Western University starts new international strategy to drive worldwide impact
Western is launching a new global engagement strategy to guide its efforts to drive positive change around the world.
The internationalization plan, called Western in the World, seeks to increase Western’s international reach and research through reciprocal partnerships around the world that build on Western’s areas of expertise, strengthen recruitment of and supports for international students, and enhance global learning opportunities. The plan was approved by Western’s Board of Governors on June 29. It will guide the university’s global strategy until 2030.
“We want Western to be known increasingly as a university that contributes to solving the grand challenges of our time, from climate change and poverty to social inequity and global health. In an increasingly interconnected world, we have greater opportunity than ever to connect minds, share resources and create collaborative spaces to address these challenges,” said Florentine Strzelczyk, provost and vice-president (academic).
“Western in the World will advance the ambitious goals outlined in our strategic plan, Towards Western at 150. It will help us transform our global engagement efforts towards a more sustainable, just and inclusive society.”
The global engagement plan outlines two missions:
educate global citizens by preparing students, staff and faculty for success and impact around the world; and
share Western’s strengths through international research and partnerships, all while learning from partners with different cultures or perspectives.
There are four regions of emphasis identified in the new strategy: Asia-Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa. Outreach and recruitment will build on the strong connections Western has already established in these regions, some of which have existed for many years.
A six-month consultation period preceded the launch of Western in the World. More than 800 students, staff, faculty, alumni, community members and global partners shared feedback that informed the plan. The steering committee leading its development was co-chaired by Strzelczyk and Bryan Neff, acting vice-president (research).
The plan is anchored in four themes.
Expand Western’s global range
The global engagement plan highlights Western’s intent to harness its expertise and commit to collaborating and sharing knowledge on the global stage.
Western is currently ranked among the world’s best universities; connections with other institutions and alumni across the world will play a significant role in expanding its range and recruitment internationally.
The university is seeking more “mutually beneficial and aligned partnerships” in those new regions of emphasis.
Western already boasts global connections that fit the bill, including a significant partnership with Radboud University in the Netherlands. That relationship includes undergraduate exchanges and semester abroad programs, a joint research fund and collaboration between researchers in the Western Institute for Neuroscience with Radboud’s Donders Institute.
Western Heads East is another example of reciprocal global engagement and learning, where Western students, faculty and staff work with community partners in Africa to support health and development. The program has provided more than 160 student internships, resulted in 110 research publications, and distributes probiotic food to more than 280,000 people.
Champion global citizenship
“(Western) will create a more dynamic global campus that embraces diverse cultural norms and values and thrives by incorporating multiple perspectives into how we teach, learn and research. A community rich in cultural diversity will enable the scientists, artists and entrepreneurs of tomorrow to drive social change,” according to the global engagement plan.
The plan includes goals to increase undergraduate student enrolment to 20 per cent over the next five to seven years and provide enhanced support for all international students including easy-to-navigate admissions processes, bursaries and transition grants for those newly arriving to Canada. It also highlights enhanced tools and intercultural training for staff and prioritizes collaborating with the London community to create a welcoming and supportive environment.
Championing global citizenship also means fostering quality education that is rich in intercultural and immersive learning, research and community engagement opportunities
Among other key initiatives, Western plans to:
-Create technology-enabled and blended global classrooms to increase access to cross-cultural learning
-Internationalize the curriculum by integrating intercultural and Indigenous knowledge
-Expand work, research and learning opportunities abroad as well as virtual options for international learning
– Increase funding for low-income students, Indigenous students, or other equity-deserving groups to enable wider participation in international experiences
Amplify Western’s global research impact
What do climate change, food security, pandemic preparedness and racial inequities have in common? It will take worldwide collaboration to solve them. Western wants to be at the forefront of innovation and transformative research that addresses the biggest challenges of our time by being a key partner in the “international research ecosystem.”
The university plans to join new research collaborations, leverage international grants and help with capacity-building training and research in areas where it’s needed, as aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Creating two or more “Global Research Coalitions,” which would include at least two partners from regions outside Canada to study areas that align with Western’s strengths, is another target.
Western Research Parks, which acts as a catalyst to bring research ideas to the marketplace, sets a strong foundation for this work. It currently houses 106 innovative companies. With three locations in London and Sarnia, Western Research Parks aim to attract two international research organizations, or private entities, to the Research Parks over the next five years.
Enable Western’s capacity for global success
Successfully achieving the goals laid out in Western in the World will require strategic investments in the right people, technology, and resources to advance global engagement. Western International will play a significant role in fulfilling and supporting the goals of the plan, led by incoming vice-provost (international) Lily Cho who arrives at Western next month. But equally important, the entire Western community is called on to act on the plan’s objectives and integrate a more globally engaged approach into their teaching, research, and learning. Some of the objectives include:
offering new grants for international partnerships
supporting new global engagement activities and missions.
developing dashboards to track and analyze global activities and partnership outcomes of Western in the World.
Highlighting Western students and scholars as leaders on the world stage is another key goal. It may include increased participation in signature global events, trade missions and hosting more international meetings or conferences, among other measures.
Western plans to create a Global Engagement Working Group to bring together key stakeholders on global engagement opportunities on campus and around the world.