Defining Your Strengths

An unexpected but important benefit of international partnerships is that they present an opportunity to know your own institution better – to reflect on the strengths and resources that you brings to such linkages. Discussions with potential partners are more effective if you are prepared to clearly articulate each of the following concerning your college or university.

• Institutional mission and how it is put into action
• Institutional history, especially as it relates to international engagement
• The institution’s international goals and how partnerships fit into these
• The institution’s partnership goals and the infrastructure you have for supporting partnerships
• The size, composition, educational, and career goals of the student body, with particular attention to their interest and ability to pursue international learning and overseas study
• The curriculum and degrees offered, including which programs might be relevant to a potential partnership
• Institutional research profile, also including which programs might be relevant to a potential partnership
• Institutional involvement in new pedagogies, service learning, internships, and similar experiences for students
• Institutional partnership history, with special attention to those that have worked well
• Institutional capacity to receive partner students and provide them with a meaningful experience
• Institutional capacity to enhance the second-language skills of incoming students (or provide courses to them in their own language)

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