scholarly journals The internationalisation of higher education in the regions: case of Latvia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga Jekabsone ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
International Students ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Complex Concept ◽  
Internationalisation Of Higher Education ◽  
The Government ◽  
Local Students

Internationalisation is set as a horizontal priority of higher education in the context of the quality assurance by the government of Latvia. However, higher education institutions (hereinafter – HEI) in Latvia find it challenging to attract talented international students and academic staff, especially in the regions, thereby the internationalisation rates in HEI differ. The internationalisation is a complex concept – it is understood not only by the attraction of international students and academic staff, but also by internationalisation of local students and staff as well as by creation of inclusive environment for both – international and local students and staff. Taking into account before mentioned, the aim of the research is to analyse the dimensions of the internationalisation of regional HEI in Latvia. During the research, six regional HEI in Latvia were analysed in the context of diverse aspects of internationalisation. Recommendations to regional HEI were developed based on the analysis of case studies. The analysis showed that the internationalisation in the regional HEI in Latvia are mainly focused on attraction of international students and on student and academic staff mobility. At the same time, some of the regional HEI set the internalisation as a priority while others focus more on local students and regional needs. However, most of regional HEI in Latvia lag behind the average EU un national internationalisation rates.

scholarly journals FACTORS FORMING THE EXPERIENCE OF FOREIGN STUDENTS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE EXPORT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 176-192
Author(s):  
Natālija Sotikova ◽  
◽  
Renāte Cāne ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Foreign Students ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Higher Educational Institutions ◽  
Safety Level ◽  
Higher Educational ◽  
Local Students ◽  
The Impact

There is intense competition in the modern education market, which forces higher educational institutions to choose a market‐ oriented strategy. As local student numbers shrink, universities are actively recruiting foreign students. Therefore, it isimportant to determine the factors shaping the experiences of international students while obtaining higher education abroad, and the impact of these factors on the development of higher education exports. The aim of thisstudy isto assessthe factorsforming the experience of international students in the export of education. Surveys, frequency analysis, calculations of central tendency measures, and correlational analysis were used as the research methods. This study concludes that among the factors surveyed, students considered the following asthe most important ones: opportunity to travel to different countries during the studies, price level in the country, safety level in the country, good opportunities for leisure and entertainment, and the friendliness of locals. The most important factors for higher educational institutions included quality of education, interesting student life, good relationships with local students and with other foreign students, good relationships with academic staff, and interactive lectures. These results are important for higher educational institutions because they help to determine how to shape positive experiences for the development of higher education export.

Quality assurance in Afghan higher education: achievements and challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Welch ◽  
Attaullah Wahidyar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Fragile States ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ministry Of Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the development of quality assurance (QA) processes in higher education in Afghanistan and chart and assess the current achievements and challenges. Drawing on fieldwork, documentary research and secondary sources, the analysis seeks to integrate these elements into an integrated overall analysis of the phenomenon of QA in Afghan higher education, including its evolution over time, with some attention given to the implications for future development. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on field study, conducted by one of the authors, interviews with the Ministry of Higher Education officials by the second author, collection and analysis of policy documents and review of relevant literature. Findings Key findings reveal some tensions between stated policies regarding QA in Afghan higher education: limited finance, growing levels of insecurity and limited capacity within the Ministry of Higher Education, including staff training. Some barriers within higher education institutions are also pointed out in both public and private higher educational institutions. Research limitations/implications Implications of the research are that although further funding is needed to institute QA in higher education institutions, both public and private, this is unlikely in the current circumstances, with donor funds limited and commitments not always fulfilled. Anti-corruption measures will continue to be important, and declining security, in some provinces more than others, will likely limit the effective implementation of QA measures. Practical implications Given current conditions in Afghanistan, there are clear practical limits to what can be achieved in strengthening QA in higher education. The undoubted enthusiasm of the people, however, means that the situation must be addressed as far as possible. Greater engagement with regional QA networks, more training for QA assessors and greater regulation of the burgeoning private sector would go a long way to bring about improvement, as would ongoing efforts to rein in corruption. Social implications An important move regarding direct social implications would be to maintain and strengthen moves to engage more women in higher education, including higher proportions of (senior) female administrative and academic staff. Although barriers to women’s empowerment are by no means restricted to the higher education sector, it should show the lead in both enrolment and employment. Originality/value While QA in higher education is a major focus of higher education literature, there are less research studies on QA measures in developing country contexts and even less on fragile states such as Afghanistan. But for the country to prosper, good quality higher education is vital, and a study of the implementation of QA measures is an important contribution.

scholarly journals The Professional Development of Academic Staff in Higher Education Institution

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-131
Author(s):  
Duc Huu Pham
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
National Development ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
The Government ◽  
Research Studies

Abstract Higher education is given increasing recognition by national governments and international agencies throughout the world to become a crucial incentive for sustainable development goals. In the national development of intellectual force at present, the Vietnam policy of education and training, which is of great importance, is the decisive factor for the economic growth and social development as set out by the government. Therefore, the educational development is the responsibility of both the government and the society. It is now clear that the academic staff in higher education institutions is the core force, playing a decisive role in ensuring the quality of higher education as in the case of the International University – Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City. The paper investigated the research studies by the university academic staff through their annual publications and the number of lecturers with Doctoral degrees and professorship. The results showed their research studies contributed to the development of the institution in particular, and at the same time predicted how much the stakeholders benefited from this in general. This study may contribute to developing the quality of higher education institutions regarding the promotion of international publications by the higher education faculties.

scholarly journals “Let Me Enjoy Teaching” Improving Academic Quality Assurance Practices to Attain Teaching Excellence: Case Study of Selected Private Higher Education Institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 237-254
Author(s):  
Randa Hariri
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Academic Quality ◽  
Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia ◽  
Teaching Excellence ◽  
Private Higher Education Institutions

The purpose of this study was to identify the academic quality assurance practices that should be employed to attain teaching excellence at selected private higher education institutions in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study adopted a qualitative interpretive research design and utilized one-to-one, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 participants. The sample was purposefully selected and comprised six faculty members, four program directors, one senior academic staff member, and one junior non-academic administrator, from three private higher education institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Findings revealed four categories of practices: a) Must-keep practices, b) Must-modify practices, c) Must-add practices, and d) Must-avoid practices. Some of the practices relating to quality assurance that the study identified are maintaining important evaluation-related practices while providing feedback for improvement, closing the loop, educating all employees about and increasing their reengagement in quality assurance practice, and reducing paperwork and work duplication. This study concludes by recommending that higher education institutions employ the strategies discussed in the findings to promote teaching creativity and to improve the quality of teaching and learning, to achieve teaching excellence.

scholarly journals Description of knowledge and promotion media for Healthy Living Movement (Germas) in higher education institutions in Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 3717
Author(s):  
Lina Handayani ◽  
Zahroh Shaluhiyah ◽  
Suroto .
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Department Heads ◽  
Healthy Living ◽  
Unhealthy Lifestyle ◽  
External Sources ◽  
The Government ◽  
The University ◽  
Research Show

Background: Health problems that arise today are results of unhealthy lifestyle. As an effort to overcome these problems, the government launched the Healthy Living Movement (Germas) involving several approaches. This research aims to study the description of knowledge and promotion media about Germas among academics in higher education institutions.Methods: This is a qualitative research that aims to understand a social phenomenon. Research respondents were academics belonging to the groups of department heads, lecturers, academic staff, students, and canteen personnel. The study was conducted from February to April 2019.Results: Results of this research show that Germas related activities have been partially carried out in the university. Meanwhile, results from the health college and the health polytechnic indicate that Germas related activities are better implemented. They are better integrated with the Germas itself as a whole.Conclusions: Knowledge of Germas among academics in higher education institutions is adequate. This is even better for the case of the health college and health polytechnic in which information about health is disseminated routinely via both formal and informal forums. On the other hand, academics from the university obtain more health information about health from external sources.

scholarly journals Insights from Academics Teaching International Students in Australia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawn Joseph ◽  
Kay Hartwig
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
The Body ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning Programs

Australia continues to be an attractive destination in the world for international students. For higher education institutions to remain globally competitive there is a need to deliver high quality teaching and learning programs and adequate support structures. This paper forms part of a wider study on improving work placement for international students, their mentors and other stakeholders at Deakin University (Australia) and adds to the body of knowledge on international students as seen through the eyes of academic staff. It explores the lived experiences of seven academics as they navigate what is required of them when teaching international students in teacher education programs. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, we used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as an analytical tool to code and analyse our data. Some of the challenges, dilemmas and opportunities are discussed under three overarching themes (Academic staff teaching experiences, Perceptions of navigating the Australian Cultural Context, and Staff valuing student opportunities). Based on the findings, we offer recommendations for higher education institutions to consider for academic staff when supporting students (international and local) from diverse cultures and languages.

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