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The cultural background of people that interact at an intercultural level has a strong impact on the manner in which this type of interaction takes place. Cultural diversity should not be regarded as an obstacle to communication and a threat to the specificity of one particular culture. On the contrary, the development of intercultural exchange is an opportunity to enrich one's cultural horizons and also the horizons of the community that he/she belongs to or that he/she interacts with. The impact on a pre-established identity is inevitable and the challenges generated by the process of globalization focus mainly on the ability to adapt and, at the same time, not to lose specificity. The case of international student exchange programmes is an important factor in the process of intercultural interaction, as it forms a strong perception both on the students in international exchange programmes, and on the members of the host country, or the county of origin, regarding the other. Their manner of integration will be analyzed in this paper, focusing on the benefits that can be obtained due to the exchange programmes and the way in which those benefits can be increased. A case study on international mobility of Romanian university students in Bordeaux has the aim of reinforcing the ideas presented in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite new developments and a growing commitment to internationalization of higher education at the government and institutional levels, Vietnam remains largely on the periphery of existing scholarship on international higher education. Even though students are both key actors and beneficiaries of internationalization at home, insufficient attention is paid by policy makers and training institutions in Vietnam to student experiences and engagement in international programs. The study reported in this paper responds to this critical gap and explores student agency in navigating intercultural adaptability (IA). It draws on 80 interviews with different stakeholders in eight international programs across five Vietnamese universities. Using agency theory, student IA has been unpacked in specific ecological circumstances in terms of (i) how student agency for IA has enacted; and (ii) what supportive interventions have been created for student agency enactment in international programs. The study provides original insights into how individual aspirations for international programs, agentic life and professional history have influenced students' agentic engagement in IA. It sheds light on the ways in which access to and capacity to influence supportive spaces in terms of language support, culturally responsive pedagogy, career orientation and intercultural exchange programs, have enabled students to reinforce their agency in IA. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exchange Programs provide a rich platform to make it possible for the university students to explore and experience a cultural setting as well as a new learning environment. Turkey has been in the mobility programs since 2002. Depending upon the disciplines signing bilateral agreements with the partners some of the departments are very lucky in terms of the number of the students incoming and outgoing. This paper gives information about the history and outcomes of Istanbul University experience and focuses on the incoming exchange students of the 2016-2017 academic term. The target group through a face to face interaction and questionnaire provided feedback regarding their experiences of Turkey. Regarding the collected data, communication and educational differences,personal impressions, cultural experiences and possible struggles and the meaning attributed to the time spent in Turkey areaimed to be analyzed. The research question of the study is whether exchange mobility programs change people's perspectives despite personal judgements or not. Not only qualitative but also the quantitative methodology is followed to analyze the outcomes of the data. The survey data is discussed through various factors affecting the reflections and experiences of the participants. [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]

Copyright of Revista Gaucha de Enfermagem is the property of Revista Gaucha de Enfermagem 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.)

Service learning (SL) is a form of experiential learning in which students are involved in community service activities that are related to academic course objectives. A key aspect that separates SL from other forms of experiential learning is the mutually beneficial nature of the service activities. Much of the SL and international SL (ISL) literature has focused on positive learning outcomes for students, with much less focus on the benefits of SL to the community. Speech, Language, and Hearing Services (SLHS) in Zambia is an intensive SL short-term study abroad program. This paper describes the benefits to the community via the SLHS in Zambia program. [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]

Problem: The concept of cultural competency has developed a substantial presence in nursing education and practice since first attracting widespread attention in the 1990s. While several theories and corresponding measures of cultural competency have been advanced and tried, much work remains, as many nursing professionals continue to call for greater evidence‐based research and attention to patient perspectives and outcomes. Methods: Using a method provided by Hawker et al. to appraise articles, this paper compares nine recent (2008–2013) studies (including two composite studies) related to cultural competency, undergraduate curricula, and teaching strategies in nursing to assess the state of the art in this important area of care. Findings: The studies applied phenomenological, study abroad, online, and service learning strategies, four of which relied on some version of Campinha‐Bacote's IAPCC© model. These studies reported a general improvement in competency among students, though generally only to a level of cultural awareness, and admitted being constrained by several common limitations. Conclusion: Improved results and more realistic expectations in this area may require a closer understanding of the nature of the “culture” that underlies cultural competence. HarkessKaddoura [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' academic and civic learning, with particular interest in cultural competence, gained through participation in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences in Zambia study-abroad program. Method: Twelve female students participated in the program. Quantitative data collected included pre- and postprogram administration of the Public Affairs Scale (Levesque-Bristol & Cornelius-White, 2012) to measure changes in participants' civic learning. Qualitative data included journals, end-of-program reflection papers, videos, and researcher field notes. Feedback was also obtained from community-partner organizations via a questionnaire and rating scale. Results: Comparison of the pre- and postprogram Public Affairs Scale data showed a significant increase in cultural competence and a marginal increase in community engagement at the conclusion of the program. Qualitative data showed that participants' cultural awareness was increased, they benefited from hands-on learning, and they experienced a variety of emotions and emotional and personal growth. Conclusions: Results show that a short-term study-abroad program with a service-learning component can be a mechanism for students to enhance academic and civic learning, specifically cultural competence and clinical skills. Sustainability of programs is a challenge that needs to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online cultural exchanges between students of different nationalities may be quite common in this digital age but expanding and adjusting them to include new and more specialized participants can be a challenging task. The Online Cultural Exchange Program (OCEP), currently hosted by the University of Miyazaki (Japan) has been functioning successfully since 2007 (see Araki, Shirasaka, and Larson, 2008), gradually expanding its scope from nursing students alone to include engineering and agriculture majors, consisting largely of online written personal introductions and light-hearted cultural exchanges. However, recent planned expansions of the program into the Faculty of Medicine between the host university in Japan and a new participant in Vietnam has demanded a re-evaluation of what is expected from the program with regard to its utility for medical students. In order to develop a focus suited to the academic and professional needs of medical students in both the hosting university (Miyazaki, Japan) and the new Vietnamese participant (Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy) a pre-program survey was designed by the authors in order to gauge medical students' expectations, specific interests, preferences, anxieties, and abilities to fruitfully participate in such a program. In this paper, some salient results of these surveys are presented, along with the implications of moving the program towards a more professional and academic focus, and cultural factors that may affect participant expectations and potential outcomes. We expect that the data generated from these surveys may inform and influence similar international online exchange and learning programs being established elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper theorises some of the learning outcomes of a three-year project concerning student learning in international social work placements in Malaysia. The problematic issue of promoting cultural and intercultural competence through such placements is examined, where overlapping hegemonies are discussed in terms of isomorphism of social work models, that of the nation state, together with those relating to professional values and knowledge, and the tyrannies of received ideas. A critical discussion of cultural competence as the rationale for international placements is discussed in terms of the development of the graduating social worker as a self-reflexive practitioner. The development of sustainable international partnerships able to support student placement and the issue of non-symmetrical reciprocation, typical of wide socio-economic differentials across global regions, is additionally discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to gain further insights into how visiting international social work students and their hosts from different cultures learn about each others’ social services, culture, and personal values. Six Israeli students and 8 Indian students have written narratives and reflections on their experiences in the international encounter during the fieldwork exchange program. Content analysis of the students’ papers revealed a learning process that students go through, through which paternalistic attitudes move in the direction of cultural sensitivity that leads to cultural relativism, and then moves back again. Through this process, the students acquire the knowledge and skills they need for implementing international social work in line with social work values and declaration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Education is viewed as central to improving future palliative care for children and families across all countries. International education initiatives will ensure practitioners are aware of global health issues and can provide culturally sensitive care. Creative and innovative means of meeting such directives are required to achieve meaningful student learning. This paper focuses on one innovation, a children’s palliative care workshop using case studies as a teaching method, with nursing students from the USA and nursing and midwifery students from the UK. Key learning points arising from student evaluation were recorded under three main themes, these were: differences across countries, similarities across countries, and making learning fun and memorable. Findings indicated that this joint learning activity was viewed positively by all students and has enabled them to learn with and from each other, potentially impacting on their future practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This paper describes the development, implementation and evaluation of a semester-long exchange program between two Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs in the USA and Denmark. Background Nurses globally need to provide culturally sensitive care for an ethnically diverse population. Competencies on how to do so should start in basic nursing programs. A useful strategy is through immersion into another culture through an exchange program. Little is known about successful strategies for two-way or 360° exchange programs between schools from different countries. Guided by experiential learning theory, we developed an exchange program with the objective of enhancing nursing students' cultural competence through knowledge building, attitudes and behaviour development. Lessons learned and implications for educational institutions and policy are discussed. Conclusion In internationalization of nursing education, an awareness of underlying cultural values regarding nursing competence and taking appropriate action are important for success. Other areas for a successful exchange program include matching of courses or content across schools, clear objectives and evaluation plans. Finally, flexibility and open communication are key components when setting up a 360° exchange program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the acceleration of globalization, academic developers from institutions and countries with established educational development programs and networks are called upon increasingly to share their expertise and offer guidance to colleagues in emerging higher education contexts. Based on a higher education conference held in Beijing in 2009, this paper captures the learning as the Chinese host institutions and international exchange partners progressed toward a more developed understanding and application of elastic, post-colonial approaches to the interchange. It includes a set of recommendations and guidelines to assist future international exchanges, based on the insights gained throughout this rich experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to provide commentary on the article entitled Changing practice: Implications of the World Report on Disability for responding to communication disability in underserved populations (Wylie, McAllister, Davidson, & Marshall, 2013). It discusses the need to develop innovative ways to provide more services to the populations in need. Further, it offers two examples that demonstrate knowledge transfer and exchange between Minority and Majority World settings and one example of using technology for service delivery and training that might shed some light on possible solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ANDERSON K.H., FRIEDEMANN M.L., BŰSCHER A., SANSONI J. & HODNICKI D. (2012) Immersion research education: students as catalysts in international collaboration research. International Nursing Review Background: This paper describes an international nursing and health research immersion program. Minority students from the USA work with an international faculty mentor in teams conducting collaborative research. The Minority Health International Research Training (MHIRT) program students become catalysts in the conduct of cross-cultural research. Aim: To narrow the healthcare gap for disadvantaged families in the USA and partner countries. Methods: Faculty from the USA, Germany, Italy, Colombia, England, Austria and Thailand formed an international research and education team to explore and compare family health issues, disparities in chronic illness care, social inequities and healthcare solutions. USA students in the MHIRT program complete two introductory courses followed by a 3-month research practicum in a partner country guided by faculty mentors abroad. The overall program development, student study abroad preparation, research project activities, cultural learning, and student and faculty team outcomes are explored. Results: Cross-fertilization of research, cultural awareness and ideas about improving family health occur through education, international exchange and research immersion. Faculty research and international team collaboration provide opportunities for learning about research, health disparities, cultural influences and healthcare systems. The students are catalysts in the research effort, the dissemination of research findings and other educational endeavours. Five steps of the collaborative activities lead to programmatic success. Conclusions: MHIRT scholars bring creativity, enthusiasm, and gain a genuine desire to conduct health research about families with chronic illness. Their cultural learning stimulates career plans that include international research and attention to vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work programs are increasingly relying on study abroad to prepare students for global practice. A growing body of literature reports on the positive features of international education, yet little attention has been focused on preparing social work programs and the faculty who lead them to handle the emergencies that can arise during study abroad. This paper uses a case study of an actual emergency in a study abroad program to examine how the event was handled and to assess its short- and long-term consequences. Elements of the case are analyzed in an effort to identify general issues for study abroad programs to consider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization, internationalization, and regionalization affect domestic social work. This paper explores how undergraduate students perceive international aspects of their social work education. A questionnaire was distributed to social work undergraduates in Stockholm, Sweden (n=97), and Darmstadt, Germany (n=43). Results showed that a majority of students in Sweden were prepared to work with immigrants and refugees. A majority of students in both countries wanted more education about refugee social work and social work in other countries. The amount of exchange activities was modest, but many students could consider working abroad. Students related most strongly to international aspects of domestic social work such as work with immigrants and refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given world aging, social workers will be involved in assisting older persons in their home-country and/or abroad in various types of governmental or nongovernmental agencies. This paper identifies potential opportunities for social workers with gerontological backgrounds interested in working in international and cross-cultural settings. Discussed are the role of social work education in assisting the development of student interest and competence in working with and for older persons in an aging world. Also discussed are international opportunities in field placements for work with older people. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Issues in Ethnology Anthropology is the property of Issues in Ethnology Anthropology 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.)

In view of constant changes in today's world, it is imperative that social work education embrace a global perspective. Therefore, educators must continue to pay attention to, and adopt methods of, social interventions needed to address changing world circumstances. This paper will present a rationale for the study abroad experience and for the use of social networking to enhance the experience. Shared are points to consider when preparing and educating social work students for a global perspective in social work practice. Participant partners were Fayetteville State University, the University of Dar Es Salaam, and the Institute of Social Work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge 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.)

This paper presents findings from 11 in-depth interviews with Turkish undergraduate students, who were, by the time of data collection, about to spend a semester at a European university under the Erasmus exchange scheme. The students all agreed to be interviewed about their feelings about studying in a foreign culture, and were found to be anxious prior to departure about the quality of accommodation in the new destination, their language ability and the opportunity to form friendships. Fears were expressed about possible misconceptions over Turkey as a Muslim and a developing country. Suggestions are made for HEI interventions to allay student travellers' concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This case study aims to describe the efforts of the Kreisau-Initiative (KI) Berlin to connect the field of international youth work with intergenerational approaches.Design/methodology/approach - The study describes three projects of the KI, illustrating the general background of the intergenerational projects, discussing opportunities and challenges, and highlighting some of the implications for practitioners.Findings - When offering international exchange projects for people of all ages, the paper has made one interesting finding. Generally speaking, it is more difficult to find younger people (aged 50 and younger) to take part in such activities than seniors. From this case study, the author learned that every project which aims to foster intergenerational dialogue needs a topic in which every participant (both young and old) is interested; it should be connected to them and to their daily lives. For organisations which would like to work both intergenerationally and internationally, it is difficult to obtain funding as there are only a few funds supporting international meetings for people of all ages.Originality/value - The case study addresses intergenerational issues in international exchange projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes a 1-year exchange between members of two pediatric cardiology centers: one in Canada and one in Australia. Five cardiologists participated in sequence, fully engaging in the activities of the host department. The motivation of the exchange was broadly educational including clinical experience, shared expertise, teaching, and research collaboration. Structured debriefing confirmed the value of the exchange. In addition to the experience of working in a different medical system, eight research papers were developed, with two research projects ongoing as well as subsequent exchanges of nursing and technical personnel. Interchange between two academic departments can add strength to both and allow development of new skills and research activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ transplants are essential for many end-stage organic disease patients. Unfortunately, because of medical or biological incompatibilities, not all donors can donate to their intended recipients. These incompatibilities can be overcome by organ exchange programs, which find new compatible donor–patient pairs by exchanging donors between patients. Organ exchange programs have become prevalent in the last decade for kidneys, and liver exchanges have also been increasing steadily. However, despite the growing number of liver exchanges, since the procedure is relatively new, there is a lack of studies attempting to optimize exchange plans through mathematical programming. This paper develops a new integer programming model for liver exchange programs that takes into account the unique characteristics of liver transplantation. In addition, a new enhanced model is obtained by applying the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT), which provides tight linear programming (LP) relaxation bounds and is computationally efficient. • Mathematically formulate dual-graft liver exchange program for the first time. • Analyze the unique features of the formulation. • Derive a computationally efficient model by Reformulation-Linearization Technique • Show performance improvement with the model enhanced by the technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers global diversity management in relation to migration from Africa, specifically Nigeria, of doctors to the UK and the USA. It seeks to demonstrate the importance of global diversity strategies for African countries, often driven by ethnic tensions. It argues that these tensions play their part in the decisions to migrate. It also brings in the triadic relationships to global diversity analysis and demonstrates that diasporic professional groups play often hidden roles in the diversity structures of the destination country and provide important means of connecting with their country of origin. [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]

Using a constructivist epistemology, this paper explores the cross-cultural learning experiences of exchange students from Hochschule Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences in Germany and the University for Development Studies in Ghana. The findings reveal differences in the students' commitment to agreements, tasks and time; while the German students have a high commitment to time awareness -- reporting to lectures and other meetings on time -- their Ghanaian counterparts do not. We suggest that universities preparing students for educational exchange programs should actively embark on cross-cultural education and training, providing adequate information on the context and culture of the host country, targeting all stakeholders before, during and after the exchange program. This will enhance effective intercultural relations and social interaction, and minimize culture shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 article presents information on the January 2006 issue of "The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing," which focuses on building partnership through international nursing initiatives. The paper "International Nursing Exchange Programs" discusses the international nurse visitor program. The work of bringing nurses to the United States for an academic and practice experience is discussed in another research paper "Preparing Faculty and Students for an International Nursing Education Experience." The teacher and student experiences and projects resulting from a partnership with a nursing program in Guyana is described in the paper "International Partnerships to Promote Quality Care: Faculty Groundwork, Student Projects, and Outcomes." The paper "Collaborative International Research" focuses on the challenges and opportunities in nursing research.

In the article the author highlights a paper by Andrew Lee and colleagues, which pointed out that public health specialists in the UK are not trained enough to understand their global responsibilities. She opines the present training and accreditation processes need to undergo changes, and highlights the importance of sharing information on a global basis in view of the recent spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and H1N1.

The article focuses on an article "Evaluating Exchange of Persons Programs," by Elmo C. Wilson and Frank Bonilla that was published in the journal "Public Opinion Quarterly." During the last five years, International Research Associates, under contract to the Department of State of the United States, has carried out a number of evaluation studies of exchange programs in different countries among students, specialists, and groups of civic and opinion leaders from abroad. In this paper the authors discuss the research approaches utilized in those studies, point out the usefulness and shortcomings of each as these are reflected in major findings, and suggest some of the areas in which future research seems most urgently needed.