Cardiff Met has become the first university to be presented with the International Association of Universities (IAU)'s Comprehensive Internationalisation Badge during a partner conference held on campus last week.
The badge is the Association's highest accolade and was the pinnacle of a successful event arranged by the International Partnership Office which focussed on 'Innovate, Integrate, Motivate – Forging Partnership Excellence.'
Partner delegates had expressed an interest in engaging with other partners during previous conferences and workshops and presentations for the 35 delegates included Simon Baker, Data Editor, Times Higher Education, acknowledging the importance of University World Rankings and institutional accounts of the obstacles and difficulties surrounding the delivery of transnational education by Cardiff Met partners ICBT (International College of Business and Technology, Sri Lanka) and Gulf College.
Delegates travelled from Bulgaria; Morocco; Lebanon; Egypt; Sri Lanka; India; Vietnam; Nepal; Oman and Singapore for the conference.
Student Union President Ieuan Gardiner presented on how Cardiff Met celebrates diversity among students while the keynote address was given by Uniquest's Jenni Parsons on 'The Power of Engagement' and facilitating student recruitment and retention.
Vietnam's National Economics University (NEU) - a new Cardiff Met partner - spoke about a recent British Council funded Cardiff Met collaboration with Quality Assurance.
To conclude the conference, Alison Johns, CEO, Advance HE revisited the theme of diversity with the aim of creating an Effective Partner Charter.
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff Chair of the Board of Governors at Cardiff Met, said: 'We are absolutely delighted with this award. It recognises our deep commitment to internationalisation and diversity across all activities of this University. We value our close links and shared values with our international partners whose students, with ours, will shape the world of the future for the good of mankind."
In order to qualify for the Comprehensive Internationalisation Badge, a panel from IAU previously assessed the University across 15 criteria, including its strategy, the support provided to international students at home and abroad, its work to internationalise the curriculum and research activities, and its efforts to support social cohesion around the world.
The acknowledgement in one of several accolades received by the University for its exemplary impact on global social cohesion and followed a university-wide self-evaluation and panel visit in 2017.
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