Internationalization thrives at LUSEM

A lot is happening at the School regarding internationalization! Meet Ulrika Qvist Mathiesen, Director at the International Office, for a chat about latest news on one of her favourite subjects.

Not that we haven’t been working with internationalization before. The International Office at LUSEM is doing a great everyday work (one example of work on a regular basis is that with the exchange students) but there's obviously more to come; A new international council, possibility to a cross-border cooperation for developing a course together and new work for increasing the intercultural competence.

A new international council

Dean Mats Benner has initiated an international council, called Rådet för internationalisering/The Council for internationalization (not to be confused with the council at the University level, Internationella rådet). All departments have been invited to take part in this council, the Heads of department have proposed names for this group.

“We have had our very first meeting,“ says Ulrika. “Everyone got to tell the others what is important from their aspect when it comes to internationalization. I am hoping for and looking forward to create new relations through the work in this council.“

Ulrika explains that the council for internationalization has three purposes:

• To give input to Mats Benner (who represents LUSEM in Internationella rådet) in preparation for the meetings at University level.
• To discuss strategies when it comes to internationalization and take questions and information further to our faculty management as well as to the departments.
• To discuss questions important to the International office. 

“We want to have a sounding board, a platform within the organisation that allows us to discuss issues arising in our work, a platform where we can talk about important questions,“ Ulrika explains.

COIL (Collaborate Online Intercultural Learning)

COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) is a cross-border cooperation between at least two higher education institutions in two different countries, which then collaborate on a course of five to fifteen weeks. The collaboration can either be within the same discipline or interdisciplinary. The collaboration can be implemented in all study areas at all levels. The teachers develop the learning objectives together, design what the collaboration should look like, choose online tools etc. The grading is set separately per university. 

“This is such a good way of working with internationalization at home!“ Ulrika exclaims.

Ulrika has shared information at the Education Committee at LUSEM about COIL. What’s new is that the period for the funding, the money that can be applied for at LUSEM, has just been prolonged until autumn 2022. The management at the School is very positive about this initiative and encourages all teachers to consider this opportunity.

For those interested in creating a COIL there is a AHU-course called Open Networked Learning (link in fact box). A course suitable for everyone who wants to develop a new course since you learn digital technologies that can support course design and extend opportunities for collaboration. 

Increasing the intercultural competence 

Through collaboration within the faculty the International office will work with intercultural education.  

“Together with ASKS, Academic Skills Services, we are planning to work with increasing the intercultural competence among our students. Earlier, ASKS has had a workshop in intercultural competence for international Bachelor students but now we are going to offer this also to incoming and outgoing exchange students,“ Ulrika says.

“Therefore we would like to collaborate with a teacher who is interested in questions about intercultural competence and who would like to engage in this project.“

Interested teachers can contact Ulrika or Garo via the contact information on this page.

Obviously a lot planned in the international agenda, an agenda worth keeping an eye on!