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Aims: The aim of this study was to develop and refine the content and design of an internet-based support and education program for patients awaiting kidney transplantation from deceased donors. Design: A Delphi process was used. Methods: A prototype internet-based intervention was drafted, based on previous research. The intervention included educational and psychological support to manage the uncertain waiting time and specific education enabling preparation for transplantation and adjustment to life after transplantation. In a two-round Delphi process, patients who had received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor within the last 2 years (n = 27), significant others (n = 6), health-care personnel with renal (n = 20) or transplant (n = 14) expertise, rated importance of content and design aspects of the prototype intervention on a 5-point scale using web questionnaires. A median of ≥ 3 was considered as consensus. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Free text answers were encouraged and analyzed using deductive content analysis. The STROBE-checklist was used. Results: Consensus was reached for all suggested content and design items in round 1, with median ratings of 4 or 5. Qualitative analysis from round 1 suggested four new content and design items which were rated in round 2, on all which consensus was reached; information about life with young children as relatives, expansion of kidney transplantation specific information, program extension by one week and individualization by making information available based on individual needs. Conclusion: There was consensus among heterogenous experts regarding suggested educational and psychological support content and design aspects, and additional content and design aspects were identified for an internet-based support and education program for patients awaiting kidney transplantation from deceased donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing a common language that allows univocal and objective communication in describing wounds and their healing is of utmost importance in defining the diagnostic hypothesis and proper wound management. To measure the level of agreement on the description of wounds, an international study was performed among experts of different professional backgrounds on several common terms used to describe ulcerative lesions. A panel of 27 wound care experts anonymously completed a multiple‐choice questionnaire on 100 images of 50 ulcerative lesions. The participants were asked to describe each image using a set of pre‐defined terms. An expert data analyst interpreted the questionnaires to map the level of agreement on the used terminology. Our findings show a very low level of agreement among experts in using the proposed terminology to describe the wound bed, the wound edge, and the surrounding skin conditions. Efforts should be planned to find a consensus on the correct use of terminology for wound description. To this aim, partnership, consensus, and agreement with educators in medicine and nursing are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work programs in the Global North are increasingly engaged in international student exchange with countries in the Indo-Pacific that belong to the Global South. However, there is a paucity of literature exploring the experiences of the institutions that host these exchanges. This article reports on the findings of a qualitative project that sought host institutions' perspectives on the value of student exchanges. The findings indicate a perception that some mutual benefit and reciprocity can be established in international exchange but that disparity in resourcing, absence of opportunities for hosts to travel to Australia, and the privileged status of knowledge produced in the Global North maintains an inequity between exchange partners. These findings highlight the need for steps that can be taken toward reciprocity while demonstrating the impact power imbalance can have on the nature of Global South–North student exchange programs. IMPLICATIONS Research has shown that student exchange programs between the Global North and the Global South are often underpinned and shaped by a significant power imbalance in favour of the Global North. Findings show that Australian (Global North) knowledge is privileged over knowledge that is Indigenous to the host country and that financial constraints prevent host organisations from equal participation in programs. A form of reciprocity can be established whereby organisations in the Global South can access benefits associated with the programs, without sending their own students on exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student pre-departure preparation has been identified as essential if study abroad programs involving workintegrated learning are to deliver the numerous benefits they intend, while mitigating the many risks they involve. However, little is known about what preparation is provided to the academic and professional staff who implement these programs, and the community members who host the students. Interviews with 16 academic and professional staff involved in preparing students, staff, and host communities for Australian study abroad programs reveal inconsistencies in the preparation provided to students, and very limited preparation to staff and host communities. The limited preparation that is offered, is designed and developed in an organic (not structured) and inconsistent manner. Our findings suggest that institutions should consider implementing a more structured, consistent and institutionally driven approach to preparation for students, staff, and host communities to reduce the substantial risks associated with these programs while maximizing the benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To address long waitlist times and increase pancreas transplantation, our center has implemented a protocol for long‐distance importation of pancreata. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of pancreas transplantation at our institution from January 1, 2014, the start of our importation program, through September 30, 2021. Outcomes were compared between locally procured grafts and imported grafts, defined as grafts procured greater than 250 nautical miles (NM) from our center. Results: Eighty‐one patients underwent pancreas transplantation during the study time period; 19 (23.5%) received imported grafts. There were no significant differences in recipient demographics or type of transplant received. Mean distance of import was 644.2 ± 234.0 NM. Imported grafts were more likely to be from pediatric donors <18 years old (p =.02) and a significantly higher proportion of imported grafts came from donors weighing <30 kg (26.3 vs. 3.2%, p =.007). Cold ischemic time was longer for imported grafts than for local grafts (13.4 ± 2.3 h vs. 9.8 ± 2.2 h, p <.01). There was no significant difference in deaths or graft losses within 90 days or at 1 year between groups. Conclusion: Centers should consider expanding criteria for acceptance of imported pancreata to increase the number of transplants and combat organ nonutilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For health care professionals to develop a successful career, keeping the "three Es" in mind is important. These are Enthusiasm with a clear goal, Expertise, and English in this order. Important though it is, English does not come first. The introduction of questions in English to the Japanese National Medical Licensing Examination in 2009 represented a great advance in medical English education. However, there is great room for improvement: the weight of English questions should be increased to at least 20 percent, the use of Japanese in the English questions should be avoided, as should that of abbreviations, the universal rules of scientific writing should be followed, and the clinical vignettes should always be realistic and practical. The author started his career as a physician educator by working on international exchange programs for students in East Asia at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Later, at the Honolulu Academy of Medicine, the author has been involved in international exchange programs for health care professionals. When teaching medical English, the author stresses the importance of the three Es. During the next two decades, the author will kick off a new series of international exchange programs for health care professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For students interested in enriching their interprofessional competencies beyond those required and offered by their academic programs, an elective interprofessional education fellowship can serve that need. We designed a fellowship for students linking a conceptual framework grounded in adult learning principles. During the fellowship, students progress through three levels of learning as they acquire, apply, and demonstrate interprofessional collaborative knowledge and skills; fellowship activities are self-directed. A content analysis of students' fellowship summary reports sought to determine the effectiveness of the fellowship as a learning experience to acquire interprofessional collaborative competences. Results indicated that students most consistently report competencies associated with acquisition of values and ethics for interprofessional practice, roles/responsibilities, and teams/teamwork; interprofessional communication was implied. All students expressed commitment to interprofessional collaborative behavior when in practice. Based on the results from this study, this fellowship structure may serve as a model for other institutions to adapt and implement for best practice and best fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The learning adaptability of international students is pivotal to the success of sustainable international higher education development. The purpose of this study was to explore what factors affect the learning adaptability of international students in China through structural equation modelling and mediation analysis. The data collected through a questionnaire from the overseas students were analysed, and the reliability and validity were also tested. The findings show that the influencing factors that affect learning adaptability of international students in China comprise seven variables: learning attitude, motivation to study abroad, learning ability, language proficiency, learning environment, teaching management and social relations. In addition, when language proficiency is used as the mediating variable, the motivation to study abroad has a significant positive impact on learning attitudes, with an influence coefficient of 0.185 and an effect proportion of 35%, which is a partial mediator. When social relationships are used as the mediating variable, study abroad motivation has a significant positive impact on learning attitude, with an influence coefficient of 0.058, which is completely mediating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ECORFAN Journal - Spain is the property of ECORFAN-Mexico S.C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on how international social work education can enable students to become culturally competent social workers. It follows the idea that the vital aspect of internationalizing social work education is not about structural prerequisites. Rather, it is in the specific role of intercultural perspectives and how these perspectives can be integrated into structural frameworks for internationalizing social work education. It is highlighted that the acceptance of not-knowing and not-understanding provides the basis of cultural awareness or global mindedness. Therefore, a model for the development of intercultural competence in social work is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Literatura y Lingüística is the property of Universidad Catolica Cardenal Raul Silva Henriquez and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Data on the perceptions of medical students on international experience in non-English-speaking high-income countries (HICs) are very limited. This study aimed to assess the perceptions of medical students in Japan toward overseas experience while in school and post-graduation, as well as to characterize the support they require to pursue their profession in international settings. Methods: A cross-sectional national survey was administered online between September 16, 2020, and October 8, 2020. Participants were recruited from 69 medical schools using snowball sampling through acquaintances and social media platforms. The survey results were analyzed by two researchers. Results: A total of 548 students from 59 medical schools responded to the survey. Among them, 381 respondents (69%) expressed interest in working abroad, while only 40% seriously considered it. The majority of students responded that they would like to pursue clinical training abroad for a short term or while they were medical students (54%) or during a residency/fellowship (53%). The most popular regions among the respondents for future international experiences were North America and Europe. Finally, the most reported reasons for hesitation to work abroad were language barriers (70%), followed by lack of clarity regarding career options after working abroad (67%), difficulties obtaining medical licensure abroad (62%), and the lack of role models (42%). Conclusions: Although nearly 70% of participants reported a high interest in working overseas, various barriers to working abroad were identified. Our findings identified key problem areas that could be targeted when promoting international experiences for medical students in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To provide just equity in academic exchange, as well as to reduce prohibitive travel cost and address environmental concerns, the past paradigm of international student exchange has fundamentally shifted from one directional travel to mutually beneficial bidirectional remote communication between students all over the globe. Current analysis aims to quantify cultural competency and evaluate academic outcomes. Methods: Sixty students half from the US and half from Rwanda grouped in teams of 4 engaged in a nine-month project-focused relationship. Cultural competency was evaluated prior to project initiation and six months after completion of the project. Student perspective of project development was analyzed weekly and final academic outcome was evaluated. Results: Change in cultural competency was not significant; however, students did identify satisfaction in team interaction and academic outcomes were achieved. Conclusion: A single remote exchange between students in two countries may not be transformative but it can provide cultural enrichment and successful academic project outcome and may serve to enhance cultural curiosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social capital development is indispensable to economic growth and well-being because it allows individuals to contribute meaningfully to a society or community. The density of social networks helps an individual take ownership of control over their community through shared trust, norms, and values. As a component to human capital, social capital needs to be developed with important skills and knowledge, such as leadership, communication, and networking to pursue community empowerment. This study examines the development of social capital and community empowerment at the international level through the international youth exchange program (IYEP) under the Look East Policy (LEP). LEP was implemented in 1982 to develop human capital and increase bilateral collaboration and socio-cultural exchange with East Asian countries, i.e., South Korea and Japan. Based on the secondary data obtained from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and reports from related agencies, this study examined the IYEP of the Malaysia–South Korea and Malaysia-Japan programs and compared their impact on social capital and youth community empowerment. The findings indicate that the IYEP with both countries is expected to strengthen the partnership among participants and help nurture leadership skills. The focus was similar to sociocultural exchange and regional knowledge despite the different scales. Activities such as exchange of knowledge, discussions, enjoying cultural activities, and local activities help the participants build their networking skills and empower the community at both individual and group levels. As the IYEP has benefited its participants, it should be diversified in many areas and collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the use of Nominal Group Technique (NGT) for European nursing exchange evaluation at one university. The NGT is a semi-quantitative evaluation method derived from the Delphi method popular in the 1970s and 1980s. The NGT was modified from the traditional version retaining the structured cycles and but adding a broader group discussion. The NGT had been used for 2 successive years but required analysis and evaluation itself for credibility and ‘fit’ for purpose which is presented here. It aimed to explore nursing students' exchange experiences and aid programme development futures exchanges and closure from exchange. Results varied for the cohorts and students as participants enthusiastically engaged generating ample data which they ranked and categorised collectively. Evaluation of the NGT itself was two fold: by the programme team who considered purpose, audience, inclusivity, context and expertise. Secondly, students were asked for their thoughts using a graffiti board. Students avidly engaged with NGT but importantly also reported an effect from the process itself as an opportunity to reflect and share their experiences. The programme team concluded the NGT offered a credible evaluation tool which made use of authentic student voice and offered interactive group processes. Pedagogially, it enabled active reflection thus aiding reorientation back to the United Kingdom and awareness of ‘transformative’ consequences of their exchange experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of global health programs directed by academic institutions. Global health programs take many forms, focusing on different curricular goals such as knowledge attainment of endemic diseases, community service projects, and improved foreign-language skills. This is an expository paper describing the origins and evolution of the medical exchange program between Rhode Island Hospital and Hospital Regional Universitario José María Cabral y Báez. The exchange program is unique because it is trainee- driven and has strived to maintain a bilateral educational exchange over the past 15 years. Future goals for the program include further developing a research curriculum for both institutions and creating a longitudinal relationship with a community-based state-funded clinic in Santiago, Dominican Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainty of kidney exchange programs (KEP) is one of the main challenges that cause failure in most planned transplants to proceed to surgery. Unfortunately, this challenge usually decreases KEP performance in the real world. To face this challenge, we develop an efficient approach, consisting of scheduling methodology and recourse actions, to recover failing pairs and improve the number of successful transplants in KEPs. The developed policy can be implemented in two different schemes. The first scheme receives an optimal matching as an input and determines recourse actions and the sequence of disjoint cycles and chains for the given optimal matching. However, the second scheme does not need optimal matching. This scheme simultaneously receives the compatibility graph as input and specifies the optimal matching, cycles and chains' schedule, and corresponding recourse actions. Moreover, we investigate the performance of the developed approach under various circumstances to validate its positive impact on KEP performance. The results demonstrate that this approach increases the number of successful transplants in KEPs and decreases the number of remaining highly sensitive and O blood type patients in the pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exchange programs have been found to have a positive impact on regional economic growth, university cooperation, and student academic, and professional development. However, there has been limited analysis of the factors that influence the quality of these programs. In this study, a mixed-methods approach was used to examine regional exchange programs in China. Qualitative research was conducted using Octopus Big Data Crawler software, Timdream.org software, and 33 interviews to develop a questionnaire that covers student expectations, service quality, and satisfaction. Using SPSS 22 and Amos 21, the study analyzed the interactive relationships among expectations, perceived service quality, and satisfaction in the context of regional education integration based on a sample of 246 questionnaires. The results demonstrate that perceived service quality plays an intermediary role in the relationship between expectations and satisfaction, with students' perceptions of learning quality and interpersonal quality at the receiving university influencing their satisfaction levels. This study provides important insights into the factors that impact the quality of regional exchange programs in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese central government has been running an intensive exchange program called the Mainland China--Hong Kong Ten Thousand Student Exchange Program since 2012 to support local Hong Kong university students' visits to mainland China, with the aim of promoting exchange and regional cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland China. However, little is known about local Hong Kong university students' views on regional cooperation and whether the program is effective in changing their views. Using a randomized experimental design, we find that most students hold positive views on regional cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland China, but a considerable percentage of students oppose integration with mainland China. We also find that the program is effective in positively changing students' views on certain aspects of regional cooperation related to the free trade zones and the Hong Kong--Zhuhai--Macau Bridge, but is not significantly effective on other aspects of regional cooperation. This study provides the first causal quantitative evidence regarding the impact of the mainland China--Hong Kong exchange program on local university students' views regarding regional cooperation. The findings help inform the public about the prospect of regional cooperation and offer policy implications on youth exchange between mainland China and Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying in a foreign country can be a valuable experience for international students, but it may also involve uncertainty, loneliness, and questionable graduate outcomes. Given the importance of the international student market to higher education institutions, there is a clear incentive to find ways of engaging international students in meaningful learning experiences that contribute to employability, facilitate social connections, and help students find their place in society. This article reflects on an Australian pilot project that aimed to facilitate international student engagement with local social issues through service learning. Drawing on a framework that emphasised social support and social connectedness, the students were offered group placements with local non-profits as a way of learning more about social issues, forging social ties, and gaining valuable transferable experience. Students appreciated the multiple layers of support available and reported increased confidence in terms of communicating in English and making social connections across peer groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student exposure to international contexts can support students to develop a variety of knowledge, values and skills for social work practice in a globalised world. While various models of internationalisation in social work education exist, semester abroad models have received scant attention in international social work. This article presents perceived learning outcomes for German social work students who participated in an integrated semester abroad programme within the European Union, that are comparable to other international pedagogies. The model showcases reciprocal study abroad arrangements between universities located in neighbouring countries that has implications for such internationalisation beyond exchanges between North-South countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Red blood cell (RBC) exchange for sickle cell disease presents unique difficulties due to RBC phenotyping, complex antibody work‐ups, large number of RBC units required, and vascular access considerations, any of which can delay the procedure. Multidisciplinary coordination and systemic processes ensure that monthly appointments remain on schedule. Study Design and Methods: A high‐volume chronic RBC exchange program is described, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary coordination and process improvement strategies involving initial referral, vascular access, order sets, and allocation of antigen‐negative or phenotypically matched RBCs. Results: Approximately 50 outpatient RBC exchanges are performed each month with an 82% kept‐appointment rate. Specific factors for program success include open communication across services and improvements to referrals and standardized order sets. Conclusion: A combination of multidisciplinary coordination and process improvement can ensure the success of a high volume RBC exchange program. Frequent communication of upcoming appointments between the referring hematologists, the hemapheresis clinic, transfusion service, and interventional radiology is critical. Advance notice to the immunohematology reference lab of upcoming appointments is needed to allow enough time for allocating antigen‐negative RBCs. Order sets can be leveraged to standardize and streamline RBC exchanges. Lastly, numerous mechanisms help patients compensate for the cognitive sequelae of stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present a review of opportunities and challenges for future progress in building intercountry, regional, and global alliances for public health nutrition training. Drawing on experiences from developing, implementing, and evaluating public health nutrition training in Australasia, Europe, and the Middle East, suggestions are provided for building a network of global training activities. Opportunities are described in areas such as standardization of course competencies and registration schemes, resource sharing, student and trainer exchange programs, and professional development. Challenges are identified and options presented for building global alliances in public health nutrition training into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International education activities suddenly halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, severely disrupting student mobility and academic learning. Many educational institutions have delivered programs to students through digital devices globally rather than in situ. Such a shift presents a unique opportunity to assess the impact of online and hybrid education for international students. This qualitative study interviewed 30 international students who had arrived on campus and shared their first-year university transition experiences during the pandemic. The analysis shows that spatial and temporal circumstances created two scenarios and thus resulted in different first-year university experiences. Although all students were dissatisfied with online learning, studying at a distance in different time zones was particularly detrimental to international students’ mental and physical health. The (im)mobile environments led to mismatches in expectations, roles, activities, and realities, negatively affecting student learning and adjustment. This study highlights the complex international transition issues and offers implications for sustainable online and hybrid-learning practices in the educational system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the implications of reputational concerns on a startup accelerator's decisions towards effort exertion in the venture assessment process and strategic adoption of information revelation policies. In our model, the startup accelerator charges an equity share of the venture admitted into her acceleration program in exchange for the resources provided to help nurture and prepare the venture for fundraising from the investor. The accelerator can choose how much effort to exert in the accelerating process, which in turn determines how accurately the accelerator can learn about the quality of the venture. At the end of the acceleration program, the accelerator can then decide whether to reveal this quality information to the investor consistently with (full disclosure regime) or contrastingly to (biased disclosure regime) what has actually been observed. The accelerator's reputation will be negatively affected if the venture's performance does not match with what the accelerator previously announced to the investor. Our findings show that the accelerator is motivated to exert a high level of effort in learning about the venture's quality and fully disclose the credible quality information to the investor when the severity of the reputational loss is sufficiently high. Otherwise, if the impact of the reputational loss is too small, the accelerator would exert no effort in assessing the venture's quality and announce information about the venture based primarily on the market information, which may or may not match with what she has actually observed during the acceleration program. Furthermore, we show that a larger equity share makes the accelerator more sensitive to the reputational loss, and hence, the accelerator is better incentivized to exert significant effort to improve the accuracy of the venture's quality information and adopt the full disclosure regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing rate of manufacturers and consequently the production of the products gave rise to an increase in used products. The growth in old goods, as well as their negative environmental and social consequences, prompted supply chain operators to focus more on reverse logistics for collecting and reusing these items. However, there are a few key issues that should be handled in this manner, covering how to implement an effective collecting plan. What categories of used items should be collected? And how should they be handled for the aim of reusing them? To address these questions, the pricing issues are investigated in a CLSC with a manufacturer and two retailers. As an effective collection strategy, the first retailer, along with selling new products, benefits from the product exchange program (PEP). In this program, the retailer, by offering two types of discounts on a new product's price, is able to collect two types of products, including those without and with useful lifetime left as the first- and second-category products, respectively. In terms of used products management, the first-category products are sent to the manufacturer for recycling, and the second-category ones are sold as second-hand products by the first retailer. Besides, the first retailer exercises a full refund return policy, where the returned defective products, after being remanufactured by the manufacturer, are sold to customers by the second retailer in the secondary market. With respect to buy back price of first-category products from the first retailer, two scenarios are considered: 1) the manufacturer pays as much as the difference between the original retail price and discounted retail price in order to encourage the retailer to offer exercise the PEP for returned used items, or 2) by considering the discount on wholesale price, the manufacturer pays as much as the difference between the original wholesale price and discounted wholesale price. In this study, a real-world case study is considered based on an Iranian automotive industry to understand the issue better and obtain practical results. The findings show that the second scenario is more profitable due to lower selling prices and greater demand rates. It is proved that the PEP along with providing environmental benefits can improve supply chain financial profit even for the first or the second-category products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how the Marshall Plan stimulated a culture of economic growth in postwar Germany, specifically through an international exchange programme known as 'productivity missions'. From 1948 until the late 1950s these missions facilitated thousands of encounters between American and European managers, workers and experts in order to spread American industrial and managerial practices and, as a consequence, to boost postwar economic recovery in the capitalist world. Run by the Economic Cooperation Administration and the Organization for European Economic Co-operation, the productivity campaign enjoyed the support of both national governments as well as business associations and trade unions. While there is ample historiography on the political intentions and the economic consequences of the Marshall Plan, we know less about the productivity missions as vehicles of cultural transformation. Based on first-hand reports and archival evidence from both sides of the Atlantic, this article explores the cultural dimensions of the productivity campaign. It argues that the missions were an important catalyst for the dominant role of productivity and economic growth in postwar German society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the global COVID pandemic, the importance of professionals in the health care sector has been put in a new light, including pharmacists. In this context, the focus is also on how pharmacists are trained in different countries. Through an exchange of pharmacy teaching staff from a German to a Vietnamese university, the pharmacy education programs in both countries were compared. Aspects such as access to studies, structure of studies, and further training opportunities were considered. Differences and similarities emerged. In both countries, students first acquire basic knowledge and then delve deeper into pharmaceutical content in main studies. There is, expectedly, a great overlap in the content of the courses. Overall, the education at Vietnamese universities seems to be more practice-oriented due to a large number of placements. This also allows a specialization, which can be pursued in Germany with self-interest after graduation. There, the preparation for everyday work in the community pharmacy is separated from the university by a mandatory practical year. For the future, efforts are being made in both countries to strengthen the importance of clinical pharmacy in the curriculum. To this end, the Vietnamese are taking their inspiration from abroad in many cases, including Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to articles in the issue is presented on topics including whether assessment can be counter-productive and reinforce a problematic mindset among students, tips on the practicalities of designing assessment tasks, and the use of augmented reality and gaming technology to devise ways of helping students to learn functional anatomy.

This paper reports on an exploratory study investigating WeChat-based learning efficiency in teaching Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). Generated from the Connectivism theory, this study aims at exploring the features of mobile-assisted teaching in an immersion CFL exchange program with the social communication app WeChat as a case in point. WeChat is a multimedia instant messenger application in China. In this two-year-long study, an action study was applied. A total of ten learners of elementary Chinese were involved. The participants received and submitted the assignment via WeChat and were asked to review language points on the weekly course posts. Their posts on WeChat Moments were recorded and then reconstructed into language learning content. This study adopted a mixed-method design. Data were collected through the course learning outcomes, an end-of-semester questionnaire, and follow-up interviews. The results show a positive reception from the learners on WeChat-based learning. This study observes (1) students' evident linguistic development in the spontaneous expression on WeChat; (2) a substantial change toward learning with social media; (3) conscious and unconscious language input and output. Language learners reported that using WeChat (1) provided them with a better opportunity to communicate with native speakers; (2) enabled them to integrate knowledge into life; (3) helped them review class content and share thoughts more efficiently; (4) offered them a long-term supportive Chinese language community. However, the results also indicate that (1) personal preference to social media should be taken into consideration; (2) WeChat fails to foster autonomous learning in the students; (3) students' participation and motivation declined towards the end of the program. In retrospect, monitoring and supervising WeChat usage when necessary, assigning the topics of the posts, and inspiring interest in learning language by solving real-life problems are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to increase the potential kidney transplants between patients and their incompatible donors, kidney exchange programs have been created in many countries. In the programs, designing algorithms for the kidney exchange problem plays a critical role. The graph theory model of the kidney exchange problem is to find a maximum weight packing of vertex-disjoint cycles and chains for a given weighted digraph. In general, the length of cycles is not more than a given constant L (typically 2 ≤ L ≤ 5 ), and the objective function corresponds to maximizing the number of possible kidney transplants. In this paper, we study the parameterized complexity and randomized algorithms for the kidney exchange problem without chains from theory. We construct two different parameterized models of the kidney exchange problem for two cases L = 3 and L ≥ 3 , and propose two randomized parameterized algorithms based on the random partitioning technique and the randomized algebraic technique, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Psychiatry Exchange Program in Iran is an academic experience we are delighted to share. As two participating early career psychiatrists, a local psychiatry faculty member manager, and the lead founder and international coordinator of the programme, we focus in this article on the unfolding of this new learning experience, the difficulties we encountered and the main lessons learned by the participants: commonalities and differences in training and practice in general adult psychiatry and child psychiatry in Tunisia and Iran, as well as in idioms of distress between the Arab and Persian cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, China has quickly transformed itself into a modern, urban, technological and economic powerhouse. China's medical education system is internationalizing and attracting a considerable number of foreign students seeking medical degrees and other clinical experience, such as observerships, in China. Although the majority of international students in China come from low- and middle income countries, China's rise towards the world's largest medical education system also offers new opportunities for stronger cooperation with European countries. Both sides maintain tight economic ties, and China's rise is also attracting more and more medial students for short-term clinical electives from the German-speaking countries. Such clinical electives are pertinent to global health education in a globalized world, and allow students to immerse in foreign healthcare systems for a short period. Notably, reasons for (and barriers to) electives in China are largely unexplored. To address this gap, we reviewed 4 popular German elective report databases and extrapolated key characteristics of electives in China undertaken by German-speaking medical student. N = 40 elective testimonies were analyzed with regard to students' elective experience, elective barriers and organizational aspects. The vast majority of students reported an elective in Shanghai (n = 29, 72.50%). More than 70% of students applied directly to an elective program for foreign students, whereas less than 25% applied through a bilateral exchange program. Frequently cited positive aspects of electives in China included the Chinese hospitality and the regular high-quality teaching in English for international students. Notably, almost half of student reported some kind of difficulties during their elective (n = 18, 45%), including language barriers (n = 6), administrative issues (n = 5) and visa problems (n = 2). Our data suggest that international electives in China were overall well-rated by German-speaking students. The combination of structured clinical elective programs with English supervision and the opportunity to learn more about the Chinese culture apparently attracted said students in the past 2 decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Virtual Exchange Project (VEP) emerged as a pedagogically-innovative and low-cost initiative to internationalise the curriculum and create team-taught coursework that links university classes in different countries. A COIL-VEP was formed between Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South Africa and Nassau Community College (NCC) in New York. The project entailed understanding business applications in developing a prototype to reduce material wastage in dental laboratories. In conjunction with acquiring discipline-specific knowledge, students had the opportunity to develop cross-cultural awareness and to use various technology-mediated tools. The aim of this study was to elicit students' opinions and experiences related to a COIL-VEP. A quantitative and cross-sectional research design following a positivist paradigm was used. The 2018 second-year Dental Technology students (n = 14) from DUT and the Business Management students (n = 21) from NCC participated in the study. An anonymised and descriptive questionnaire was used to collect data, which were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Positive results encompassed five categories, namely: project introduction and preparation; cultural and diversity competence; impacts on personal behaviour; quality of learning; and overall experience and course quality. Although COIL is a nuanced teaching and learning paradigm, collaborative online learning is impeded by inadequate pre-training on intercultural awareness, insufficient prior knowledge of discipline-specific content, and the exclusion of a gradable component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiences of participants in disrupted study abroad (SA) programs have been largely overlooked in the literature, especially when it comes to experiences outside the norm. To fill this gap, this research explores the experience of an Australian university student taking part in an exchange program in Hong Kong (HK) during a turbulent period when HK was under sociopolitical tension, which was followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We tracked the student's experiences over six months through five monthly reflective journals and a postprogram interview. The qualitative data were analysed using a narrative approach, and Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (EST) framework was adopted to interpret the results. The student's narrative demonstrated a progressive story structure: although it was a special historical time when mobility to HK was undesirable, the participant counterintuitively perceived HK as an ideal location for his future career because of his SA experience. Framed by EST, the study discusses the individual's development in relation to a multilevel SA ecology (micro-, meso-, exo-, macro- and chronosystems) and the student's agentic responses at the individual level. The study offers policy and practical implications for multicultural education, particularly in the post-COVID era, when cross-border mobility has been facing unprecedented challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine how physiotherapy students manage to convert and employ their intrinsic and extrinsic knowledge and skills in clinical contexts abroad outside Europe. The study is based on a qualitative a content analysis of 10 Bachelor theses in the form of case studies written in pairs of Norwegian Bachelor students. Findings that emerged in the document analysis were the students’ uncertainty concerning types of roles and knowledge discourses involved in the interaction. The students who managed to identify critical incidents and apply a cultural relativistic approach managed the converting process. A conscious attitude towards own cultural norms and values opened up for integrating these in the new context. Theory and tools introduced as part of the preparations were shown to be functional when applied in practice. The importance of using critical incidents and culture relativism as methods for the students going abroad will be emphasized in the preparation courses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Due to the development of the Chinese economy, the consolidation of national power worldwide, and the increasing frequency of economic and cultural exchanges with foreign countries, the number of people from various countries who travel to China to engage in exchanges has increased significantly. Given the development of economic globalization, the acceleration of the process of educational internationalization represents a general trend in higher education development and a common requirement for universities. In addition to education, international students also experience cross-cultural adaptation, that is, behavioral adaptation or changes that occur in people in response to changes in their home country, whether in the form of external or internal cultural adaptation. For international students, the problem of crosscultural adaptation not only hinders their learning progress but also affects their psychology and living conditions. This article explains the construction of Habermas's theory of communication action. According to this theory, the purpose of communication is to coordinate the common actions of actors, and this coordination is achieved through mutual communication, which is mediated by language. The article also discusses the cross-cultural adaptation experienced by international students in Chinese universities and highlights the importance of developing educational services for international students in the context of international education. Studies have shown that female students exhibit slightly worse psychological adaptation than male students and female students have a slightly higher rate of depression rate than male students. An interpersonal study of 120 international students traveling to China found that most of these students (60%) were able to adapt in terms of their interpersonal relationships. To solve the problems associated with crosscultural adaptation of international students in China, some countermeasures have been proposed, mainly including active participation in interpersonal communication, an enhanced understanding of the new culture, and the amplification of cultural identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiences of international scholars in the United States who are part of short-term or exchange programs remain vastly under-investigated compared to their full-time, tenure-track, and tenured peers. Guided by Blau's (1964) social exchange theory, this study investigated professional and social experiences of exchange scholars at a large public research university in the southeast United States. A mixed-method exploration was conducted through surveys and interviews with international scholars who participated in an exchange program in the spring of 2020. The results revealed that exchange scholars were most satisfied with work conditions and their research experience, but least satisfied with professional development opportunities and cultural exchange. Further, participants' research experience was significantly correlated with their cultural exchange, while their professional development was significantly correlated with work conditions and support. Additional implications were drawn from the results revealing the unmet needs of program participants regarding the different areas of their exchange experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris flows are among the most destructive types of mass movements throughout the world and are not restricted to certain climate zones or geological environments. In opposite corners of the American continent, Canada and Brazil have experienced several historic debris flows. As part of a one-year international exchange program, the lead author compared morphological evidence related to debris flows and the morphometry of watersheds at sites in Canada and Brazil, with the ultimate goal of improving the understanding of debris flows in Brazil. Field surveys carried out in both areas in 2019 and 2020 permitted observation of the debris-flow signatures, as well as the physical aspects of the surrounding areas and morphometric mapping of watersheds. Both areas exhibit similar typical features of debris flows, and the morphometric results indicate differences that may influence the recurrence of events at the sites in Canada as compared to Brazil due to their higher values for the parameters area > 25° (A25), relief ratio (Rr), and Melton ratio (Mr) at the Canadian sites; however, this dataset is limited. Compared to results in the literature from around the world, values of morphometric parameters at Brazilian sites are within the ranges observed in other tropical climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the opportunities and barriers facing the implementation of virtual exchange in K-12 education, and the perceptions of access to these opportunities for underrepresented students, in the context of the federal US education system. These questions are examined through the lens of a domestic program offered by Empatico known as Empathy Across the US. Our findings point to several of the known barriers in the facilitation of virtual exchange, including technology access and pressing demands facing teachers, both of which impact accessibility. This study offers insights into how teachers in different settings perceive and experience the implementation of a domestic model of virtual exchange. As K-12 virtual exchange programs often rely on the willingness of teachers to implement these kinds of programs outside of the official school curriculum, our research indicated the importance of system-wide investment and structural support for domestic virtual exchange beyond individual champions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents on a multi-institution project that explains the design and development of Virtual Tabadul, an Arabic and English foreign language exchange program amongst 1,200 U.S. and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) college-aged youth. The program involves faculty, staff, and students at four institutions: Florida International University (U.S.), University of Michigan-Dearborn (U.S.), Oum El-Bouaghi University (Algeria), and Ibn Tofail University (Morocco). The project has been developed with generous funding from the Stevens Initiative and is the very first virtual exchange program for Arabic and English foreign language learning in virtual reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the learning experience of students by limiting their opportunities for face-to-face intercultural exchanges. Given the importance of cultural competence in medical education, there is a need to develop a programme that promotes cultural awareness, but that offers more flexibility in terms of outbound mobility. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an internationalization at home programme and to explore the learning experiences of medical and nursing students from Hong Kong and Indonesia. Methods: Students were recruited from two universities in Hong Kong and Indonesia. They attended an online internationalization at home programme designed by members of the research team from both countries. A mixed-methods study was conducted using a concurrent triangulation approach. A pre-test post-test design was used to evaluate the effects of the programme on cultural awareness, and four focus groups were conducted to explore the students' experiences in the programme. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed by T-test and reflexive thematic analysis, respectively. Data were integrated and triangulated using joint displays by comparing findings from both sources. Results: One hundred and forty-eight students from Hong Kong and Indonesia participated in the study. After the programme, there was a significant improvement in cultural awareness. Three themes were identified: (1) learning process: enjoyable, but a desire remains for face-to-face cross-cultural communication; (2) learning outcomes: gained cultural awareness, developed cultural sensitivity, had an opportunity to practice language and learn about new learning styles; (3) factors influencing learning outcomes: facilitators (micro-movie and active communication) and barriers (language barrier, inappropriate time arrangement, insufficient prior briefing). Conclusion: This programme achieved the learning outcomes by successfully enhancing the cultural awareness of students during a time of pandemic when outbound student exchanges were not possible. Further adaptations of the programme are required to enhance different learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Push-pull theory, consumer decision-making models and rational choice theory are commonly used to explain international student mobility (ISM). Despite their merits, the individual's motivation to study abroad is ignored. Based on two motivation theories—expectancy-value theory (EVT) and self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines whether students' intention to study abroad originates from the students themselves or compromises social pressure and how the external factors defined in push-pull theory work with these motivations to affect their decision-making. A quantitative study was conducted with a sample size of 736 international students in China. The findings show that the decision to study abroad is a highly subjective and intrinsically driven behavior in which realizing one's self-worth or fulfilling one's purpose of life plays the most significant role. Making a decision needs a "cost-benefits calculus," but the utility value of study abroad was positioned behind attainment value and identified motivation. The heterogeneity of international students' motivation was also differentiated by both their gender and their parents' educational backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In kidney transplantation, immunosuppressants are being used to relax all immunological constraints, allowing patients to receive transplants from biologically incompatible donors. We propose an efficient way of using immunosuppressants in combination with a kidney exchange program. We introduce the top‐trading cycles and chains solution, a modification of the top‐trading cycles rule for the standard kidney exchange problem, and investigate its properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All students face challenges navigating the myriad of required decisions and processes when choosing to travel abroad. However, for students with disabilities, it is far more complicated. These authors explored literature regarding study abroad experiences for post-secondary students with disabilities, and have included the details of a study abroad experience from one of the authors who is deaf. Study abroad programs have been shown to provide students with ongoing benefits throughout their life and career. Students with disabilities who participated in study abroad programs reported marked improvements in intercultural skills, confidence and self-awareness through their study abroad experiences. Recommendations to improve access for students with disabilities in study abroad programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat exchange programs, a form of biodiversity offsetting, aim to compensate for negative impacts in one area by conservation in another. A newer subset of habitat exchange programs includes programs that have three distinct characteristics: they allow for temporary (as opposed to only permanent) credits; they are centralized and overseen by nonregulatory, independent administrators; and they exist in the absence of mandatory mitigation policy. As a result, these programs may be relatively flexible and practical in areas where environmental regulation is unpalatable politically. We synthesized gray and peer‐reviewed literature to evaluate these programs' strengths and shortcomings. On the basis of our synthesis, we suggest that temporary conservation credits in habitat exchanges could encourage participation of landowners in conservation and enable programs to respond to environmental change. However, temporary credits can lead to trade‐offs between flexibility and uncertainty. Moreover, there is little evidence that these habitat exchange programs have benefited target species, and many challenges associated with offsetting programs persist. Newer forms of habitat exchange programs may have potential to achieve no net loss or net gains of biodiversity to a greater extent than other forms of offsetting, but this potential has not yet been realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]