Overseas Fieldwork & Cultural Exchanges in HE: Student Support & Safety
A collaborative event between LTSN Geography, Earth and Environmental
Sciences (GEES) and LTSN Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
(in association with the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of
British Geographers)
A National Conference Wednesday 28th January 2004, RGS-IBG, London
Contents
Why is this event important?
One of the most appealing features of degree programmes for undergraduates in many disciplines is the opportunity to undertake overseas fieldwork or some form of residential cultural exchange. Travelling to far-away places and interacting with new people provides an invaluable student learning experience. However, planning fieldwork and exchange programmes requires a considerable amount of time and effort. How will you identify a suitable fieldwork or exchange location? What is the best way to prepare students before they travel? How will you deal with student health & safety and accessibility issues? What form of academic and personal support will students need whilst overseas and on returning to their UK institution?
These are some of the questions that need to be considered by academics running overseas fieldwork or exchange visits in all subjects. This conference provides a unique opportunity for practitioners from a variety of disciplines to network and collaborate on issues relating to the running of overseas field programmes and cultural exchanges. If you've ever wondered how other disciplines support overseas fieldwork and exchange programmes, this is your chance to learn from their experience!
Specifically, this event aims to:
- Bring together academics involved in HE overseas fieldwork and cultural exchanges from a variety of disciplines in order to share expertise, exchange ideas and good practice;
- Raise awareness of the inter-disciplinary support needs of students on degree programmes with overseas fieldwork and/or cultural exchange components;
- Provide opportunities to discuss the academic and the logistical and safety issues of designing and running overseas fieldwork and/or cultural exchanges;
- Identify the guidance needs of academic colleagues;
- Assist in furthering the work of the LTSN Area Studies Network
We hope that delegates will also be able to benefit from a range of materials (case studies, teaching materials etc.) that represent good practice in learning & teaching of overseas fieldwork and cultural exchange programmes.
Programme
10:00 -10:30 Registration and Coffee
10:30 -10:35 Welcome and introduction to the day - Professor Brian Chalkley, Director, LTSN-GEES
10:35 -11:15 Keynote: the changing
role of student support during overseas fieldwork and cultural exchanges
(PowerPoint file size 4 Mb) - (Dr Uwem Ite, Department of Geography, University
of Lancaster)
11:15 -12:15 Disciplinary perspectives on student academic
& personal support during overseas cultural exchanges:
- Residence Abroad - Dr Andrea Reiter, Division of Modern Languages, University of Southampton (20 min)
- Netherlands Field Course: Multi-Assessment Strategies from a Shared Field Course Experience (PowerPoint file size 24 Mb) - Dr Simon Jones, School of Applied Sciences, University of Glamorgan (20 min)
12:15 - 12:45 Keynote: International Office perspectives of cultural exchange programmes - (Eve Leung, International Students Advisor, University of Greenwich)
12:45 - 1:45 Lunch
1:45-2:30 Presentation: Student safety during overseas fieldwork and residential cultural exchanges (PowerPoint file size 6 Mb) - (Mrs Shane Winser, Expeditions Advisory Centre, Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers)
2:30-3:30 Workshop: Student safety during overseas fieldwork and cultural exchanges (PowerPoint file size 1 Mb) - scenarios and actions - (Dr David Nash, School of the Environment, University of Brighton)
3:30-4:00 Plenary - Q&A session - (Chairs: Dr Uwen Ite, Department of Geography, University of Lancaster and Dr David Nash, School of the Environment, University of Brighton)
- What are the key issues surrounding student support and safety during overseas fieldwork and cultural exchanges?
- What do we now need to do?
- What resources are available?
- How can your particular Subject Centre help?
4:00 Close, tea and depart