Global Competence through Multilateral Partnership

Global Competence through Multilateral Partnership
Hanny H. Tumbelaka* and Meilinda

Petra Christian University, Surabaya, Indonesia

Abstract

As a University which has a vision "to be a caring and global university with commitment to Christian Values", it is important for Petra Christian University (PCU) to equip the students with global competence through internationalization. It will enable the students to be the future leaders who can take an active part in globalization which one of the forms is ASEAN community. In doing so, the University needs to find strategic ways; one of them is through partnership. Besides one on one base, where one university is collaborating with another university, we would like to introduce multilateral partnership that is very effective and sustainable. The partnership creates a chain/network to connect more institutions into cross relationship for multiple benefits. It can be seen from one case study that PCU experienced, Asia Summer Program 2012. Together with four other Universities in Asia, PCU was hand in hand in creating a short course to give an opportunity for students from five Universities to know more about Asia especially Indonesia in the spirit of Culture, Creativity and Collaboration. PCU and four other Universities are able to provide the students a network as well as to have global competence with understanding upon Asian culture to enable them to be the future leaders with Asian perspective. Keywords: internationalization, multilateral partnership, Asian perspective

1.       Introduction

Globalization has been part of our era in this 21^st century, either as a phenomenon or a term. Altbach and Knight (2007) define globalization as “the economic, political, and societal forces pushing 21^st century higher education toward greater international involvement“. As consequences, it drives internationalization in almost all sectors not to exclude education sector. In another word, globalization is impacting the internationalization of Higher Education Institution (HEI) in making policies or activities.  The term internationalization might have various meanings and debatable, but to many, internationalization is the integration of an international, intercultural and/or global dimension into the curriculum and teaching-learning process (Knight, p. 207).

With its vision as a caring and global University with commitment to Christian Values, PCU puts inter-nationalization as one of the core points in the Strategic Planning 2006 – 2011, and continue to 2012 – 2017. PCU’s vision manifests itself in preparing the students as well as the staff to develop their global competence and skill in the world today. It, fortunately, helps students to become a future leader and share great contributions for global community especially in facing ASEAN community 2015 since Indonesia is in ASEAN.

In order to achieve the goal above then international partnership is becoming an important factor to open those opportunities. However, what types of partnership that can bring greater impact toward the students, faculty members as well as the University? This paper explains international collaboration in Petra especially in the form of multilateral partnership and its benefits.

2.       International atmosphere

For internationalization, PCU motivates students to go abroad. Many activities have been done, either curricular or extra-curricular such as study excursion, student exchange, internship, joint degree, immersion, and other academic and cultural collaboration. Besides getting a new knowledge, students will have international exposure and be tolerant to diversity. However, not more than 5% students from the student body can experience study abroad. One of the problems is finance because students have to pay the airfare and living expenses which is relatively higher than in Indonesia. Generally, students look for a grant such as scholarship or subsidy. They have to compete with others to get the grant.

Therefore alternatively, PCU also tries to attract overseas students to come at PCU. Overseas students give cultural exposure to local students and create diversity in student body (Altbach, Knight, 295). It gives opportunity for the local students as well as faculty members to interact with overseas students so that they will get different perspectives from other countries. There is a hope that it will be an opportunity to benchmark and later improve oneself. Therefore, one of the advantages in having inbound internationalization in PCU is like bringing the world home or in another word getting international perspective in home institution. Furthermore, it pushes not only the local students but also the staff to get involve in internationalization. Faculty members and administration staffs have an opportunity to exercise their capability in giving their lectures in international language which help them in decreasing language barrier, having cross cultural understanding and understanding the world. It becomes one of the University’s efforts in preparing the faculty members for international arena. Moreover, it is one of many important roles that a University has; to enable the students “in interpreting and negotiating the contemporary dynamic of global interconnectivity and interdependence in reshaping the community and identities” (Rizvi, 2006).

3.       International Collaboration

PCU has been cooperated with more than 30 overseas higher education institutions spread in many countries such as China, Korea, The Netherlands, and The USA to conduct various academic as well as cultural activities, which bring mutual benefits to each institution. Most of collaborations are one on one base, where one university is collaborating with another university. The cooperation creates some types of activities either degree or non degree, short or long term program. It can be in a form of joint degree, double degree, and student and staff exchange. Furthermore, a tangible partnership demands mutual and consistent effort from both institutions. Thus, up to one point this type of partnership can be challenging.

Alternatively, PCU has created some international programs involving various participants in multilateral partnerships. Those programs create a chain/network to connect more institutions into cross relationship for multiple benefits. One of the examples is International Service-Learning Program. The programs enable the international students from different universities and different countries together with local students experiencing an immersion in local community in Kediri, East Java. They engage in projects with certain goals to improve villagers’ quality of life. Each participant as well as local community experiences cultural encounter that motivate them to be tolerant to the diversity (Anggono, 2009).

Another example that is simple and effective is a short course program conducted by the collaboration of five universities from five countries in Asia. This is a multilateral partnership program with Asian perspective, which can be viewed as one of the ways to create a collaboration activity with greater impact. Asia now is becoming more powerful and growing to become the new centre of the world. More and more Asia countries are becoming the player of globalization. Thus, it is important to strengthen the collaboration in Asia region to create more powerful collaboration that can bring real impacts for the society and understanding among Universities in Asia region.

The program enables PCU to create a student mobility activity together with many Universities from different Asia countries at the same time. The goal is to create future leaders with global competence and strong Asian perspective.  The multilateral partnership is in the spirit of equality where all Universities involved will have opportunity to be the host of the activity. The program is moving from one country to another country. Thus, it gives opportunity for the students to move from one Asia country to another Asia country. Petra Christian University – Indonesia together with Dongseo University – Korea, Bangkok University – Thailand, Josai International University – Japan and Universiti of Malaysia Perlis – Malaysia are committed to Asia Summer Program (ASP). The University signed an agreement saying that they will maintain the sustainability of the program by sending at least 10 (ten) students to the program every single year. ASP 2012 was in Petra, and ASP 2013 will be in Dongseo and so on.

4.       Asia Summer Program

This multilateral collaboration was taken with a strong consideration to equip the students with global competence without forgetting their Asian identities. It aims to give the students an Asian perspective with a hope that they can use it for their future as Asian leaders. ASP is an exercise to prepare PCU in competing in ASEAN level and a respond to the growing Asia that is becoming a new center of the world.

There are three keywords from ASP, which are culture, creativity and collaboration. It tries to combine culture and creativity which then creates a transformation. Thus, in order to accelerate the transformation, collaboration is added. ASP also helps the host to increase the international student’s intake numbers (inbound and outbound). It gives opportunities for students to build their Asian network among students, exercise their international language skill, experience international teaching, and understand local culture from the traditional to the popular culture. It is a three week program in July that is moving from one country to another country of the founder Universities every single year. In 2012 there were 141 students from five different Universities.

In ASP 2012, the focus is Indonesia culture since it was held in PCU. International students learn in Indonesia environment and especially about Indonesia including its culture. Students did not only attend two of thirty hour classes in the morning and in the afternoon, but also cultural classes from Indonesia were mandatory. The credit is transferable where each University has committed to acknowledge all classes taught in the program. The academic classes were provided by committed Universities. There were nine classes coming from three University members where four of them are coming from Petra Christian University. Through the classes, the students experienced different style of teaching from faculty members who came from different cultural background. Even though the students have the freedom to choose the class, a mix class could not be avoided. Students must study together with other students from five different countries. On every Friday and three last days of the program students exposed to several guest lectures regarding the traditional – popular – mixed culture of Surabaya and Indonesia from the culinary to fashion to self defense. Then they divided into small groups and had hands on experience on Batik Tulis, Batik Jumputan, Mural,  Polah Arek – Traditional Dance, Angklung, bracelet and souvenir making  (that they could brought home) from Indonesia. 

Cultural immersion undeniable happened to the participants during their staying in three weeks either by design or not. They had to attend cultural classes and they also had to walk from their accommodation facility to the campus where they need to interact with people surrounding PCU. This brought the opportunity to have a cross cultural communication with the local people. This happened not only to the participants but also to the committee members from PCU where most of them were students. The immersion was reciprocal both for the foreigners and the local people.

5.       Advantages of ASP

There are several benefits from several points of views like students, faculty members and universities. The first advantage is the sustainability of the program. Different from a short course conducted only by one university and attended by students from many universities, ASP has five motors that will maintain the sustainability of the program. The spirit of togetherness like Sapu Lidi philosophy, a traditional broom from Indonesia can be an appropriate metaphor for this partnership. A bundle of sapu lidi contains many stems; the unity makes it strong compare to one stem or two stems alone.

Another benefit from ASP, many students said in their testimony that they know more about the culture of other Asia countries through friendship. Based on the pie chart in figure 1, 50% students mention that meeting new friends and learn new cultures are the things that they like most from this program. It means that multilateral partnership brings a positive impact to students. This is an important beginning to create a network to connect more people into cross relationship for multiple benefits.

Meanwhile, 39% students like the academic and cultural classes. Hence, the aim of ASP is accomplished. This fact is supported by the data in figure 2 that almost 90% of participants satisfy toward ASP 2012.

More advantages, based on testimony from the students in the interview, they become more confident in using foreign language and accepting different perspectives. They experienced different style of teaching from international lecturers. They also must adapt very fast with the local culture since the duration of the program is short. Especially for local students, they got an opportunity to see their own culture from different perspectives.

Figure 1. List of Things that the Participants Like from ASP 2012

Figure 2. Participants Satisfaction Rate toward ASP 2012

For the faculty members, they build a new network and an experience in teaching international students using foreign language. They got out from their comfort zone where they need to adapt fast due to the limited time they had. Meanwhile, University experienced acceleration in preparing internationalization not only from the infra-structure but also in term of human resources. ASP is indeed an option to prepare young people in Asia in using the global opportunity which one of them is ASEAN community.

6.       Conclusion

Globalization and its effects are two inseparable conditions that are becoming our part of life in this era. Multilateral partnership is an alternative collaboration model that connects more universities with multiple benefits. It enables the universities to work together for sustainability of the program in facing globalization that can bring a greater impact.

One of the implementations is through Asia Summer Program with Asian Perspective. Five universities from five different countries which committed to mobilize the students involve in this program so that the students have better understanding upon their culture, use their creativity to live it, and use the spirit of collaboration to accelerate it. The effort above is to equip the students with global competence in order to enable them to live in a global arena. 

References

Altbach.P.G, Knight.J (2007). The Internationalization of Higher Education: Motivations and Realities. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11, Pp. 290-305.

Knight, Jane. (2007). Internationalization: Concepts, Complexities, and Challenges. International Handbook of Higher Education. James J. F. Forest and Philip G. Altbach, eds. New York: Springer. Pp. 207 – 227.

Rizvi, Fazal. et.al (2006). Home and Abroad: Rethinking Internationalization of Higher Education. Inter-nationalization at Home: a global perspective, Hanneke Teekens, ed. Nuffic. Pp.19 - 32

Anggono, Juliana et.al (2009) International Service-Learning through Community Outreach Program in Villages in Kediri – East Java: A Study on Students’ Reflection Journals. Service-Learning Studies Series No.4, International Christian University, Tokyo. Pp. 73-92

Asia Summer Program 2012 Website, http:// bakp.petra.ac.id/asp