchanges, where York students exchange with students from European universities for up to a year. And we’re thrilled that this year’s UK Erasmus Essay competition prize-winner was Ben Charig, who studied Maths and Physics in Erlangen. Read Ben’s winning entry - http://competition.lifelonglearningprogramme.org.uk/erasmus/

If you’re interested in what Global York has to offer York students, come and see us in Derwent College – our new office is just off the foyer.

Sarah Leach
Study Abroad Manager

Christmas on Campus: international student welfare guest blog

It only seems a short time ago when students were arriving for the new autumn term, and already the Christmas vacation is almost here.

While many students take advantage of the break to go and see family and friends, plenty of students stay on campus or in York. There are usually around 500 international students who don’t leave York for Christmas, so if you are one of them you are in good company.

As it’s a national holiday, the University does close in terms of shops and catering. If you are staying on campus in the holidays, please make sure you stock up on food. Supermarkets will close early, usually at 4:00 pm, on 24 December (Christmas Eve) and will stay closed on Christmas Day (25 December) and the day after Christmas (26 December). If you’re planning to eat in a restaurant on Christmas Day or the day after Christmas, please make sure you book in advance. Although many restaurants do provide Christmas meals, they will not usually be able to serve unexpected customers!

All departments on the University campus will be closed over the Christmas vacation, including the library. However, the University doesn’t close completely; you will still be able to use the PC rooms, porters will be available at most college receptions, and Security will be on site 24 hours a day. If you are on campus and an emergency occurs, you can call Security on 3333 (or 32 3333). The IT Service telephone helpline is always available every day of the year 24 hours a day, so if you need support you can call 3838.

On a more fun note, the ISA (International Students’ Association) is planning a trip to Birmingham for the Frankfurt Christmas market. This will take place on Wednesday 21 December. Please buy your tickets online at www.yusu.org/shop

Further social events from the ISA and GSA (Graduate Students’ Association) may be in the pipeline, although details have not yet been confirmed. Please check their websites for more information at:

http://www.yusu.org/campaigns-and-representation/isa

http://www.yorkgsa.org/site/events/calendar-of-events

It is also worth mentioning that although the GSA represents the University’s postgraduate population, undergraduates are always welcome to attend their social events.

A Christmas information leaflet is available for students staying over the vacation, with more detailed information than I can provide in this blog. Do look out for them. Paper copies are available from all college receptions as well as the Student Support Office, the library, the Information Centre, the Law and Management building, and a few other places besides. You can also download one from the Guides and Publications section on the International Support website at www.york.ac.uk/internationalsupport

Have a wonderful Christmas vacation! 

Louise Saunderson, International Student Support Co-ordinator

Think global, be local - GSA President guest blog

From coordinating trips to Newcastle, to organizing Karaoke nights, the GSA is very keen to involve international students in the York experience from the get-go. As GSA President, I really enjoy meeting incoming students and this year's Postgraduate Welcome and International Week were perfect opportunities to brush up on my language skills and to interact with as many international students as possible. Note however, that I can still only say kangaroo in Chinese - dai shu.

Thinking back on that first week of term, I would just like to say thank you to all of the amazing students that I met and had the chance to speak to. I know that integration is sometimes difficult and it is because of this that I hope that your first week here was perceived as welcoming. The University and the GSA have the particular advantage of being truly global in their approach to students and their needs but also incredibly local in the interactions they value. So, from one York student to another, there is no other secret to being here, other than "think global, be local". We encourage you to find who you are and to grow and develop here - don't miss the chance, because I am sure you will not find a second community as interested in your well being as this one.

And because well being cannot miss out on fun and new exciting opportunities: come to the GSA trips to Edinburgh and Oxford, engage in the programmes advertised by the International Relations Office and keep an eye out for new ISA events. And, should you find yourself in trouble - write me or get in touch with International Student Support - we are all here to make your experience as rewarding as you want it to be. I hope you all have a good year and I hope to speak to more of you in the future.

Karin Diaconu, GSA President

The President chairs the GSA Executive Committee, has overall responsibility for co-ordinating all its activities, and represents students on specific university committees, including University Council, Senate and Court.  In all of these capacities he or she acts as the chief spokesperson for all students.

Inspirational India

The energy and ideas of partners in India inspired the York staff who visited last week.  Our plans for collaboration now range from joint seminars in bioengineering with IIT Delhi to a workshop on post-colonial scholarship in Britain and India with Delhi University.  Having a delegation of academics from widely different areas led to an interesting cross-fertilisation of ideas.  Staff from Computer Science, Electronics, Biology, Art History and English Literature forged a good working group, ably representing York and its work to leading universities and institutes in Delhi and Bangalore.

India gets a lot right in creating an environment for scholarship.  The campuses we visited were oases from the craziness of traffic and turmoil outside, and there is a great tradition of guest houses for visiting faculty – from within India or from around the world.  We can learn from this - if we take the time to measure the benefits, which are long-term.  Time spent on research leave or as a working visiting scholar on another campus, can yield huge advantages for scientific, scholarly advances.  Just having time to think is a difficult thing to achieve in the frenetic places that UK universities have become.

We also met legions of alumni in India, many from the world-famous Centre for Conservation Studies, housed in the historic King’s Manor in the centre of the city of York.  They were mainly students from the 1980s and 90s and now occupy interesting and senior positions in India’s heritage management industry, including the head of conservation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.  It just goes to show what an inspiring time at university can lead to.

Hilary Layton, Director of Internationalisation

Vive la Canada!

Last week we had the pleasure of receiving a visit by Dr Doug Owram, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Principal of the UBC Okanagan campus. UBC has more than 40,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and places 22nd in the THE world rankings. Okanagan is their relatively new research-intensive campus based midway between Vancouver and Calgary. 

This link started over a year ago with the Okanagan Economic Development Commission who were interested in exploring connections between regional companies with York Science Park. This developed into discussions with UBC Okanagan about possible areas for research and student exchange links.

Dr Owram, who was welcomed to the University by Professor Trevor Sheldon, our Deputy Vice Chancellor, met a range of Departments including Chemistry, Biology, Health Sciences, Theatre, Film and Television, York Management School and the Humanities Research Centre. From the discussions held it was clear there was much common interest and we’ll now be working on specific collaboration agreements.

We already have good links with a number of other Canadian universities including the University of Alberta, York University, and the University of Toronto and with this partnership we are looking forward to expanding these alliances further.

Harriet Cross, International Relations Officer

Santander Universities Funding

Last month I attended a signing ceremony to launch a three year, £198,000 funding agreement between Santander and the University of York. The agreement was signed by our Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Cantor and the Chairman of Santander UK Lord Terry Burns.

This signing ceremony was the easy part. We are now working out how exactly to allocate and manage the scholarships and awards for students and staff mobility that this funding will provide. We will certainly want to focus on building links in Brazil and Argentina, but the Santander Universities Network also covers a wide range of other countries including the US and China so this will be an opportunity to extend and deepen already existing partnerships.

We do already run a mobility funding scheme, although this is currently limited to a network of 12 overseas institutions. This Friday is the closing date for applications to the Worldwide Universities Network Research Mobility Programme which allows staff and postgraduate students to apply for funding to visit overseas partners in the Worldwide Universities Network. In the last year we have funded visits to the University of Cape Town; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Wisconsin, Madison; Nanjing University (China); University of Western Australia; and the University of Sydney. The feedback from awardees is always incredibly positive, so I’m looking forward to giving out some good news to successful applicants in a few weeks time.

Harriet Cross, International Relations Officer

Friendship and co-operation with China

I have been sporting a small panda brooch on my lapel for the last week – a gift from Dr Zhou Xuedong, Dean of the Dental School at Sichuan University in  Chengdu.  She is leading a 26-strong delegation of university leaders from China, who are in the UK for a leadership study tour.  They spent a week with us at York, discussing with colleagues here the topical issues of knowledge exchange, governance, reputation build and international research collaborations.

These are topics of great importance to the leading universities around the globe.  It was heartening and illuminating to discover how much we had in common with the leaders of major universities in China.  As well as learning from each other, we forged a strong professional network and friendships.

The visit to York ended with the China-UK Higher Education Forum on 25 October.  As well as the Chinese delegation, representatives from 60 UK universities joined the conference to discuss the various forms of partnership open to universities.  These include student mobility, research partnerships, strategic alliances, overseas campuses, work placements, staff exchange, professional business training – the list goes on.  And it illustrates how varied the role of universities can be in the modern world.

I’m now looking forward to a return visit to some of the universities whose leaders were in York this week – Wuhan, Shandong, Jiangnan, to name but a few - and (of course) Sichuan, where I hope to see a real panda….

Hilary Layton

Director of Internationalisation

Working together to tackle Climate Change

Welcome to my first blog! I’m Harriet Cross, International Relations Officer and Worldwide Universities Network Coordinator.  I’ve attended a couple of environment-related workshops in the last month so that’s what I’m going to focus on today.

One of the advantages of inter-disciplinary and multinational research is its ability to have an impact on real-world problems which can only be tackled by pooling knowledge, ideas and equipment.  The University of York is working to tackle major environmental issues by bringing together over 100 faculty from 17 different departments and encouraging them to exchange ideas with counterparts in the UK and throughout the world.

On 6 October, York’s Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI) and the Centre for Low Carbon Futures held a workshop entitled ‘Circular Economy – Innovative thinking for a sustainable future’. This brought together academic researchers from all over the UK with representatives of international corporations and Government departments to discuss how to respond to the twin challenges of increasingly limited global resources and rising demand for fossil fuel based products. 

The participants agreed that the traditional linear approach to product and system design – make, use and dump – was no longer sustainable. Full cycle whole-system thinking presented an alternative option, and sustainability could give competitive advantage.

Ideas for real life solutions were exchanged, such as Business Schools being shop windows to the potential technology and business benefit of the circular economy; and the importance of better communication between the academic producers of information and the users of this information at the other end of the scale.

I hope that some of the collaborations discussed during this workshop might develop into international projects which will form part of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) Adapting to Climate Change research group portfolio.  There are already 21 of these WUN interdisciplinary research projects underway, with York already involved in Ocean acidification and Global water research.  Watch this space for more information about York’s participation in WUN and my thoughts on how it adds value to our research and teaching objectives.

Welcome to our Blog

Welcome to York’s international relations blog.  We’ll be bringing you some of the highlights and interesting moments of our visits to partners all over the world, shining a light on some of our incoming delegations, and discussing the issues that challenge us in the world of international higher education.

This week, our Study Abroad team is moving into new offices on campus, where they will be obvious to even the most sleepy early morning student!  We want to encourage as many students as possible to consider international opportunities as part of their degree studies.  Look out for more about this in November.

Also in November, we’ll be visiting colleagues in India to discuss joint research projects, and to reconnect with alumni in Bangalore and Delhi.

And later this week, we host the China-UK Entrepreneurial Competition, with friends and colleagues from other UK universities and from China.

Please send us comments and queries on the blog – we look forward to hearing from you.

 

Hilary Layton, Director of Internationalisation