A virtual landscape for learning abroad

The benefits for students participating in an international education opportunity are undeniable, and go so much deeper than the obvious advantages that come from learning a language or experiencing cultural immersion.

Students who study outside their home country as part of a university degree develop global networks that may enhance their future career paths. They are better equipped with international capabilities that help position them to be successful members of a global workforce, and often have enhanced academic success.

The University of Auckland is positioned as a leader in outbound student mobility, with one in four bachelors students graduating in 2018 having had an overseas learning experience as part of their degree, achieving the University’s strategic goal of 25% participation. The 360 International team has continued to innovate in 2020 with a comprehensive range of virtual programmes developed in response to a global pandemic that shut down travel, effectively grinding international student mobility to a halt.

In his welcome to the New Zealand University Student Mobility Forum participants, University of Auckland Director International Brett Berquist said, “We’ve had far more students continuing or initiating their studies online than we would have predicted initially. And we have seen the demand for virtual experiences exceeding our thinking as well.”

In 2020, Auckland students signed up for virtual opportunities as diverse as volunteering online with non-profit organisations in Barcelona, engaging with indigenous communities in Brazil, or earning a Global Citizenship micro-credential by collaborating to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

These virtual programmes and others on offer enable students to stay engaged with the University’s international networks and partners, and to advance their own academic, personal and professional development. Students from all faculties and programmes can participate, not just language students, and the majority of programmes have funding available.

In December last year, the University hosted an event with Education New Zealand to celebrate the achievement that more than 500 University of Auckland students had received over $4 million in funding for overseas learning through the Prime Minister’s Scholarships. Learning abroad is central to the government’s international education strategy, as evidenced by the participation of the Ministry of Education and Education New Zealand in the Mobility Forum.

With no sign of students’ appetite for overseas learning experiences abating, and with employers actively seeking graduates with international skillsets, the University of Auckland will continue to expand its offering of virtual opportunities, even after borders reopen and global travel is once again possible.