Patrick Foley Donoghue, Partnerships & Learning Abroad, Student Services & Operations*
Georgia Bray, Partnerships & Learning Abroad, Student Services & Operations
Learning abroad plays a pivotal role in shaping students' personal and professional development: fostering leadership, and cultivating global citizenship. Drawing on the International Education Australia Association (IEAA) Learning Abroad white paper (IEAA, 2022), this presentation explores six key themes that highlight the transformative impact of international experiences.
Firstly, students develop leadership attributes by navigating new cultures and environments: enhancing adaptability and resilience. Secondly, exposure to diverse perspectives fosters cultural empathy and nurtures global citizenship: equipping students to address complex global challenges.
Australia’s position within the Asia-Pacific is strengthened through student mobility programs: reinforcing international relations and mutual understanding - key elements of the nation’s global engagement. Immersive learning experiences further enrich students’ worldviews, instilling curiosity and expanding horizons.
Employability is another significant outcome, as students return with advanced communication, problem-solving, and intercultural skills that are highly valued in the global workforce. Additionally, learning abroad programs enhance student recruitment, with institutions offering such opportunities becoming more attractive to prospective students.
Through the lens of these six themes, learning abroad emerges as a powerful tool for personal growth, professional readiness, and cross-cultural collaboration: empowering students to become leaders, global citizens, and engaged professionals in an interconnected world.
This Lightning presentation will provide deeper insights into the six themes outlined in the IEAA white paper: exploring real student experiences and feedback, and illustrating how these transformative outcomes manifest in practice. Colleagues will gain practical takeaways on how learning abroad enhances our University community and how incorporating these programs into academic curricula ensures our University community continues to reap personal, academic, and professional benefits.
Dorahy, B., Hughes, K., Ireland, I., Martinec, W., O’Callaghan, E., Piper, H., Potts, D., & Watson, S. (2022). Learning abroad in Australian universities white paper. International Education Australia Association (IEAA). https://ieaa.org.au/IEAA/research/Publication/2022/Learning_Abroad.aspx