Presentations 9 July 3.30-5.00pm

A1. Demystifying the OISC Code of Standards (repeated as D5)

• What is the Code and what does it mean to me?
• How will my service stand up to the Code?
• Are there any changes I should be making?
• How do I demonstrate compliance?

After introducing the Code and associated guidance on competence we will explore what it really means to the education sector. We will discuss how to run an audit on immigration advice and services at your institution. This is a participatory session in which you will practise an element of the audit process and compile an action plan for compliance with the Code of Standards.

Yvonne Haines, International Student Advisor, University of Birmingham and Duncan Lane, Director of Advice & Training, UKCISA

A2. Points Based System surgery (repeated as C3)

Following a brief outline of the main changes being introduced with the Points Based System this will be an opportunity to ask questions, focus down on any areas of uncertainty or difficulty and share with colleagues and the BIA any suggestions and strategies for ensuring effective introduction and implementation.
Note: it will be assumed that most participants, by that stage, will have a general understanding of the new arrangements.

Matt Maggs, Policy Adviser (PBS/Sponsorship/Tier 4 Students), Border & Immigration Agency

A3. Enhancing the employability of international students

UK higher education is increasingly being marketed to international students as a firm foundation for a successful career. This workshop will focus on the wide range of activities taking place in our universities to help international students gain useful work experience while studying and to develop, identify and articulate the skills acquired to potential employers. HE careers and employment services play a central role in linking students and UK employers, supporting PDP and the development of career management skills. Increasingly they are also working with overseas employers to help graduates find employment back in their home markets.

Margaret Dane, Chief Executive, AGCAS & a member of the AGCAS Internationalisation Task Group

A4. One World Week at Warwick: a partnership between the students’ union and the university

One World Week is an annual event that brings together international and UK students. It is the largest student event of its type in the UK and involves virtually the whole student community in various ways. Alongside international entertainment and sporting events, there are many opportunities to participate in policy debate about how the global community can deal with issues such as economic development and the ecological challenge. The Students’ Union welcomes the support given by the International Office and other branches of the university administration. This presentation will discuss the issues we have encountered and the ways we have addressed these.

David Law, Academic Registrar and Director: Warwick International and Joe Kirby, President, University of Warwick Students Union

A5. Internationalisation at home: working with UK students to promote cross-cultural awareness

This session will report findings from ongoing research which suggests that the interaction between UK students and their international peers is often strained. This jeopardises the creation of cross-cultural social networks and limits the scope for enhanced cultural awareness and the development of global citizenship skills. In essence, simple proximity to other cultures does not foster understanding or learning.
The session will also have a practical component and will interactively showcase the training materials which are being developed (with PMI2 funding) to break down the social and academic barriers between UK and international students for both their benefit.

Neil Harrison, University of the West of England, Nicola Peacock, University of Bath and Kathryn Eade, thinkingpeople

A6. Orientation: ideas from UKCISA’s new guide

UKCISA is publishing a brand-new guide to running orientation programmes which will be available from June 2008. It aims to guide practitioners through the whole process from initial planning to review and evaluation.
The authors will present the guide, giving examples of how it can be utilised by a range of institutions (large universities to small language schools) and for a range of programme types and timescales.
Participants will be able to view the publication, trial some of the activities and discuss ways in which they can review or plan their own institution’s orientation events.

Debora Green, University of Sheffield and Lynne Healy, Consultant

A7. International students: alien threat or human asset?

The presenter of this session is currently developing an academic research project which will explore the history, since the end of the colonial period, of legal access of foreign students to university in the United Kingdom, France and Belgium. Her ultimate aim is to question the naturalness and the legitimacy of the distinction between the national and the non-national. She will thus wish to reveal the complexity, ambiguity and shifting character of the category of the foreign student – including attending rules regarding visa requirements, differentiated fees, access to work, residence and citizenship rights. She is interested in collecting life stories as well as examining policy and legal data. This session will start with a presentation of the research agenda; and will then invite the audience to share their experiences and insights in this area.

Marie-Bénédicte Dembour, Professor of Law and Anthropology, University of Sussex

A8. International links and local missions in FE

Most further education (FE) colleges have a strong local focus, and this is sometimes believed to conflict with devoting resources to international activity. This session will look at how international work can build on local links and needs, eg by linking with local heritage communities’ countries of origin for partnership and development work, or by building on regional interests, eg where local businesses are establishing international links. It will look at examples of successful local/international partnerships and offer opportunities for discussion.

Snowdon Reid, International Office, Bradford College

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