I am working on the paper for Madrid. As I said earlier it was in fact accepted and I plan to go to Madrid to present it. I know at the same time you are having your conference so it is not likely that I can attend that one or even if everything fell into place (funding and visas) you would be able to go to Madrid.
I do hope to come to Bosnia some time this year and I will work with Mr. Kulovic to coordinate that so it is also the best time for you, the group you, to be available. I really look forward to meeting you in person. And, I think once we have met it will be easier to have these virtual conversations.
But I also wanted to share with you the section of the paper that is about our collaboration, meager as it has been, to date. The text below is a draft of what I would like to say. Please send me some feedback to see if I have captured the essence of our conversations. Ellen
Introduction
International exchanges have been a significant part of higher education for some time. The idea that through these exchanges the host institution can internationalize their curriculum, give local students an opportunity to interact with students from around the globe, and/or begin to change perceptions of Americans abroad are just a few of the reasons that international exchanges are an important part of the educational experience. International students gain through this academic experience, learning in a new environment, and there is considerable serendipitous learning, beyond the classroom, throughout any exchange.
However while these may be important reasons for pursuing international exchanges, what international students hope to gain from these experiences is not as well articulated in the list of benefits. This paper preliminary case study in exchanges and collaboration will provide insights into what a small group of students from Poland and Bosnia gained and hope to gain from international exchanges. It should be noted that while the Polish students had the opportunity to study in the US for a year, the Bosnian students merely discussed topics of interest using technology. Their international exchanges were to countries more geographically close. This was due not only to specific exchange opportunities but also funding and visa restrictions. This initial conversation on student interest and desired outcomes for international exchanges and collaboration is just the first step.
Student Perceptions
The Bosnian students participated in a virtual conversation with Dr. Ellen McMahon, who was a Fulbright Teaching Scholar at the Univeristy of Sarajevo, Faculty of Economics 2005-2006. Through blogs, texting and email correspondence with a varied number of participants students talked about their academic and professional aspirations. They were most concerned with how this sort of collaboration might support future academic or professional work. This very preliminary but engaging correspondence focused on leadership and management concepts, as well as discussions on professional development opportunities.
According to one student participant, Bosnian students are quite specific and focused on finishing school and finding a job. There are very few students who are able to participate in any form of exchange of even collaboration due to this focus on speed to completion of education and immediate employment. There are very high barriers to participation in these sorts of activies. Visa restrictions and the complications of gaining a visa make exchanges very difficult. Funding is another very significant barrier to any exchange. Even short term exchanges require visas and substantial funding so they are also unlikely.
While there are many barriers to participating in exchanges, this student summarizing the thoughts of his colleagues says there are many “invisible” benefits to exchanges and even virtual collaboration. The creation of a virtual network of resources beyond your borders can assist when the actual opportunity for travel arises. Online forums can be a first step in this process, once language and technology issues are addressed. Those students participating in the virtual collaboration felt that “talking” to foreign professors or addressing management topics of interest are valuable as participants can practice language and critical thinking skills. These virtual communication options provide an opportunity to learn other perspectives on a topics, become familiar with current best practices, practice engaging in conversations with divergent opinions and create connections building an understanding of the current situation on both sides of the conversation. Students hope that this reference to some international collaboration, either face to face or virtual, can be leveraged to improve job opportunities.
International experience is important to employers, according to our Bosnian students, but there is also a potential “negative connotation”. Given the economic situation in the country there are very few families who can affort do send their children to study abroad or to send their children to private universities to earn an international diploma. For those students who do not have this priviledge they feel they are at a distinct disadavantage. Some students think that this priviledge does not mean they are the best person for the job. So while as a whole the students who participated in the collaborative effort thought international experience was important and beneficial to finding a good job, they were also ambivalent about this fact.
Students also thought it would be important to see how this virtual collaboration could be used to their advantage to support their job prospects.
The difficulties in this collaboration, as voiced by students, is the time and timing factor. With the rigors of the academic schedule and the availability of free time, finding the time to read and write, it should be noted in another language, makes regular participation difficult. Given that this is an independent activity not linked to any coursework or assignment also increases the work load while not linking it to any particular recognized educational outcome. The timing issue is grounded in differing schedules. Exam schedules are quite different in Bosnia from NLU. In the Management and Business programs at NLU the use of comprensive exams to assess knowledge is not as common as the only assessment. The use of case studies, simulations, presentations and individual and team projects are more extensively and easily used based on class size and a commitment to applied learning.
The Bosnian economic situation and job market are significant variables in this situation. While it is possible that having some international collaborative relationship with a professor and students outside Bosnia is valuable, the time and energy it takes to engage in such may not be seen as cost effective. Since this is not, or has not to date, been linked to any academic requirement, students are ambivalent about the work invovlved and what they may or may not get from this relationship.
Conclusions
Thoughts to be developed further:
- Formalizing virtual collaboration to better leverage the opportunity (link to class, have routine SKYPE conversations, work toward a joint project, bring in quest speakers, etc.)
- Identify funding source to do some exchange, bringing Bosnian students to Chicago
- Build institutional relationship to sustain and support exchange and collaboration
- Identify funding source to follow up on Polish students as they reenter their final academic year
- Identify additional funding to support publication and presentation of findings as we move forward.
- Present a joint class to Polish, Bosnian, and American students that is recognized and credit bearing to all institutions who participate (find funding to support tuition costs)
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