Countless studies advocate the benefits of international study abroad, but what skills do students actually develop during these periods? And what about those immobile students bound to their native country? Should more be done to enable them to develop similar skills to their mobile counterparts? This is an extract from the 2012 winter issue of European Association for International Education's member magazine, EAIE Forum http://ow.ly/VQo2h. Become an EAIE member to access top-notch resources on a wide range of internationalisation topics. http://ow.ly/VQmqO.

1. Discussing international education
employability
Internationalisation and Employability: Are we missing a trick?
How do employers value international experience?
prepare your students for the global job market
EAIE Dublin 2012 Conference Report
winter
2012

2. Contents
forum
04 Editorial
10 Eastern promise
The rise of Asia
15 Internships as a bridge to deeper engagement
Create winning partnerships
18 Should employability be the main goal
of universities?
Retaining academic standards
24 Employer Q&A
Defining the ideal graduate
26 How do students value international
experience?
The Erasmus Student Network Survey
29 Improve the employability of your students
10 things you can do
31 Perspectives
A graduate’s view on study abroad
32 turning the page
An interview with Gudrun Paulsdottir
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3. forum
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06
“We cannot simply rely on the
mobile minority of students to
respond to employers’ needs”
Elspeth Jones
12
“We have seen a year-on-year climb of 34
places in the Times Good University Guide
League Table for graduate prospects”
How can universities deliver job-ready graduates?
21
“Globally, 62% of employers confirmed that
international education is considered as part
of their recruitment process”
The QS Global Employer Survey
39
“All over Europe and beyond, little fires
have been lit – new ideas, problems to
tackle and renewed enthusiasms”
Dublin Conference Report

4. 06 forum
winter 2012
Internationalisation and
employability:
are we missing
a trick?
Elspeth Jones
Consultant in International Education and Emerita Professor,
Leeds University, UK
Illustration: Chris Lemmens (istock)

5. forum
winter 2012 07
Countless studies advocate the benefits of international
study abroad, but what skills do students actually develop
during these periods? And what about those immobile
students bound to their native country? Should more be
done to enable them to develop similar skills to their mobile
counterparts?
Cultivating soft skills International mobility in terms of personal growth, self-efficacy,
“Even if domestic graduates never leave Studies have identified profound trans- maturity and enhanced intercultural com-
their own country, on graduation they formational learning in students through petence. From an analysis of such studies
will be forced to compete in international, international mobility experiences in a range it is clear that the list of skills developed
or multinational, work and discovery of geographical contexts. These include ques- shows a remarkable similarity to those
environments.”1 tioning personal identity and sense of self, shown to be required by employers in other
A recent British Council/Think Global with significant results being widely reported studies, as Figure 1 shows.
survey2 found that 79% of chief executives
and board level directors of businesses in the Figure 1: Key skills comparison
UK think that in recruiting new employ-
ees, knowledge and awareness of the wider Key skills required by Key skills developed through international
employers mobility
world are more important than achieving a
high degree grade. Increasing globalisation • Self-awareness • Self-awareness, self-confidence, sense of iden-
and the interconnectedness of multinational • Initiative and enterprise tity, and personal independence
work environments have intensified the • Willingness to learn • Being informed, greater interest in global af-
demand for graduates capable of operating • Planning and organising fairs and cross-cultural perspectives
• Organisational skills, project management,
in culturally diverse contexts and studies • Integrity
decision-making, creativity and taking on
have shown that employer requirements • Commitment/motivation
responsibility
• Problem-solving
are broadly consistent from one country to • Vision, independence, experience, broader
• Flexibility outlook and attitude
another. • Self-management • Problem-solving, coping strategies and risk-
In countries from west to east and north • Team work taking
to south, universities are seeking to design • Communication skills • Patience, flexibility, adaptability, open-minded-
curricula incorporating the skills employers • Foreign languages ness and humanity
are looking for. Often described as ‘soft’ or • Networking • Team work and team leadership skills
• Leadership • Fluency, accuracy and appropriateness of lan-
‘transferable’ skills, they relate to generic
• Customer service guage competence
personal and interpersonal qualities which • Interpersonal skills • Mediation skills, conflict resolution, sensitivity,
are independent of the field of study. Re- • Intercultural skills humility and respect
search shows that some of these skills are • Forging of relationships and networks
developed through international mobility • Challenge to personal stereotypes, cultural
relativism
experiences and yet the connection between
• Enhanced intercultural communication, con-
outcomes from these programmes and the ducting business interculturally
transferable skills employers require have • Cultural empathy
rarely been made. • Non-judgmental observation, respect for local
values without abandoning one’s own
• Cultural understandings, ways of thinking and
adaptation to complex cultural environments

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INTERNATIONALISATION AND EMPLOYABILITY: ARE WE MISSING A TRICK?
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PREPARE YOUR STUDENTS FOR THE GLOBAL JOB MARKET
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7. forum
winter 2012 09
Given that findings of this kind have been However, this requires us to recognise Further exploration
reported from a range of studies, it suggests and value the cultural insights which our In summary, if the transformational
that students will benefit if we design inter- students (and staff) can offer by embracing potential of internationalisation for student
national experiences into higher education a broad notion of ‘culture’. A group of stu- learning is to be realised beyond the mobile
curricula. Yet there continue to be chal- dents in a contemporary European univer- minority, the relationship between ‘inter-
lenges in ensuring that academics, students sity is likely to include people from differing national’ and ‘intercultural’ needs further
and employers are aware that international national, religious, ethnic backgrounds, exploration within our curricula. A number
experiences can offer such benefits. of different genders, sexual orientation or of questions for further reflection arise:
with physical disabilities. Such diversity can 1. Are curriculum designers and the
Options for non-mobile students offer creative ‘intercultural’ opportunities, wider academic community aware of
Perhaps an even more important challenge and one route to enhancing intercultural the potential power of the international
is to consider how internationalisation of competence – an important objective of learning experience in enhancing stu-
the curriculum ‘at home’ can offer similar curriculum internationalisation – may be on dent employability?
opportunities for the static majority of our own doorsteps. 2. Are the students who take part in such
experiences aware of this and can they
We are yet to make the most of diversity in our ‘sell’ this to employers?
universities and local communities 3. Are employers aware of the transferable
skills which can arise from interna-
tional experiences?
students, ie those who do not take part in For example, international community 4. What contribution can internation-
an international experience as part of their volunteering has been shown to yield alisation of the curriculum at home
programme of study. beneficial learning outcomes of the type make to employability for non-mobile
There is growing recognition that the described here. Could the same be true students?
intercultural competence required to oper- for local ‘intercultural’ volunteering, such 5. How can we make better use of lo-
ate effectively in global contexts is equally as with different religious or faith groups, cal multicultural contexts to offer
important for living in our increasingly shelters for homeless people or drug addicts, similar learning outcomes as have been
diverse and multicultural local communi- women refuges or with people who have demonstrated through international
ties. And yet the increasing demand for severe mental or physical disabilities? experiences?
graduates with first-hand experience of
living and working among other cultures International versus intercultural Chesterton said, “the whole object of travel
suggests we are not making the most of lo- We are yet to make the most of diversity in is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last
cal diversity. We cannot simply rely on the our universities and local communities to to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign
mobile minority of students to respond to support intercultural learning in domestic land.”3 If international mobility experiences
employers’ needs. The kind of employability settings. As such, we do not know whether in higher education can bring about such a
skills arising from international mobility internationalisation (or ‘interculturalisation’) change in perspective, we owe our non-
should also be available through an interna- of the curriculum ‘at home’ can offer parallel mobile students similar opportunities. The
tionalised curriculum at home for the static development of intercultural competence question for academics is whether we can
majority of students. and transferable employability skills. It open curricula to creative approaches which
comes down to viewing international and may offer equivalent outcomes through
Utilising local diversity intercultural as two sides of the same coin, intercultural engagement and internation-
To synthesise and simplify the distinctive to incorporating relevant learning out- alisation of the curriculum at home.
elements of international mobility experi- comes into our curricula for all students,
ences, they offer experiential learning op- not simply through mobility opportunities, This essay is based on a forthcoming journal
article by the author: Internationalisation and
portunities in an inter-cultural context, tak- and to introducing assessment tasks which employability: the role of intercultural experi-
ing people beyond their standard comfort measure whether these have been achieved. ences in the development of transferable skills,
zones. However, if we view internationalisa- We will only be able to promote the value of to be published in 2013.
tion as one dimension of diversity in higher the internationalised curriculum ‘at home’
education, it is clear that domestic environ- to students and to potential employers when 1. Zimitat, C. (2008) Internationalisation of the
undergraduate curriculum. In: L. Dunn and M. Wallace
ments could play an equivalent role in offer- we can demonstrate the benefits and out- (Eds), Teaching in Transnational Higher Education.
London, England: Routledge.
ing opportunities to engage with ‘cultural comes of such experiences as clearly as they
2. Think Global and British Council, (2011). The Global
others’. Our multicultural classrooms can have been demonstrated in the literature on Skills Gap: Preparing young people for the new global
be a resource to be used purposefully in de- internationally mobile students. economy.
3. Chesterton, G. K. (1909) Tremendous Triffles.
veloping intercultural skills for all students.