The Era of InternationalEducational Partnerships

UK-US Higher Education Partnerships Forum

December 2, 2011London, England

Daniel ObstDeputy Vice President, International Partnerships

Institute of International Education

• Among the world’s largest not-for-profit organization in international education exchange and training

• Founded in 1919 in NYC• 32 offices and representatives globally• 650 staff worldwide• 1,100 member institutions• Online at: www.iie.org

IIE at a Glance

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New Publication: “Developing Strategic International Partnerships”

Developing Strategic International Partnerships: Models for Initiating and

Sustaining Innovative Institutional Linkages

Published by IIE with support from AIFS Foundation. December 2011

Available on www.iiebooks.org.

Two Primary Reasons for Growth of International Partnerships

1. Growing recognition that academic internationalization is as much a process of outward engagement as internal restructuring;

2. The increasing need for academic institutions to position themselves within emerging global systems of higher education

From the Introduction to Developing Strategic International Partnerships by Susan Buck Sutton and Daniel Obst

The Changing Landscape of International Partnerships

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• Student learning

• Curriculum building and course enhancement

• Provide international learning experiences for all students

• Develop the international capacity of faculty and staff

• Advance research by connecting institutions and scholars

• Connecting to key parts of the world

• Supporting and enhancing international ties/interests of surrounding community

What Partnerships Are Being Asked to Do

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• Generating revenue through tuition and grants

• General institutional capacity building

• Promoting the overall mission of the institution, enhancing global reputation

• Tackle pressing global issues of health, education, economic development, energy, social justice, etc.

• Pursuit of public diplomacy and other national priorities

What Partnerships Are Being Asked to Do

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Types of Partnerships

• Student and Faculty Exchanges

• Joint and Double Degree Programs

• Collaborative Research

• Faculty Development Activities (workshops, conferences)

• Administrative/Staff Exchanges

• Branch Campuses

• Networks and Consortia

• Development and Capacity Building

Key Aspects of Long-Lived Partnerships

• The achievement of mutual benefits and genuine reciprocity

• Integration with institutional mission and core curricula

• Connections to local communities and businesses

• Development beyond any particular sub-project or individual

• Regular assessment and reworking

• Base-line support by the respective institutions along with the ability to generate new resources and external funding

• Open communication that attends to cultural, linguistic, and institutional differences

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Challenges for Sustaining Partnerships

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• Educational quality and standards

• Student and faculty expectations and customs

• Language and cultural differences

• Divergent priorities and goals

• Differing levels of commitments and resource allocations

• Garnering institution-wide support

• Convincing relevant decision-makers of the partnership’s value

• Meshing institutional policies, procedures, and business practices across nations, educational cultures, and accreditation systems

• Health and safety issues

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Developing an Institutional Approach to Partnerships

Developing institutional partnerships encompasses such elements as:

•Taking stock of existing affiliations

•Establishing a partnership approval process

•Articulating overall partnership goals and strategies

•Spreading a culture of partnerships

•Developing policies, procedures, and organizational structures for initiating, managing, reviewing, revising, terminating partnerships

•Providing baseline financial and other support

•Pursuing effective practices for initiating and sustaining partnerships over time

•Drafting well-crafted Memorandum of Understanding

Investing in International Partnerships

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Governments, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and the private sector have taken steps recently to support international academic partnerships. Examples include:

•U.S. Government activities: Department of State, Department of Education, USAID, Embassies

•The Partner University Fund (France): Supports research and education partnerships between France and the U.S.

•US-UK New Partnership Fund (UK): Develop new strategic links between US and UK academic institutions

• Provides administrators, policy-makers, and practitioners with the resources and connections to develop and sustain partnerships around the world.

• Programs/resources include:

• International Academic Partnerships Program (IAPP)

• Global Partnership Service (GPS)

• Publication: Developing Strategic International Partnerships: Models for Initiating and Sustaining Innovative Institutional Linkages

• Contact: CIP@iie.org

IIE Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education

International Academic Partnerships Program (IAPP)

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• Began in 2009 through a grant from the Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)

• Purpose: • To enhance academic linkages with institutions in other countries• To become a self-sustaining program • Focus countries include: India, China, and Brazil

• Year-long program for U.S. institutions, including webinars, strategic planning, a study tour, and list of suggested partner institutions

• www.iie.org/iapp

Global Partnership Service (GPS)• Offers expertise to higher education institutions around the world seeking

academic partnerships in the United States

• Utilizes the IIE membership network of over 1,100 institutions to assist higher education institutions in identifying potential partners

• Goals:• Provide the information and opportunities necessary to implement and

sustain a comprehensive strategy for partnering with the U.S.• Foster deep, sustainable, institution-wide partnerships

• www.iie.org/gps

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• A report issued by IIE and Freie Universität Berlin found that a growing number of higher education institutions around the world are seeking to develop joint and double degree programs.

• Download “Joint and Double Degree Programs in the Global Context” at www.iie.org/publications

Original Research in International Partnerships: Joint and Double Degrees

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