GLOBAL INSTINCT

GLOBAL INSTINCT
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY 2016–2020
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CONTENTS
4 Global instinct
6 Values
8 Changing the game
12 Global people
22 Global network
30 Student focus

WE HAVE A
GLOBAL INSTINCT
INTERNATIONAL:
De Montfort University’s (DMU’s) strong reputation, distinctive personality and real
achievements have given us the poise and confidence to widen the sweep of our global
reach. It’s our natural next move, and a logical expression of the university’s duty to use
knowledge, skills and connections to benefit every life it touches.
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OUR SECOND NATURE
OUR SECOND
LANGUAGE
#DMUglobal has changed forever the biochemistry of
the DMU community. The International is in our collective
bloodstream; ‘Where next?’ is always the next question.
Here we’ll explore the next how and what and why, too: our
increased global ambition for our teaching, learning, research
and student experience; how that will harness our signature
creativity and innovation; how we’ll build on our tenets of
excellence, diversity and collaboration. The hand we extend
will continue to carry DMU to the world, and bring the world’s
thinkers and makers into our community, for the good of all.
We aim to change our global profile so all points of interest,
and possibility, can be seen from where we are, and so we
become a vivid presence on the horizon of others.
Nowhere should lie beyond our signal strength, and those
we want to work with will be able to enter into the DMU
community through doorways, real and virtual, way beyond
the sphere of campus.
We will see the world through fresh eyes and secure a global
future for our students, staff and the university. By 2020,
DMU will be the definition of a 21st century global university.
James Gardner
Pro Vice-Chancellor
Strategic and International Partnerships
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INGRAINING OUR VALUES, BUILDING
A HIGHER AND WIDER #DMUglobal
Our global ethos is founded on excellence: we engage in high-quality and sustainable
international activities; on diversity: we embrace our diversity and promote intercultural
understanding; on collaboration: we collaborate to realise our ambitions; on global citizenship:
we demonstrate a positive impact on global communities; on creativity: we adopt bold,
innovative approaches to thinking globally.
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The introduction of #DMUglobal, the university’s pioneering
international experience programme, has added a new
dimension to teaching, living and learning at DMU.
Devised in response to the UK Government’s challenge to UK
universities to send more British students overseas as part of
their studies, #DMUglobal has defied conventional practice in
the sector and enabled widespread international experience.
Since its launch in 2014, more than 3,000 DMU students have
gained international experience as part of their studies, taking
up opportunities in more than 60 countries including Brazil,
India, China and the USA. After little more than 12 months,
#DMUglobal is now one of the largest mobility schemes of its
kind in any UK university.
The phenomenal success of #DMUglobal can be attributed
to the creative, dynamic and innovative approach adopted by
DMU students and staff from across the university in order
to meet an ambitious challenge: to send 50 per cent of our
students overseas as part of their studies during the next five
years. The introduction of #DMUglobal has set DMU on a
trajectory to become a 21st century global university.
Building on the success of #DMUglobal by expanding its
impact across our teaching, learning, research and student
experience is the major emphasis of this strategy. By applying
the same creative and innovative approaches which have
come to characterise #DMUglobal we will transform our
global profile and become a truly global university.
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VALUES

CHANGING
1. GLOBAL PEOPLE
Learning
Thinking globally, we will embed international experiences at
every level in all of our teaching, learning and experiences.
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THE GAME
Language
We will connect cultures by making language and cultural
learning available to all staff and students, and offer flexible
models of pre-sessional and in-sessional English.
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#DMUglobal was a textbook game-changer: an idea driving a significant shift in
the way things are done. Because we are DMU, we want to do that again, with
fresh focus on newly evolved themes.
Movement
We will introduce flexibility within our programme structures
to enable single-term, credit-bearing mobility and allow wider
access to DMU at intake points throughout the year.
We will shape our programmes to support international
mobility for all and launch a comprehensive development
and mobility programme, Global Envoys.
Technology
We will employ leading technologies to create a
virtual campus which enables global collaboration
and connectivity.

2. A GLOBAL NETWORK
3. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Partnerships and
global footprint
We will develop innovative transnational education
(TNE) partnerships in key countries to make DMU
a truly global university.
Research
We will create a pump-prime funding mechanism
to support our researchers to establish global
research networks.
Recruitment
We will introduce a World Standard – a groundbreaking
package of promises and pledges – to
revolutionise our international student experience and
make DMU a leading choice for international students.
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Showcasing
Working with high-profile global partners and alumni
to promote DMU, we will showcase at major global
events such as the UK Government’s GREAT
Festivals of Creativity.
Engagement
We will establish a prestigious global student award,
The Home Planet Prize, to recognise students who
gain international experience.
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GAME CHANGERS

GLOBAL
12
PEOPLE:
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OUR VISION
Our staff and students want to make a positive contribution in communities
around the world. We will nurture a teaching environment which supports an
international outlook and give our staff and students access to language and
cultural learning. We will shape our programmes to enable diverse student
mobility opportunities and ensure our staff are also given the chance of
international experience. In order to foster benefits on our campus, we will
use the latest technologies to create a virtual campus connecting us to an
interchange with the world.

LEARNING: GLOBAL LEARNING, TEACHING
AND THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
We enable global learning within the curricula by embedding overseas and UK-based
international experiences at every level in all our academic programmes.
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We encourage a global outlook in all our teaching,
including case studies, when demonstrating real-life
scenarios, and when giving examples of
industry-based applications.
We ensure our students are prepared for the global
workplace by integrating global competencies into our
learning and supporting international work experience. We
enhance the rich diversity already at DMU by enabling
platforms for intercultural learning between staff, students
and our local communities.
Key Performance Targets
··
Proportion of students
who have #DMUglobal
experience
Key Performance Indicators
· · Number of participants in
overseas and on UK-based
#DMUglobal international
experiences
· · Number of programmes
with an integrated
#DMUglobal international
experience
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We equip our academics and professional staff with the skills
and understanding necessary to teach and support a broad
and diverse international student body.
LEARNING

LANGUAGE: CONNECTING STAFF
AND STUDENTS TO LANGUAGE AND
CULTURAL LEARNING
We encourage our students, academics and professional staff to develop the language and
cultural capabilities necessary to succeed in a global environment.
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We offer relevant, flexible and innovative models of
language and cultural learning and make them available
to all students and staff.
We provide first-class English language learning which
prepares international students for studying in the UK
and measurably improves their English competency during
their studies.
We embed credit-bearing foreign language learning
to encourage a wider participation in and deeper
understanding of languages.
Key Performance Targets
··
Improved National Student
Survey (NSS) feedback
scores from home and
international students
Key Performance Indicators
· · Number of staff completing
language and cultural
learning modules
· · Number of students
completing language
learning modules
· · Number of international
students taking in-sessional
English language lessons
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LANGUAGE

MOVEMENT: SHAPING OUR
PROGRAMMES TO SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY FOR ALL
We introduce flexibility within our programme structures, and add additional intake points,
to boost credit bearing student mobility.
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We offer the most extensive student mobility programme
of any university in the UK by investing significantly in
#DMUglobal and increasing the scale, diversity and quality of
international opportunities available to students.
We encourage students and staff to make a positive impact
on global communities by volunteering their time and
expertise to assist international development projects.
Key Performance Targets
··
Proportion of students
undertaking credit bearing
mobility experiences
Key Performance Indicators
··
Number and effectiveness
of mobility partnerships
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We provide professional and academic staff with
developmental international experiences through a new
Global Envoys professional development programme.
MOVEMENT

TECHNOLOGY: ADOPTING THE LATEST
TECHNOLOGIES TO FACILITATE A
VIRTUAL CAMPUS
We equip our staff and students with digital literacy skills vital in a global environment. We employ
online learning technologies to support and enhance our global learning and partnerships.
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We construct a technology infrastructure which enables
effective collaboration across physical boundaries,
reducing the environmental impact of international travel.
We exploit web technologies to enhance our overseas
marketing and communications. We use learning
technologies to support the embedding of an international
experience into our curricula.
Key Performance Targets
··
Income derived from
international recruitment
and partnerships
Key Performance Indicators
· · International student
traffic and number of
web enquiries through
DMU website
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TECHNOLOGY

GLOBAL
NETWORK:
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OUR VISION
To create a global network which enriches the university, we will continue
to foster international partnerships, facilitating new opportunities and
exchanges. We will evolve global networks which allow us to diversify our
activity in countries across the world. Together with high-profile global
partners and alumni, we will showcase our university on the international
stage, through prestigious events, communication and promotion.
Supporting top quality global research, we will prepare the university to
compete in world league tables.

PARTNERSHIPS: BUILDING GLOBAL
PARTNERS AND CENTRES PROMOTING
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
We reach all corners of the globe, establishing a truly global network which enables us to quickly
identify opportunities through local knowledge and insight.
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We work with partners who are leaders in their
sectors across all areas of teaching, research and
knowledge transfer.
We forge innovative models of transnational education
(TNE) partnerships which raise our profile and provide
progression pathways for students to study DMU
programmes in the UK.
Key Performance Targets
··
Income derived from
international partnerships
Key Performance Indicators
· · Number, value and
country diversity of
international partnerships
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We continue to build on our existing strategic
partnerships with international organisations from
which we derive benefit and added value that further
our strategic objectives.
We allocate the time necessary for our staff to develop
and nurture international partnerships and we reward
and recognise staff achievements.
PARTNERSHIPS

SHOWCASING: WORKING WITH
HIGH-PROFILE PARTNERS AND
ALUMNI TO PROMOTE DMU
We showcase DMU overseas by hosting and partnering on high-profile international events, such
as the UK Government’s GREAT Festivals of Creativity.
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We stay connected with our international friends and
alumni, our global champions, and work in partnership with
them to raise the international profile of DMU.
We have a dynamic and innovative international
marketing and communications strategy which provides
a framework for promoting and publicising the university in
a diverse range of international cultures and environments.
We attract staff with an international reputation in their
field. These staff are our champions for international activity.
Key Performance Targets
··
Income derived from
international partnerships
Key Performance Indicators
· · Number of international
friends and alumni
supporting DMU activity
and events
· · International media
coverage AVE (advertising
value equivalent) from
DMU events
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SHOWCASING

RESEARCH: NURTURING TOP QUALITY
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH
We encourage our researchers to build international networks and collaborate with
overseas partners. We promote our research strengths to identify opportunities for
international research collaboration.
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We develop a strong international research base which will
put us on a trajectory to improve research performance
in recognised international university league tables.
We attract and develop internationally recognised
researchers and recruit high-quality research students to
work under their supervision.
Key Performance Targets
··
Position of research
performance in recognised
international university
league tables
··
Number of international
research students
Key Performance Indicators
· · Internationally co-authored
papers/citations
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RESEARCH

STUDENT
FOCUS:
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OUR VISION
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To build on our diversity, we will attract and welcome top students from
a greater number of countries across the world. We will provide them with
an unrivalled journey: from our initial contact, through to their graduation
and beyond.
Students will enjoy the added benefits of taking part in pioneering
programmes including #DMUglobal and #DMUlocal’s award-winning Square
Mile programme – our ground-breaking public outreach programme which
draws upon academic expertise to benefit the local community. We will
engage our students in taking forward our global outlook on campus, as
part of our DMU family.

RECRUITMENT: BECOMING THE BEST
AT ATTRACTING TOP STUDENTS FROM
AROUND THE WORLD
We substantially increase the number of international students and the geographic
and cultural spread of their countries of origin to create a diverse and creative learning
environment for all our students.
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We embed outstanding, personalised and responsive
services. We implement the ‘World Standard’ – a package
of ground-breaking promises and pledges – to make DMU
a leading destination for international students.
We build a deep understanding about our international
markets and analyse market data to identify trends and
respond to demand. We review our academic portfolio to
ensure it is relevant, distinctive and innovative.
We work in close partnership with Leicester International
Pathway College to promote, enhance and embed high-quality
pathway provision.
Key Performance Targets
··
Proportion of income
that is derived from
international activities
Key Performance Indicators
· · Number of international
students
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We build strong and dynamic relationships with
educational agents and partners which enable us to
attract more of the best students from a diverse range of
countries. We adopt flexible and sustainable approaches
which minimise the risks associated with the changing
geopolitical landscape.
RECRUITMENT

ENGAGEMENT: ENCOURAGING
STUDENTS TO TAKE FORWARD
OUR GLOBAL OUTLOOK
We value the contribution our diverse international students bring to teaching, living and
learning at DMU. Our staff and students have the expert knowledge and skills required to
help students adapt to life in the UK.
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We empower our students to create platforms for
intercultural learning and peer-to-peer support. We
invest in the facilities and services required to
support a global campus.
We ingrain global competencies by facilitating
diverse international events, programmes and activities
on campus. We recognise and reward student
participation through the Home Planet Prize.
Key Performance Targets
··
National Student
Survey (NSS) feedback
scores from home and
international students
Key Performance Indicators
· · Number of international
events, programmes and
activities on-campus
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ENGAGEMENT

De Montfort University
The Gateway
Leicester
LE1 9BH, UK
T: +44 (0)116 255 1551
W: dmu.ac.uk