Think Education

In today’s somewhat blurry eyed episode of the Think Education podcast, Chris reflects on his (very) recent trip to Taiwan and talks about his long standing relationship with Taiwan and with colleagues there, like Angela.  Chris talked about the content of his recent trip and discussed his experience in light of recent podcasts about travel and value. Judith and Chris talked about language development and classroom practice – both as a tool to support international recruitment and mobility, and as a capacity building approach and Judith shared her reflections and experience on the Japanese example of international teachers.  Chris talked about his experience working with EMI teachers in Taiwan and the changes to government policy – over the past few years – that have dramatically increased the percentage of teaching conducted in English in Taiwanese universities. Judith asked Chris about his experience working with students in different contexts and the types of research they conduct and the challenges they f

This Think Education podcast was prompted by our last few episodes on travel (Bulgaria and China) and two recent LinkedIn items: one post by Cheryl Yu on power politics of English in global higher education and the subsequent comments on how we as a community can effect change; and one post by Vicky Lewis, and The IC Global, on leveraging post-conference energy to keep the momentum going?  This got us thinking about discussions we have with colleagues and the impact this can have back at home. Judith and Chris reflected on their own experiences of balancing trip energy with office expectations and discussed the reality that at times, the day to day can simply overtake the best of intentions.  We talked about the need to carve out space to keep the momentum going – taking a leaf from Vicky and writing a blog post, or having a conversation (or podcast) to further develop ideas and identify possible avenues for action. We looked at this issue from both the institutional level: the challenges in developing releva

In this latest Think Education podcast, our intrepid hosts talk about Judith’s recent trip to Bulgaria.  Judith was part of a delegation, with the British Council, to discuss TNE activity and collaboration opportunities.  Many of our listeners might not be as aware of the current capability and appetite for TNE in Bulgaria as they could be. Many of our podcast hosts, may likewise not have been as aware of the opportunities as they could have been.  It is always deeply gratifying, not to mention really interesting, to learn about TNE development and activity in ‘non-traditional’ TNE hubs/markets.  There are more things out there than often dreamt of in our philosophies after all. What seems very encouraging, is the desire to produce something tangible, rather than relying on the MoU collection process.  Judith highlighted the diversity of current approach and we talked about the real value of exploring research partnerships in TNE and not solely focusing on student exchange.  We talked about the role of indust

Welcome, Bienvenido, مرحباً, Wilkommen, 欢迎, and Bienvenue Friend of the show Vicky Lewis joined us again today for a conversation about language, learning languages and the advantages this can bring. This episode began when we saw Vicky’s LinkedIn post on language learning a few months ago.  We wanted to have a conversation about this to learn more about Vicky’s perspective but she sensibly asked to wait until she had time to review the feedback and responses she had received.  Clearly, this was the right approach as it brought us here today! Vicky walked us through her own experience of learning languages in school, university and further afield – she had reached a clear level of success when people thought she was French speaking German!  We talked about immersing yourself in another culture and language and how this can significantly increase our empathy towards others experiencing the same thing.  Being confused and frustrated when trying to communicate is a great leveler and makes us better educators and

In this latest #ThinkEducation podcast episode, Chris and Judith talk to Stephanie Martin, co-founder of Edvance Education Consultants, about decolonising the curriculum: what this means from both a philosophical and practical perspective – including some tips on how we might approach this at a nursery level!   We asked Stephanie for her thoughts on the process of decolonisation within TNE and how we can attempt to navigate this process – and sometimes dichotomy – of expectations, quality and reality.   Stephanie talks passionately about the need for representation and multiple voices to be heard; not for the deletion of history but rather for a more critical awareness towards motivations and contexts.   We talked about the difference between diversity and decolonisation and how simply including multi-cultural examples in our teaching is a good start but more must be done to critically address issues and discuss varying perspectives.   We talked about the term decolonisation itself and how it can be viewed ne

In this latest Think Education podcast episode, Judith and Chris discuss the partnerships in international higher education: how they come about; how we sustain them; how we measure their value and impact. In a call back to our first book together (with our colleague Tim Gore) we discussed the purpose of partnerships and the motivation behind entering into them.  Chris reflected on his time in Malaysia and the wonder that is collecting MOU’s.  We talked about how the balance of power has shifted in TNE partnerships over the past decade and how this is a positive thing by increasing the need for accountability and transparence, while also promoting more targeted development and capacity building. Judith reflected on partnership activity during the pandemic and we discussed the way in which approaches to it have changed since the pandemic and how this aligns to our previous conversations about international education travel – we need to demonstrate value for money and ensure we are getting the most out of our e

Have you ever wondered what our senior academic colleagues get up to on international higher education trips?  Turns out, it is perhaps not quite as glamorous as pictured.  In the post-pandemic era, there is a very real need to demonstrate value and return for travel and this can put a lot of pressure on international trips.  Agendas are full; travel can be taxing; and there are often simply too many cups of coffee! In today’s episode of the Think Education podcast, Judith and Chris discuss Judith’s recent trip to China, as part of a delegation of senior UK higher education representatives.  Judith reflects on her China trip and provides insight on the workings of senior level delegations – the travel; the discussions; the collaborative nature of interaction; and the need to make the best use of one’s time. Judith and Chris discuss travel pre and post pandemic and reflect on some of their experiences working at distance in international higher education, including some of the real challenges – such as humidit

Have you ever found yourself at a conference and wondered, 'am I really here and where is here in fact?'  If so, this is the podcast for you! In this latest Think Education podcast Prof Christopher Hill talks to Professor Perry Hobson, Director of BUas Academy for Tourism at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, about fake conferences and the impact these have on academia. Perry outlined work he has undertaken looking at the issue of fake conferences, how they operate and the knock on effect they can have on academic practice. We discussed the academic practice of creating and disseminating knowledge and the challenges of access – in terms of paid journal subscriptions – faced by many countries around the world.   Mounties always get their man! https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-perry-hobson-5b7517b/?originalSubdomain=nl #fakeconferences #academicintegrity #researchengagement #publication #journals

To coincide with Judith’s trip to China, this latest episode of the Think Education sees Chris and Judith talking to Leina Shi, Director Education British Council China, about her move to China during the pandemic, leaving UK higher education after 20 years, and the scope and scale of the role she now occupies, including British Council priorities in China.   Leina reflected on the changes she has seen in western approaches to China over her career and the renewed interest and willingness to engage post-pandemic and offers insight on how this process could be managed.   We talked about digital engagement and virtual connections, as compared to face to face trust building. Leina talked about the event she is organising this week, which brings together key UK and Chinese university stakeholders to discuss collaboration and future activity. Leina gave us a sneak preview into some of the techniques she uses to increase engagement during both online and face to face events.   We asked Leina about identity in inter

In this latest Think Education episode Judith and Chris discuss the wonder that is Clearing. For those not familiar with this exciting time of the year, Clearing is the process by which UK universities and colleges fill any places they still have on their courses.  It is an action packed, and often stressful, time of the year for almost all involved.   As students around the world get ready to begin their university journey, we decided to reflect back on our own experiences with Clearing - including the need for regular sugar fueling with mars bar cakes and Jo’s ice cream - the value it has to a university and the impact this can have on people and their sense of identity and wellbeing.   We talked about the student experience and how life changing attending university can be. We thought back to our own experiences and reflected on the pressures placed on young people today to have all the answers - as opposed to having the freedom to simply learn and explore.   You may not always get what you want, but hopef

Freshly returned from his summer holiday, Mason chose to travel back to revolutionary France today.   We talked about why revolutions often happen and how people have the power to change things for themselves and for each other.   Mason pointed out that having a King who does nothing but party, and a Queen who is more concerned with styling her hair to look like a boat than with whether people have enough food, is not a good recipe for happy people.   We realised that a lot of Mason’s favourite periods in history have to do with revolutions or one group trying to overthrow another. Not unsurprisingly, we are going to talk about the American Revolution in a future episode!

In this latest Think Education Podcast episode @ProfChrisHill and @ProfJudithLamie talk about the wonderful world of academic conferences.  As many of us turn our attention to the new academic term and returning to the office and classroom, we naturally thought it made sense to talk about leaving campus in pursuit of the conference experience! During this podcast, we share some of our horror (and success) stories from the early days of our academic careers to the present day, and offer some insights into what we have ‘learned’ along the way. We reflect on the value of in person events and how best to navigate the experience, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the online model that has been so popular and necessary in recent years. Judith and Chris compare notes on the role and value of conferences in their respective locations (UK and UAE) and think about the student experience within this space. We try to offer some guidance and support for students and early career academics here and would welc

In this latest Think Education podcast, Prof Christopher Hill talks to Dr Ahmed Shaban about his work with the Sharjah Private Education Authority and discusses the recent initiative of a four day week in the private schooling system. Dr Ahmed outlines the process involved in designing, developing and implementing the four-day week within the private education sector in Sharjah (an Emirate of the United Arab Emirates) and reflects on the initial stages of the implementation. The discussion moved to impact and wellbeing and Dr Ahmed reported on the current findings and feedback received from key stakeholders, the mechanisms in place to fully support the changes, and some of the knock on effects of the change – such as reduced traffic and increased social activity. I asked Dr Ahmed about the change in the schooling day and where the additional hours of learning ended up.  I was curious to learn how you are able to condense five days into four – and of course, you can’t, not completely.  The four days do become

Hot off the press!!  Judith and Chris discuss the release of their latest book and reflect on the process of writing it.  The Evolving Nature of Universities: What Shapes and Influences Identity in International Higher Education (Routledge 2023: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003389361) In previous podcasts, Judith and Chris discussed the start of the process and how they developed both the ideas and the practical aspects of the book.  In this episode, they reflect back on how initial ideas evolved and how new ones emerged.  It is seemingly a good idea to be open to inspiration and to allow a little freedom as you write – you never know where the next good idea will come from. Judith and Chris talked about the sheer enjoyment and opportunities to learn that come from working with collaborators and the absolute need to increase the different perspectives to which we are exposed.  A staple in our books is the student voice chapter and to this we added a parental perspective.  It is often easy to think we understan

Another repeat episode for the summer period! In this episode, Judith and I chat about our writing process and how we collaborated with colleagues around the world.  Writing can often be a tricky business but if you can find people you like working with, like listening to, and like learning from, it can be a whole lot easier! If you haven't already heard this one, please enjoy Judith and I chatting about how we write, how we work with contributors to develop ideas and to learn from alternative perspectives. #writingabook #workingwithothers #workingatdistance #collaboration #partnerships

As the summer is fully upon us and people are perhaps a little less likely to listen to podcasts, we didn't want to put up new content with interesting colleagues - for fear that the episodes wouldn't be as widely appreciated as they should be.  So instead, we thought it better to stick with just us! As our second book is now imminent, our thoughts turned back to the start of the process.  Or maybe the middle, it is hard to keep track sometimes!\ If you haven't already heard this one, please enjoy Judith and I chatting about how we write, how we come up with ideas, and how we manage to produce work at distance.  If you have already heard this (thank you for listening) and perhaps you can enjoy it anew! #writingabook #workingatdistance #collaboration #partnerships

In this latest #ThinkEducation podcast, @ProfChrisHill talks to Paula Sanderson @PaulaSanderso16 about the leadership, training, identity and space in TNE.  Paula, COO Interim Middlesex University has held Chief Operating Officer roles at Queen Mary University of London, SOAS University of London, and University of Reading Malaysia, as well as senior operations roles at the University of Sydney and University of Exeter. Paula reflects on her doctoral work on governance and ethics in international education, and her time working in various international TNE operations, to discuss issues of cultural awareness; communication; training needs; and development opportunities. I asked Paula about her work on space and how replicating the home campus exactly can actually create barriers and obstacles for TNE students, rather than the sense of sameness.  We talked about the challenges of navigating the need to replicate quality and the desire to contextualize the experience, and then – if possible – to exchange informa

In this latest Think Education podcast @ProfChrisHill talked to Hugh Martin, Registrar and Chief Administrative Officer at The British University in Dubai, about the role of universities within society and the value of education. Hugh reflected on his extensive experience in Higher Education senior management to discuss the power universities have to make a positive impact upon society, and indeed how they have an invaluable role in providing spaces for discourse, information interrogation and knowledge dissemination.  Hugh reflected that universities could certainly do more to demonstrate their value and that the power of higher education, when not viewed as a mere stepping stone to employment, can be instrumental in shaping and developing society. Our conversation moved through the learning experience and how the pressures that young people face today – in terms of deciding their future – could be better replaced with choices and options for learning.  By creating space and time to think and develop, univer

In this latest Think Education podcast @ProfChrisHill talks to Professor Perry Hobson, Director of BUas Academy for Tourism at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, about the timely issue of international students and how they are viewed in different contexts. As students around the world are navigating the summer period and thinking about upcoming study activity, travel and new chapters and challenges, we took this podcast session to think about how we in the academic community, and society more broadly, think about international students and how they could be better supported. Perry reflects on his time in the Netherlands and the way in which international students are counted, viewed and even courted. Our attention then, rather predictably, turned to the situation in the UK and the politicization of international students.  We discussed student mobility and differing approaches to attracting and supporting international students during their studies and the ever thorny issue of what you

In this latest Think Education podcast @ProfChrisHill talked to Fion Lim, Associate Professor in General Management at UTS Business School in Sydney Australia, about TNE partnerships, online learning and the student experience.   Fion reflected on her extensive experience in TNE partnership management to discuss partnerships pre and post-COVID, what worked in the past, want doesn’t work now, and what could work in the future.   We talked about emerging trends in TNE partnership and the possible role for branch campuses and hybrid learning in this space.  Fion reflected on her experience working with partners in China to offer insights into key opportunities and challenges of engagement and partnership development.   We talked about how we measure success in TNE and the need to move away from the pure business model and focus instead on the student experience, impact and relevance of the degree.  Fion highlighted examples where the teaching material and content delivered in TNE arrangements was of little to no