DIGITAL LIBRARY
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE ON UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONALISATION
1 Lappeenranta University of Technology (FINLAND)
2 KTH Royal Institute of Technology (SWEDEN)
About this paper:
Appears in: ICERI2018 Proceedings
Publication year: 2018
Pages: 3583-3593
ISBN: 978-84-09-05948-5
ISSN: 2340-1095
doi: 10.21125/iceri.2018.1800
Conference name: 11th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Dates: 12-14 November, 2018
Location: Seville, Spain
Abstract:
The paper addresses the problem of quality assurance of university internationalisation by analysing the student expectations about university international services. The research aims to answer how important are university international activities for students and what are the indicators of quality of international programme from student perspective. The research is based on the quantitative survey of 207 students mainly from Nordic countries and Russia who represent both domestic and international student body. The study uses statistical item-by-item analysis. Students consider international exchange, internships abroad and interaction with students from other countries as important part of their studies. International study experiences are primarily appreciated for expanding horizons by living in another culture and improving job prospects. Reputat­ion, international university rankings position and strong specialisation are the criteria for evaluating the quality of international programme. Student feedback on the needs for internationalisation support provides points for further development. More opportunities for international internships, intensive language courses and activities for more interaction of international and local students are the key directions for improvement of students' international experiences. The findings of this study contribute to the stream of literature analysing the quality of university internationalisation, and can be utilised in development of international study services.

References:
[1] R. Castro, M. J. Rosa, & C. Pinho, “A Model for Stakeholders’ Influence on Internationalization: A Contribution From the Portuguese, Brazilian, and Dutch Cases,” Journal of Studies in International Education, 19(2), pp. 160–181, 2015. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315314563078
[2] M. Heitor, “How university global partnerships may facilitate a new era of international affairs and foster political and economic relations,” Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 95, pp. 276–293, 2015. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.01.005
A. Faizan, Y. Zhou, K. Hussain, P.K. Nair, and N.A. Ragavan. 2016. “Does Higher Education Service Quality Effect Student Satisfaction, Image and Loyalty?” Quality Assurance in Education 24 (1): 70–94. doi:10.1108/QAE-02-2014-0008.
C.Meena, J. Bowden-Everson, E. Lundmark, and J. Zwar. 2014. “Exploring the Drivers of Service Quality Perceptions in the Tertiary Education Sector.” Journal of International Education in Business 7 (2): 150–80. doi:10.1108/JIEB-02-2014-0004.
Keywords:
University internationalisation, Student engagement, Quality of higher education.