Models of International Exchange for Doctoral Students and Faculty

The Models of International Exchange for Doctoral Students and Faculty

Models of international exchange for doctoral students and faculty include programs that allow for teaching, research, and study abroad. These programs can help improve collaboration and professional development.

It is a truism, but the oft-repeated phrase ‘the world is getting smaller’ is an accurate reflection of reality. The Concorde could cross the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound, an e-mail message can be written in London and be read in Tokyo within seconds, and a person in northern China can see and speak to a colleague in Iceland using modern cell phone technology.

Models of International Exchange for Doctoral Students and Faculty. There are hundreds of similar examples all showing that technology has contributed to the shrinking of our planet. Nursing is a profession that has a worldwide presence and its members have consistently tried to bridge the knowledge and geographical boundaries that separate them. Florence Nightingale learned her nursing skills in Kaiserswerth in Germany and in Dublin in Ireland.

She traveled with other nurses to Scutari in Turkey to nurse the sick and wounded of the Crimean War. On her return to London, she founded St Thomas’ School of Nursing that acted as the distributing point for graduating nurses to take up prestigious posts in various parts of the world.

Models of International Exchange for Doctoral Students and Faculty. Ogilvie et al (2003) have argued that the development of international nursing requires a global focus and international collaboration. Today, nurses continue to link internationally with the objectives of exchanging ideas and working together for the benefits of patients, families and communities. A widely recognized advantage of successful internationalization is the improved access to knowledge and information.

Models of International Exchange for Doctoral Students and Faculty.In nursing, global communication has increased through such means as print journals, electronic journals, e-learning materials, international conference proceedings, visiting scholar schemes, videoconferencing, internet discussion groups, and faculty and student exchanges. Such worldwide dissemination of nursing knowledge and information represents a novel opportunity to expand the reach and impact of professional nursing (Dougherty et al, 2004).

According to Francis (1993), internationalization is a process that prepares the nursing community for successful participation in an increasingly interdependent research world. This process should infuse all facets of the education system, fostering global sharing, understanding, and developing knowledge and skills for effective care in a diverse world.

Models of International Exchange for Doctoral Students and Faculty.More recently, the World Health Organization (1996) stated that nursing has the potential to make a positive contribution to global health. In the same year the Council of Europe called for joint projects that would benefit healthcare in European countries. More specifically, according to Hegyvary (2001) international collaboration provides alternative modes of thinking for nursing scholars, enables wide-range testing of theories in practice, facilitates scholarly maturity through self-assessment, and leads to the advancement of nursing science.

Dougherty et al (2004) maintain that international collaborations are important because they improve our knowledge and understanding of human needs across geographic boundaries, supporting a global perspective for nursing by fostering a worldwide inclusiveness; and expand the cultural and ethical values underpinning the goals in nursing. Nevertheless, international collaboration, while enjoyable and fruitful, is hard work and a great deal of meticulous planning is required to achieve success.

One of the first issues that needs to be addressed is to identify with the ‘who’, ‘where’ and ‘why’ of collaboration. If people are going to invest time and effort in collaboration, then selectivity and focus are key principles to consider. Initially they may spend time finding out where the required expertise exists and if these experts are interested in collaboration. As with all things, this is easier if funding is available.

Collaborations require careful nurturing. They soon cease if one partner perceives that they are contributing more than anyone else and getting little in return. There should be a strategic plan and the objectives of the collaboration need to be agreed at the outset through a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) or a mutually agreed contract.

Included in such documents should be agreement on intellectual property rights emanating from the collaboration and agreements on publication and conference presentation protocols. The MoU should also outline the commitment required of each organization and the people involved. It is recommended that prospective partners explore options before getting involved too quickly or too intensely.

It is not unusual for a partner to think they are getting involved in a research collaboration when in fact the main focus of the project may be education. It is also important to realize that a high profile nursing school should carefully balance its national and international linkages. It would not be beneficial to a school’s profile if it was well known for its expertise in Ghana but not in the local clinics or neighboring health facilities in its home country.

Models of International Exchange for Doctoral Students and Faculty. Cultural imperialism, claims of methodological superiority, and language difficulties can impede collaboration. A country or school of nursing should not be judged by its weaknesses but by its strengths. Collaborators, especially from developed countries, must have cultural sensitivity where they think globally and value diversity. In many cases it is beneficial to learn a new language and develop an attitude of partnership and collaboration.

It is common sense not to compete with existing programs. Ways of identifying such programs include enquiring through funding agencies and professional nursing organizations. It is often a good idea to build on international relationships that already exist or work with others in one’s own organization that have existing strong international collaborations and relationships.

One area that is having significant impact internationally has to do with the initiatives being taken by individuals and institutions across the world. This is an area where institutional leaders are manifesting a great deal of creativity. Typically, this type of initiative is built on pre-existing individual relationships, where an institution approaches another to develop either a formal or informal partnership.

The initiating individual will present the type of objective his/her institution would like to meet, and what their aspirations are in such a relationship. Thus begins a dialogue in which both parties begin clarifying what goals to pursue, what activities are feasible in the short term and in the long term, and begin developing strategies for achieving them.

Such alignments may occur between and among institutions that are ‘equals’ in their standing or on the developmental stage, or it may occur between an institution that is less developed and one that has more to offer. Invariably, however, as receptivity of the parties grows to these types of relationships, parties begin to see the strengths that reside in each other, and ways in which both can be enriched by collaborating through a variety of faculty and student exchange relationships.

The ways in which each party might benefit from such arrangements are likely to be different, but the opportunities for mutual enrichment are invariably present. In such instances one has to leave the door open to allow a variety of approaches to emerge, and not aim for each party to do the same thing in the exchange relationship.

For example, one institution may wish to send a faculty member to the partner school to work with a colleague to hone research skills and collaborate on research, while the latter might send a doctoral student to the former school to work with a faculty specialist to help refine the dissertation ideas or to learn a particular design or the application of an instrument or a specific analytical technique. Similarly, in a given year an institution may not have a particular need and may not send someone to the partner school, while the others may do so. The extent of the activities need not be equal or parallel in every instance.

A major issue in such instances is funding. Experience shows that several approaches have been used. Some individuals are able to apply to a governmental or private funding agency to facilitate study overseas; others may be able to use a sabbatical period to accomplish the international visit, while others may already have research funding and are able to use such funds to meet expenses.

The number of funding organizations that support international nursing collaborations has increased in recent years. They are too numerous to name and there is always a strong possibility of inadvertently excluding some in an international text. In the rest of this topic (Read More links) we will describe different models illustrating some ongoing collaborations.

Read More

https://nurseseducator.com/models-of-international-exchange-for-doctoral-students-and-faculty-government-funded-model/

https://nurseseducator.com/models-of-international-exchange-for-doctoral-students-and-faculty-independent-models/

https://nurseseducator.com/models-of-international-exchange-for-doctoral-students-and-faculty-self-funded-model/