Foundations of the International Education Profession

Online Course/Digital Badge Launches March 2023!

GlobalEd’s Digital Badge program in the Foundations of the International Education Profession is a comprehensive training on the core theories, terminologies, and major trends in the field. The online, fully asynchronous program features lectures and readings from some of the field’s leading voices and scholar-practitioners. The program provides professionals in the field with an understanding of where the field has been, how it looks today, and where it is going. Created in partnership with Hyperstack Credential Cloud, the Foundations of the International Education Profession Digital Badge can be uploaded to digital resumes, social media, and portfolios.

The Program

Foundations of the International Education Profession includes five modules. Each module can be completed in approximately 90-120 minutes and includes pre-recorded lectures, knowledge checks, and assignments.

Module 1: Overview and History of the Field
Module 2: Theoretical Ideas and Concepts
Module 3: Leadership, Competencies, and Intercultural Practice
Module 4: Research and Major Trends in the Field
Module 5: Reflection and Praxis

Module 1. Overview and History of the Field

3 Lectures, including guest lecture by Prof. Fiona Hunter on “The Evolving Definition of the Internationalization of Higher Education”

This module introduces participants to the rich history of the international education field, including early study abroad and exchange programs, key rationales and paradigms, and the founding of professional associations. Participants will understand the “Knight Definition” of internationalization and the evolving definition of internationalization. They will broaden their knowledge to understand global learning, intercultural pedagogy and practice, key milestones and thinkers, and components of the field.

2. Theoretical Ideas and Concepts

5 Lectures: Guest lectures by Nadine Binder, Rebecca Hovey, Silvia Espinal Meza, M.I. Kamlongera, and Bill Robertson Geibel

This module deepens understanding of the foundational ideas in the field, including contact theory; intercultural communication and development; intercultural praxis, diversity, equity, and inclusion; experiential learning; and critical internationalization. Participants will engage in a real-life exercise in which they apply a theory to an improvement in the field.

3. Leadership, Competencies, and Intercultural Practice

2 Lectures

This module covers leadership styles in higher education and higher education governance and organizational theory. Participants will reflect on their strengths, competencies, and leadership style(s) and how those strengths fit within organizational cultures. Participants will learn about “intercultural leadership” and how to lead with intercultural practice in mind.

4. Research and Major Trends in the Field

1 Lecture

This module covers three major areas of knowledge — mobility, internationalization, and intercultural learning — and what research tells us about those three areas. Participants will learn about research gaps and trends, as well as approaches to assessment and evaluation. Participants will also learn about key debates and developments in the field, such as virtual exchange, internationalization at home, and applying critical approaches to practice in the field.

5. Reflection and Praxis

Reflection and application are core elements of international education. In this module, participants will write two reflections on their learning and apply their learning to a real-world micro-project.