Course on deep internationalization of university
(From report of KPI n. a. Igor Sikorsky on the Forum of Rectors of HTEE in Ukraine and Poland)
Internationalization and its next phase - the globalization of higher education system - one of the recognized dominant trends in this area. Universities that have reached deeper internationalization of all components of their life are more competitive on world markets - in the struggle for population, for applicants, for resources, for a place in the world rankings, for the right to be influential in creating public policy in education, science and innovation, that is fighting not only for the right to exist, but be more successful and more comfortable in the broadest sense of the word.
The processes of internationalization, in our opinion, have several components. The first component of internationalization - international relations and international cooperation. Last year we had 219 international events, including 106 conferences, forums and seminars. 220 of our employees went on a business trip abroad and 210 students of KPI took part in student mobility programs. We have significantly deepened the scope of international contacts. In 2016 talks with ambassadors of 18 countries and with 113 delegations from other countries comprising 420 professionals were held.
Negotiations and measures of KPI n.a. Igor Sikorsky in the field of nuclear safety. Negotiations in the field of nuclear safety are in the first place on the basis of their importance for the world and Ukraine. Particularly during the internationally recognized initiative of the University to the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, when the help of 34 countries, an international forum "Lessons of Chernobyl - nuclear safety for the world" was held.
Due to the political resonance of the Forum, Ukraine today I considered to be the global player in the field of nuclear safety and transfer to third countries that plan to develop nuclear energy, experience of safe nuclear technologies. It is important to say that we are building road map of cooperation with Poland, because as we know, Poland is planning to develop nuclear power.
On the eve of the Chernobyl Forum a round table conference "Risks and current trends in the global nuclear safety" was held with the participation of delegations the Ministry of Energy of USA, USA Embassy and Ministry of Education of Ukraine. This conference as parliamentary hearings in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported the creation in Ukraine of a new national educational platform in physical nuclear security and our university has leading position in this case. The recognition of the leading role of KPI n.a. Igor Sikorsky in national educational platform of Ukraine in this area is reflected in the USA government grant for retraining 7 specialists from TEF .
Under favorable conditions for KPI we promote project proposals to European programs, programs of Ministry of Energy in USA, we held talks on the preparation of professionals to Egypt and Turkey. Our negotiations in 2016 laid new approaches in the component of foreign trade. It is the international transfer of knowledge.
A new model of cooperation with multinational companies "Boeing" and "Prohresteh" was built. It is based on the targeted training in MMI new generation of specialists in educational programs developed by "Boeing" and "Prohresteh", its integration with scientific work of students to create technologies demanded in global markets.
Similar approaches show other faculties: with the corporation Huawei (China) - ITS, TEF, RTF, FEL, FTI, FIVT, with companies Dow Chemical (USA) Vanlay (China) – HTF, with Netcracker (USA) – FIVT, with Jeppessen (USA) – FAX, with Heidelberg (Germany) - VPI, with "Epam Systems" (USA) - IPSA, FPM, FIVT, with RYHAKU (Japan) - IFF, with Microsoft and Intel (US) - FTI.
The University continues to develop new marketing strategies and plans for international cooperation, is looking for ways in which faculties, institutes and the department can offer its educational, scientific and technical services, and on this basis comes to negotiations with leading multinational companies. For example, with 200 multinational companies that are included in the list of FORBES - 2000 (2016) and declare the high cost of science and education. In 2016 other marketing offers to enter the new educational markets were developed. Under these proposals we have worked with India, Egypt, Turkey, China, Nigeria.
The second component of internationalization is intensification of foreign trade. Foreign trade is especially important for universities in Ukraine. Objectively, this is due to economic realities when developing university from external sources is becoming popular and perhaps more so than in the past. Based on the principles of decentralization of university, faculties begin to act in accordance with these realities.
10 newsletters with analysis of international education market in the regions of the world were issued To assist in the deployment of foreign business units in 2016; the licensing agreements for the payment of fees 15% for use of the brand KPI were developed; the model of international export of educational services for Ukrainian Universities were developed with the help of franchise scheme, which is fixed as the right of KPI for intellectual property.
We will show data of foreign trade activities of KPI in an integrated way. Proceeds from all kinds of foreign economic activity in 2016, including individual grants, participation in international conferences, etc. were increased. In 2016 they accounted for 11% of the planned 2016 budget of the university, which exceeds 7%, which should be achieved under the Action Plan to implement the Strategy of international activity in the years 2012-2020.
It should be mentioned that among 38 types of foreign trade that are allowed by the legislation of Ukraine, only 11 are used today and make a profit for university. University is not attractive for external customers. We have not learned to "sell their services" yet. It is necessary to develop a modern model of university services as a commodity: form wide commercial offer; ensure competitiveness in the educational market in certain regions of the world; create and maintain joint activities of educational institutions abroad; conduct audits of factors that determine the effectiveness of foreign economic activity; develop normative and methodological support of the international sphere; and on this basis we should expand range of international negotiations. If we want to change it, we should learn the experience of leading universities, including - Technical University in Poland.
To bring our international business organization models to leading universities, we are "running" projects with structural and organizational restructuring of the management system of international scope. These are draft programs of the British Council of the development of leadership potential of universities in Ukraine "Quality Assurance of Engineering Education", "English for Universities"; projects "Assurance of higher technical education quality for countries of Eastern Partnership" with the consortium of universities in Portugal, Italy, Poland, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and "Foreign trade as a resource to deepen the internationalization of the university. "
We will offer our partners from Poland to think about forming of international consortium of scientists of our and other European countries to get out of appropriate proposals to the European grants.
The third component of internationalization is the activity to enhance the position of university in international rankings. Considering assessing of our achievements and capabilities, our tasks for the future, we are still "locked" on internally focused comparison. And it must be changed. We will not see where to go, what to improve, unless we understand, where we are "in the international system of coordinates."
What follows from the analysis of the results of participation of KPI n. a. Igor Sikorsky in international rankings, for example, - Quacquarelli Symonds? We have a weak position on the following factors: foreign students (2.7% of the total population); foreign teachers (1.1%); number of citations per teacher (1.3%). The best parameters are the following: the number of students enrolled in selected areas QS (65.9%); evaluation of employers (17.5%); assessment of academic experts of other universities and institutes of NAS of Ukraine (19.1%). Integrated assessment speaks for itself - overall in 23% of the leader - MIT.
The fourth component of internationalization intensification of international component in all areas of the university. We concluded that we should create a coordinating group of representatives of all departments and central agencies to strengthen international component in the university. An important feature is the level of organization of international activities at the level of departments. There is a glaring heterogeneity, performance gap reaches two orders.
The main problem that limits our objective tremendous opportunity, is that many departments have not yet mastered the mechanisms that can open the way to solving the urgent problems of life. This barrier is overcome gradually, but not as fast as we would like.
In conclusion, let me express the hope that a common understanding of the way in which we should move into the European educational and scientific space with the support of technical universities in Poland as our closest partners, will speed up the movement and reduce this way.