Teaching and researching across international borders

Higher education is a global endeavour. Knowledge creation and dissemination is rarely confined by national borders, particularly in an age of digital connectivity. However, with longstanding international collaborations now threatened by political forces, universities and academics will need to work hard to protect and advance cross-border teaching and research. In research, academics from around the world bring diverse expertise and perspectives. In the classroom, international students and curricula foster a richer learning experience and intercultural understanding. But internationalisation comes with challenges and this guide seeks to help lecturers and researchers overcome these, in order to reap the benefits of a globalised higher education sector. 

To start, Wafa El Garah of Al Akhawayn University outlines the four pillars of a successful internationalisation strategy, addressing the barriers that all institutions may face when working at a global scale: Unlock the potential of internationalisation in higher education.

Strategies for international research success

International research collaborations enable academics and institutions to pool knowledge and resources. Find out how to connect with colleagues overseas and develop projects across borders, foster trust and transparency in multinational research teams and ensure equitable recognition and decision-making.

Researcher speed-dating: developing strategic collaborations with international partners: From meeting online to forming long-term relationships, researchers’ shared projects can foster stronger international partnerships between universities, writes Joanna Daaboul of Université de Technologie de Compiègne.

International research needs international research professionals: When researchers in poorer countries are expected to deliver programmes to the exacting standards of funders in the Global North, it makes international collaboration more difficult. Here, Mary Ryan of the University of Glasgow calls for skills development initiatives to align global aspiration and reality.

The secret to long-term international research projects is trust and transparency: To build an excellent research team you want talented individuals – but they also have to enjoy working together. The University of Essex’s Christine Raines explains how teamwork and open communication have made a multi-national bioengineering project succeed.

Creating equitable research partnerships across continents: Shabbar Jaffar of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine provides tips for successful international collaborations built on trust, recognition and inclusive decision-making, based on his work researching HIV prevention with teams in the UK, Europe, Tanzania and Uganda.

Equitable international research collaboration is possible – find out how: Lessons from Manuel Barcia on building a successful international research collaboration founded on trust and respect between partners, based on the long-running partnership between the University of Leeds and University of Pretoria.

Clear communication as the key to international collaboration: The success of international research collaborations rests upon clear communication, writes Marian Brady of Glasgow Caledonian University as she offers advice on what this involves in practice.

Techniques for designing and managing international collaborations: An effective international initiative can benefit a whole host of stakeholders – universities, industry leaders, students, wider communities. But how do we get to success? Yang Cindy Yi of Virginia Tech looks at the opportunities and challenges of international collaborations using a real-world example.

The dos and don’ts of international partnerships: Navigating cultural issues, considering local rules, establishing red lines and much more will be required if you are to create a strong partnership and protect both partners, write Jason E. Lane and Jessica D. Schueller of Miami University.

Teaching international students online

Bringing together students representing different nations, cultures and languages within one classroom creates exciting learning opportunities but requires careful management. The challenges faced by international students are amplified when learning online, without the interpersonal communication cues and face-to-face support of a tutor and fellow students. Here, university educators offer pointers for designing online learning experiences which enable international students to participate and flourish.

Create an online learning environment international students feel comfortable in: For international students, navigating online learning is just another challenge among the many they’re already facing. Rajeev Kamineni of the University of Adelaide offers advice based on his own learning journey.

A good plan is essential to make online international courses a success: How can we ensure teachers and students have positive experiences in online international classrooms? Here, Nelly Ramírez Vásquez and Mariana Estefanía Elizondo García of Monterrey Institute of Technology share some tips.

Creating an inclusive global classroom

Arriving in a new country with different cultural, social and educational norms, can mean international students take time to assimilate, get involved and make friends. Lecturers can ease this process by clearly setting out expectations and designing classroom activities that facilitate social bonds and enable students to open up and work together, as these resources explain.

Five useful measures for welcoming students to international classrooms: Preeti Aghalayam of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras explains why it’s worth examining the effectiveness of your teaching, acknowledging the changes needed for an inclusive classroom and how to do it.

Use design thinking and storytelling to help international students find their voices: Exchanging stories allows students to express themselves and relate to others, a team at the University of Warwick explain and share activities that encourage this.

Writing courses can be more enriching for international students than you think: For many international students, English writing courses are a requirement. While such courses can help them polish their definite articles, they can do so much more. Umasankar Patra of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras suggests harnessing the diversity in your classroom.

How to stop unconsciously discriminating against international students: Using enquiry-based learning gives overseas students agency and helps them decide for themselves how they want to be included in the learning process, says Dylan Williams of Seoul National University.

Language should be a major consideration for teaching any international class since there will be widely varying levels of understanding. University educators must find ways to bridge language gaps, provide explainers and be willing to slow down and reflect on their own verbal clarity, as these lecturers explain.

Campus talks - cross-cultural communication in the international classroom: Whether it’s teaching creative writing and media in a multilingual course or providing future doctors with clinical communication skills, two experts share tips for connecting with students and bridging language and culture divides. Hear from Lucy Palmer of the University of Central Asia and Katalin Fogarasi of Semmelweis University on how to create a classroom that supports understanding and maximises the benefits of an international student cohort.

Mind your language - inclusive teaching for international students: Learning about your international students and being mindful about how you use language in classes can have a profound impact on students’ experience and attainment, writes Mark Whalley of the University of Chester.

Why inclusion in EAP needs a rethink: Teaching English for academic purposes should be inclusive by its very nature. Angelos Bakogiannis outlines how to centre student voices, challenge assumptions about academic language, and design learning for meaningful participation and belonging.

Managing diverse global perspectives

Students from vastly different countries are likely to have some vastly different worldviews. This is fertile ground for learning but can also risk surfacing prejudice and disagreement. These resources call for educators to apply cultural sensitivity, encourage open and respectful discussion and make space for different perspectives.

The importance of educational cultural awareness in the multicultural classroom: What happens when you mix contrasting worldviews and pedagogies in one university classroom? Find out how to balance students’ biases – and your own – to prepare them for a globalised world, from Marie N Bernal of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Navigating the choppy waters of intercultural differences in an international classroom: Farish A. Noor of the University of Malaya draws on three decades of teaching across different continents to offer advice on the challenges inherent in teaching students from diverse backgrounds.

How to cross international language barriers

With international students come a multitude of languages spoken on campus. With language being so key to social cohesion and academic achievement, embracing multilingualism and finding ways to support students speaking in their second, third or even fourth language is crucial. Find out how others are doing this, here.   

Unlock the benefits of multilingualism in higher education: To create inclusive campuses, we need to embrace multilingualism. Katherine Mansfield and Julio Gimenez describe how the Multilingual University project helped celebrate linguistic diversity and fostered a sense of belonging at the University of Westminster.

‘What colour is your English?’ Linguistic racism’s impact on faculty of colour: Linguistic racism doesn’t just affect international students – it can hurt the mental health of staff too. Sender Dovchin of Curtin University and Vander Tavares of the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences explain how we can combat it.

Eleven ways to support international students who use English as a second language: We must all work to foster a compassionate and encouraging experience for our international student community, writes Peter O’Rourke of the University of Exeter.

Introducing ‘translanguaging’ – and other ways to promote multilingualism: If universities are serious about internationalisation, they must confront the hegemony of English-medium instruction – here’s how, says Dylan Williams of Seoul National University.

Breaking language barriers to support non-native English-speaking students: Steps that tutors can take to better support students who are non-native speakers of English and ensure they feel included and able to play an active role in their university community, by academics at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

A warm welcome for students from around the world

The transition from school to university is always daunting but international students face the added challenge of adapting to life in a new country and navigating a new education system. Discover tips to make foreign students feel welcome at your institution and help them settle them into their new home so they can learn and flourish. 

We need to get to know our international students better: To create inclusive classrooms for international students, we must address bias and challenge assumptions. Here’s how, by Meg Maclean of the University of Edinburgh.

Make your university a home away from home: International students need a strong support system to settle them into their new environment. Find out how to provide one with these tips from Array Saniyazova of Nazarbayev University.

Four key hurdles international students face – and what to do about them: How can we make international students’ academic journey a positive one? Katherine Mansfield of the University of Westminster suggests ways to alleviate their social, academic and language challenges.

Ease the transition for international students with a holistic peer-mentoring programme: Enlist peer mentors to help make international students’ transition on to your campus a smooth one. Naia Robinson of the Australian National University shows how.

How to support international students’ smooth transition to a new country: Orientation is an ongoing process for international students, so welcome programmes need to extend further than a single day. Here, Mengping Cheng of the University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha explains how to support new arrivals throughout their adjustment.

Helping international students in their transition to US institutions: International students enrich and add value to American campuses. Here, Ashlee Toomey-Flinn of Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities offers practical tips for ensuring they transition successfully into their US university experience

The international university

Internationalisation is nominally built into most institutional strategies but what does it look like in real terms? What are the foundations upon which really successful international partnerships are built? What are the characteristics that mean some branch campuses thrive while others flounder? Find some of the answers here.

What determines the success of an international branch campus? What do successful international branch campuses have in common? Nigel Healey of the University of Limerick outlines the key characteristics that institutions wishing to extend their presence overseas should take heed of.

Help students make the most of studying overseas at branch campuses and beyond: Chris Pirie of Heriot-Watt University offers advice on how to run a smooth international student exchange programme.

Western universities need to look further afield or risk alienation: So many institutions have their heads in the sand, but if they create true international partnerships, they can reap great rewards, says Hugh Martin of the British University in Dubai.

Clear communication as the key to international collaboration: The success of international research collaborations rests upon clear communication, writes Marian Brady of Glasgow Caledonian University as she offers advice on what this involves in practice.

Transnational education explained

Transnational education is a popular avenue for many prestigious universities wishing to extend their global reach without investing in bricks and mortar overseas – and its proponents argue it makes a top flight university courses available to students who would not otherwise be able to access them. But TNE is often criticised for delivering teaching of questionable quality, so what does high-quality TNE look like?

Crossing time zones - developing a transnational professional development series: Co-creation with TNE partners allows both front-line educators and host institution opportunities for quality assurance and pathways to build communities of practice. Here, London Metropolitan University’s Dom Conroy and Santanu Vasant outline 11 steps to working with international partners.

Seven tips on finding and establishing international partnerships: An international partnership is like a marriage – once the courting is over, long-term compatibility is crucial, says Debra Hinds of Arden University.

Innovative approaches to transnational education: Vangelis Tsiligiris of Nottingham Trent University outlines the key areas for innovation in the design and delivery of transnational education based on changing needs and developments in the global higher education landscape.

Transnational education in China - challenges and keys to success: When branching out to the Chinese market, it is important to understand student motivation, hire the right staff and form collaborative partnerships, as Zhen Zhang of the University of La Verne explains.

Quality assurance of online transnational higher education: Online and hybrid degrees are booming, but work needs to be done to maintain the reputation of Australian online university degrees in the transnational education space, writes Fion Lim of the University of Technology Sydney.

Running effective tutorials in transnational education: Michael Daw explores the challenges and misconceptions related to running interactive tutorials in joint international courses, based on his experience teaching a UK-China programme in China for the Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Joint Institute.

Thank you to all who contributed their expertise and insight to this guide.