Background

The University of Nairobi, Maseno University and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in collaboration with experts from Leibniz University Hannover (Germany) and Kibabii University  are jointly organizing a training course on “The Role of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Virtual Exchanges in promoting Internationalization at Home in Higher Academic Institutions in Kenya”. This intensive training course is part of the National Multiplication Trainings (NMT) of the DIES programme (Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies) coordinated by DAAD. NMT is one of the training courses under the DIES programs with the aim to strengthen DIES alumni in their role as multipliers in the field of higher education management and to promote the sustainability of DIES trainings. It is jointly initiated by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Rectors Conference (HRK) with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development Cooperation (BMZ).  This workshop will provide an in-depth application of COIL illustrating how virtual exchange can enable geographically distant students and staff to team up and develop core competencies and skills required for internationalization. The workshop will also offer an opportunity to explore the possibilities of combining the lessons learned in online education and international collaborations and linkages.   

An alternative for promoting inclusive Higher Academic Institution (HAI) activities which has been gaining worldwide visibility is the concept of “Internationalization at Home” (IaH), which, according to Beelen and Jones (2015), consists of an intentional integration of an international and intercultural dimension into the formal and informal curriculum, for all students, within local/domestic learning environments. IaH is about actions and initiatives that take place on campus, in the academic community, in the classroom, as well as in the incorporation of international, intercultural dimensions into the content of the curriculum, learning outcomes, and teaching methods (Leask, 2015), to promote internationalization in local campuses. Among the possible activities of IaH, one can mention the internationalization of the curriculum, the inclusion of aspects related to intercultural and international dimensions into the process of teaching/learning, relationships with local ethnic groups, welcoming international students at local campuses, the presence of foreign lecturers, etc. The workshop is organized in recognition of the current reality of the present and any unforeseen future circumstances like COVID 19 pandemic that put a halt on physical mobility of students and staff between universities.  This resulted to universities shifting their teaching activities to online platforms and at the same time facing challenges in internationalization of student and staff experiences in the traditional

sense. Also, the workshop will emphasize on the identification and development of effective partnerships with international collaborators making COIL virtual exchange more critical for sustainable internationalization in the post-COVID reality. This workshop will provide participants with the foundational understanding, knowledge, and competencies to initiate integrating Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Virtual Exchange into internationalization at home. Above all, the participants will get an opportunity to be linked to international speakers and their universities and initiate long term collaborations.

Aim and objectives

The main aim of this training is to provide the participants with an in-depth application of COIL and other virtual exchange platforms to enable geographically distant students and staff to team up and develop core competencies in promotion of internationalization at home.

The objectives of this training are to train participants on:

• Highlight the concept of Internationalization at home.
• Expose participants to COIL – Definition, application and benefits
• Pilot Project on COIL in promotion of Internationalization at home.
• Equip participants with skills and competencies on quality and quality assurance review processes of internationalization at home programs.
• Design and develop COIL models to be integrated across selected institutional curricular.
• Develop capacity and practically apply hands-on COIL, e-learning and virtual technological tools to facilitate internationalization at home activities.
• Design and implementation of NMT Project Action Plan (PAP) on implementation of the COIL projects and enhancement of virtual exchanges.

Expected Outcome

By the end of the training, the participants should be able to:

• Develop concepts and approaches of internationalization at Home which will be applied in their institution.
• Enhanced COIL, e-knowledge and virtual exchange competencies of promotion of internationalization at home.
• Gain Practical Knowledge and experience on application of educational technological tools to facilitate internationalization at home.

• Development of personal institution-based COIL models as technique of internationalization of the curriculum.
• Gained shared experience and lessons learnt on internationalization at home from various universities in the region.
• Identify areas of action/change or strategies of enhancement of internationalization at home at faculty, departmental or individual levels.
• Apply digital techniques to implement virtual teaching and learning in their departments.
• Develop a well-designed Project Action Plan (PAP) for implementation at home institutions.  
• Networks and linkages formed to sustain DIES NMT regionally and internationally beyond NMT 2023/2024.

Programme Contents and Methodology

The Table below provides an overview of the training.

Invited Speakers

The Workshop draws a mix of speakers from different institutions universities/Institutes who are experienced in the implementation of collaborative online programs.  The workshop will also be graced by Policymakers from Kenya and East Africa as follows:

• Leibniz University Hannover (Germany)
• Stellen Bosch University (South Africa)
• Thomas More University of Applied Sciences (Belgium)
• Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)
• State University of New York COIL Center (USA)
• Cardenal Herrera University, Valencia (Spain)
• Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA), Uganda
• Commission for University Education (CUE), Kenya
• Ministry of Education, Kenya.
• Experts from the organizing Universities in Kenya

Participants’ Responsibilities

• Participants must commit to attending all phases of training.
• Participants shall also be required to periodically submit PAP implementation reports and consult with their mentors on any arising issues from time to time.

Requirements

• Applicants must be Deans of Schools, Chairs of Departments (HoDs/CoDs), Directors of International Linkages and Programs, Coordinators of International Offices and faculty members who are actively involved in teaching.
• Applicants should be at least 30 years old by the time of application but not older than 50 years.
• Applicants should be from public/ private higher education institutions or from Special Education Institutions in Kenya.
•  Female candidates and people who are abled differently who meet the above requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.

Expected Co-Funding

• Participants transport and accommodation during the workshop days are catered for from the Project funds
• Participants institutions are required to contribute a one-time tuition fee of Kshs.15,000 as co-funding.

The application should include:

• Online Application form
• A one page Curriculum Vitae clearly stating your academic biography and administrative roles. 
• A letter of motivation indicating why you would like to attend the training.
• A brief description of the proposed change project you plan to implement in your institution. The topic of your project must be linked to one of the thematic areas of the training.
• Support letter from your University/Institution Top Management