Proposal form (click here): 'Levelling the International Playing Field: A New Global Regionalism for Sustainable Partnerships, Student Mobility and Open and Distance Learning'
The 2011 Global Forum's subthemes focus on a range of topics.The 2011 Programme Committee is interested in receiving proposals that address the following issues:
A. New Global Regionalism
What are the emerging regional trends in international education and what are the implications for international student recruitment and cross-border programme delivery?
Will regional higher education quasi-blocks, like the Bologna Model, emerge in other world regions? (eg. East Asia, Gulf States, North America, Middle East, etc.)?
What are the key financial and policy issues driving this new global regionalism? How do these regional entities impact internationalisation strategies for institutions in the 'Big Three' traditional (U.S., UK, and Australia)?
What are the benefits and potential disadvantages for the international higher education market if powerful regionally -riented blocks emerge?Who benefits, and who loses?Do we anticipate international student mobility becoming regionally focused in the next 3-5 years?
B. The Student Experience
What are the models for ‘best practices’ for serving international students on campus and in cross-border academic programmes?
What are the major challenges for providing comprehensive student support services for international students?
Are key issues for international student destination choices changing? What are the emerging factors for international students and how are institutions and governments addressing them?
What are the key cultural, social, and language issues for international students?How can universities address these issues on campus and in cross-border academic programmes?
C. Global Open and Distance Learning
What are major barriers for expanding the use of open and distance learning for serving international students?What strategies may alleviate these challenges and enhance the capacity of ODL to increase global educational access, particularly in developing nations?
What the key characteristics and attributes of degree and certificate programmes delivered entirely online to international audiences?
Are blended learning models effective for delivering global higher education programmes?
What are the key issues for developing a financial model or costing methodology for building fiscally sustainable global ODL programmes?
Are private educational providers serving these markets better than traditional universities?Why or why not?How can public universities and private providers partner for global ODL delivery?
D. International Quality Assurance
What are the emerging trends from quality assurance agencies and implementation models for qualifications frameworks for cross-border delivery?
What are the unique quality and standard issues for global open and distance learning?
How do we ensure appropriate oversight for quality assurance of questionable providers who are pushing diploma mill credentials?How do we educate students to be aware of these providers?
What are the key issues for quality assurance agencies at the international level?How do universities ensure proper compliance with these to maintain minimum standards of quality?
Proposal Guidelines
The 2011 Global Forum's forma is designed to facilitate discussion among delegates and to share best practices and strategies relative to cross-border higher education. The Programme Committee strongly encourages proposals that:
provide research-based and practical strategies of cross-border design, delivery, management and assessment;
provide varying viewpoints by multiple presenters on (a) specific issue(s);
facilitate interaction and dialogue among delegates; and
demonstrate practical application and may be replicated by other organisations.
Please note: The 2011 Global Forum Programme Committee reserves the right to combine similar proposals.
Description of Presentation Formats
Panel Sessions: 90-minute presentations by 2-3 presenters that provide diverse perspectives and viewpoints on the topic.
Concurrent Research Sessions: 60-minute presentations by 1-2 researchers who present a theoretical or applied research study on the topic.
Conference Registration
All presenters for sessions selected by the Programme Committee are required to fully register for the 2011 Global Forum, paying the registration fee.
Submission Guidelines
Proposals must be received by The Observatory no later than 1 September 2010.The 2011 Programme Committee will notify presenters whose proposals are accepted by 15 October 2010.
Please note:
Presenters whose proposals are accepted must submit a 3-5 page (single spaced) summary abstract to The Observatory by 1 December 2010.
Selected abstracts may be identified by the 2011 Programme Committee for full manuscript development, distribution and publication by The Observatory.
Proposals should be submitted by post or soft copy (electronically) to:
