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| Volume 9, Number 11 | February 8, 2002 |
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A world of opportunity:
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| Prof. Ramji Khandelwal |
In this period of globalization, it is well known that the consequences of policies that affect one part of the world ripple through the rest of the world very quickly. It is safe to say that in order to be successful in today’s time, students cannot live in isolation but have to be aware of things happening around the world. Students have to constantly seek to broaden their knowledge of other cultures and societies.
It is, therefore, essential that our graduates are ready to face these challenges, not only at the local scene but also at the global level.
Similarly, our faculty has to appreciate global issues for their own career and professional development, and participate in international networks through scholarly and research work.
The term ‘internationalization’ encompasses a wide variety of activities to be undertaken at our university. The International Activities Committee of Council has identified priority issues related to students and faculty.
As a first step, the committee is currently reviewing the academic benefits of the International students exchange program to make sure that students derive the maximum benefit from their experiences. The committee is also seeking ways by which we can (i) make the existing programs accessible to all interested students, and (ii) implement new programs to provide more international experience to our students.
Three issues are important for the success of any program. First, that the requirements for academic programs must be flexible to accommodate credits earned through these programs without extending the student’s program of studies. Second, that programs are financially sound and nobody is denied access to these programs because of financial constraints. Third, that administrative structure is provided to facilitate the continuation of existing programs and implementation of new programs.
The international students coming to the University of Saskatchewan pose different types of challenges. It is a challenge to determine the equivalent credits for courses taken at their own universities, particularly those from developing countries. This process can be facilitated if the inbound students come from a few selected universities with which the university has established partnership and developed sound academic criteria to award credits. Efforts are also needed to ensure that student’s academic and cultural experiences in Saskatoon are pleasant and enjoyable. These students will be our ambassadors when they return to their country of origin.
Although many of our faculty members are already involved in scholarly/research work at the international level, the university should make efforts to encourage other faculty members to engage in international collaborative scholarly/research work. Such collaborative work faces many challenges such as access to library, computers, etc. especially in developing countries, and every effort should be made to overcome these challenges.
The benefits derived by inbound and outbound students as well as by faculty will enhance the stature of the University of Saskatchewan. The graduates of our university who may become future leaders/CEOs around the world will have a positive perception of our university – a beneficial effect of internationalization of the University of Saskatchewan.
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