becoming a global citizen through international hands-on...

Australian International Education Conference 2008

www.aiec.idp.com 1

Becoming a Global Citizen Through

International Hands-on Projects

Gretel Lamont

Caryl Hertz

RMIT University©2008 2

Gaining a global passport to

learning and work

• Encouraged by Australian Government

• University strategic plans

• Sought by employers

• Valued by students


www.aiec.idp.com 2



learning and work

• Government priority




BUT

• Fewer than 5% of Australian graduates have an international study experience



learning and work

• Government priority




BUT

• Fewer than 5% of Australian graduates have an

international study experience

WHY?


www.aiec.idp.com 3


Perceived Barriers to Mobility

• Financial

• Lack of awareness

• Academic

– Prerequisite requirements

– Industry accreditation

– Training package requirements

• Unsuitable partners

• Lack of staff support

• Language


RMIT approaches to Student Mobility

• Exchange Program

– 30 destinations worldwide

– >100 Institutions

– RMIT Vietnam

• Study abroad with non partner organisation

• Study tours

– 2 to 4 weeks for credit

• International work placements and clinical practicums

• RMIT International Industry Experience & Research Program (RIIERP)

– Overseas industry placements for 3 to 6

months

• EU Mobility


www.aiec.idp.com 4


120 Years : 120 Students

Vietnam Experience

• Celebration of 120th birthday

• Provide a hands on international experience

• Projects from across the spectrum of RMIT

disciplines

• Opportunity for multidisciplinary teamwork

• Interaction with RMIT Vietnam students

• Build staff capabilities for ongoing international projects


Some of the Vietnam Experience projects

• Nursing in Vietnamese Hospitals: Contributing to a training program

• International Marketing Global Literacy

• Developing links between Indigenous Australian and Vietnamese communities: Sharing Art, Culture and Community Development

• Community development and rebuilding projects for housing for “Kids at Risk”in Hoi Ann

• Engaging with Medical Biotechnology research in Vietnam

• Comparative study of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and RMIT calendar

production

• An analysis of water resources management in Ha Noi

• Evolutionary digital art


www.aiec.idp.com 5


Some of the Vietnam Experience projects

• Nursing in Vietnamese Hospitals: Contributing to a training program

• International Marketing Global Literacy

• Developing links between Indigenous Australian and Vietnamese communities: Sharing Art, Culture and Community Development

• Community development and rebuilding projects for housing for “Kids at Risk”in Hoi Ann

• Engaging with Medical Biotechnology research in Vietnam

• Comparative study of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and RMIT calendar production

• An analysis of water resources management in Ha Noi

• Evolutionary digital art


Nursing in Ho Chi Minh Hospitals: Contributing

to a training program


www.aiec.idp.com 6


The Vietnam Experience

• 8 RMIT 3rd year students accompanied the Australian Veteran’s Vietnam Reconstruction Group Victorian (AVVRG) Healthcare Education Team

• The team worked with nurses at major maternity, trauma, orthopaedic and

general hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City.

• Debriefing every evening with discussion of issues


The Routine

• Every day the students visited a hospital meeting staff and patients (under the supervision of qualified nurses)

• RMIT Vietnam students were employed as translators


www.aiec.idp.com 7


Providing training

• Students presented an evidence based topic to nurses within the hospitals. This was a subject determined by input from both the nurses themselves and hospital management, and recognised as an area where further education was required


Interaction with Vietnamese Students

• The students visited the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City and met nursing students and staff

• Topics discussed included:

– Differences in nursing education

– The relative status of the nursing the profession

– Student lifestyles

– Salaries


www.aiec.idp.com 8


Professional Outcomes

• An understanding of the differences healthcare in a developing nation.

• Insight into the cultural differences and their impact on healthcare service delivery.

• Experience in researching and presenting to an audience.

• Experience working within a team.

• Exposure to the communication difficulties presented working in another country.

• An opportunity to observe a healthcare

system with a different pattern of illness and injury, and how this system was equipped to deal with the challenges it faced.


Global Literacy

RMIT Industry Focussed Study Vietnam

TAFE Business


www.aiec.idp.com 9


Outcomes

• All projects provided tangible outcomes for the students:

– Photography exhibit

– Training

– Ongoing relationships with organisations

– Group report to stakeholders

• Work integrated learning projects continuing in Vietnam

• Staff inspired to run projects in other countries

• Ongoing multidisciplinary team projects

• Ongoing relationships with RMIT Vietnam students


Shrupty Desai

becoming a global citizen through international hands-on...

Documents