09 October 2023
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Story Leonie Bolleurs
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Photo supplied
The OIA recently hosted a three-day iKudu engagement in Durban, with the aim of building on the expertise developed, deepening the work on the project deliverables, and focusing on sustainability beyond the project end date.
As part of its vision, the University of the Free State (UFS) aspires to be an internationally engaged university that produces globally competitive graduates and knowledge. A key role player in the vision is the Office for International Affairs (OIA). One of the projects in which they are playing a critical leadership role is the iKudu Project – co-funded through Erasmus+ – to bring about a South African concept of Internationalisation of the Curriculum (IoC), which integrates Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) virtual exchanges.
Since its inception in November 2019, the iKudu project has contributed to developing the participating institutions as leaders in IoC, curriculum transformation, and COIL in South Africa and Europe. According to Chevon Slambee, the project manager for iKudu and related COIL projects in the OIA, curriculum decolonisation is understood as a central aspect of curriculum transformation and curriculum internationalisation.
The OIA recently hosted a three-day iKudu engagement in Durban, with the aim of building on the expertise developed, deepening the work on the project deliverables, and focusing on sustainability beyond the project end date by:
- obtaining a better understanding of stakeholder perspectives on the processes of curriculum internationalisation and transformation at the iKudu partner universities, as well as how they relate;
- obtaining insight into stakeholder perspectives of the dynamics of COIL virtual exchange conducted within the ambit of the iKudu project;
- conceptualising strategies and approaches to support iKudu partner universities in enabling COIL and curriculum internationalisation support beyond iKudu;
- further developing the COIL handbook; and
- developing a shared vision for a possible future iKudu network.
Attending the conference with the UFS were delegates representing universities from South Africa, including the Central University of Technology, Durban University of Technology, the University of Limpopo, and the University of Venda. From Europe were representatives from the University of Antwerp, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Coventry University, the University of Siena, and the Mittweida University of Applied Sciences.
Strategies and support
Talking from a leadership perspective was Eva Haug from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, who is responsible for COIL projects and also for providing professional development to support academics. She said the iKudu project takes a critical look at COIL projects and aims to find ways of making international collaboration more inclusive and equitable.
“The main goal of the project is capacity building. It is not about Europe bringing capacity to South Africa, but rather a joint effort to build capacity together. The ‘experts’ in our team represent both the South African and the European perspective, something that is needed to take this critical approach to equitable collaboration.”
“I believe other higher education institutions can benefit from our lessons learned and our approach to capacity building, especially with the exciting surge of virtual exchange in Latin America, to name but one region. This pedagogy is no longer – nor should it be – Western/Northern dominated. I'm curious what we as an iKudu network can learn from other experiences in this field,” she remarked.
Haug is also of the opinion that academics, lecturers, and teachers are at the core of COIL work. “Without lecturers, we can't provide students with a COIL experience. Often, at conferences or international events, we invite leadership or international relations specialists, but in this event, the lecturers were the guests of honour. Their feedback and contributions were very valuable for the work that we still need to do,” she said.
Regarding the key challenges and opportunities in the process of curriculum internationalisation and transformation, Jos Beelen from The Hague University of Applied Sciences – who is responsible for Internationalisation of the Curriculum in the iKudu initiative – believes one of the challenges is to navigate terminology such as ‘transformation’. It may refer to the organisation at different levels, but also to transformational learning by staff and students and is understood differently in different contexts and disciplines.
He said participating in COIL virtual exchange programmes offers a unique opportunity for academics and students to connect and learn from individuals they may never have met otherwise, enriching their curriculum. “I believe COIL is a valuable tool within an internationalised curriculum,” he stated.
Prof Lynette Jacobs, Acting Director of the OIA at the UFS and the iKudu project leader, emphasised the strong value basis on which the project is built, such as trust, inclusivity, and appreciation of diversity. She believes that Curriculum Internationalisation is aligned with the UFS’ Vision130, in that it provides for the highest standards of undergraduate and postgraduate education, and the production of globally competitive graduates. Specifically, COIL is a vehicle to provide students with inclusive opportunities to knowledge from around the world on equal footing. The three-day engagements allowed for more staff members from the consortium institutions to build a deep understanding of process and practice of COIL, as well as the necessary institutional support.
In his address to the delegates, Prof Vasu Reddy, UFS Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, challenged the attendees to take the core project values and understanding beyond the discourse within the iKudu Consortium, to institutionalise them at their universities, and to practically live and act those core values wherever they engage internationally within other partnership and associations.
Shared experiences
Helpful topics discussed and workshopped to reach these programme outcomes, included integrating IoC into transformation discussions and sharing institutional experiences in internationalisation of the curriculum. Additionally, there was a discussion about the COIL virtual exchange initiative, with a focus on evolving support structures and changing global contexts. Work-group representatives also shared their insights on stakeholders affecting change and bringing equity and inclusion to the iKudu COIL handbook.
As the iKudu initiative ends in 2024, participants in the reflective engagement also raised questions about what will happen after iKudu. “What has been generated should be shared, and can it be sustained?”