International Faculty in East Asian Higher Education: Theory and Reality

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

As the global demand for academic work has continued to grow and academic labor markets in much of the Anglosphere tighten, more scholars today are attempting to advance their careers abroad (de Wit & Altbach, 2021; Welch & Huang, 2021; Wilkins & Neri, 2019). East Asia is a major destination for these international faculty. While some of these academics are drawing critical attention to distinctions between higher education cultures at home and overseas, there has been little in-depth analysis of their experiences as foreign scholars operating in East Asia’s shifting academic contexts throughout East Asia, and how those experiences contrast with existing theory on higher education in the Anglosphere. In an effort to analyze the challenges that pervade the academic work of scholars currently or formerly serving as long-term faculty abroad, this book draws on existing theoretical and conceptual frameworks around higher education, faculty studies, and international academic mobility. The text is designed to provide new understandings of (1) the experience of mobility among international faculty, (2) the ways in which faculty acclimate to, re-shape, and are re-shaped by new local contexts, and (3) how theoretical scholarship can shift to better reflect the practical realities of faculty work abroad.

Internationalization in higher education can transform institutions by introducing individuals from new cultures that challenge and enrich administrative and academic life. Internationalization is “the intentional process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions and delivery of post-secondary education, in order to enhance the quality of education and research for all students and to make a meaningful contribution to society” (de Wit et al. 2015, 29). The cogenerative, multi-sited research reported in this book is framed by professors’ past, current, and future explorations of their academic practice in internationalizing higher education institutions in East Asia. Authors explore their experiences through the lenses of Otten’s (2009) framework for internationalization, Chen’s (2022) typology of international faculty integration, Cavazos Montemayorr et al.’s (2020) elements of faculty professional identity, Pinto’s (2018) conceptual framework for intercultural competence in higher education, a conceptual framework adapted from Anzaldúa’s (1987) exploration of borderlands–a territory ready for sociocultural, psychological, and historical analysis, and others. Through our application of these lenses, we intend to contrast existing theory with their lived experiences of international faculty members in East Asia. This research will shed light on how more localized, contextually relevant, and individualized approaches to international faculty mobility could help institutions and individuals in cross cultural contexts. The work will provide insight into the realities of international higher education in East Asia and offer feedback on theory in a way that actively considers cultural identities, life stories, and experiences of international faculty navigating the culture and practices of their host institutions as sources of knowledge.

Further, we argue that working as a short-term or long-term faculty abroad is an important step to doing critical, analytical work that allows one’s active consideration of their relationship to their original academic context in a new light. Entering these new contexts with a growth mindset allows thinking to evolve relative to old borders, self imposed or otherwise, and new borders that are created. When one steps away from the center of what is known and operates at a point of tangency between what one knows and what others know, they can gain a new perspective on both worldviews and practices. This work aims to spur growth and challenge traditional views of higher education theory in home and host contexts by sharing the new, critical perspectives of individuals who have experienced international faculty work in East Asia.

The panel presentation begins by introducing the notion of internationalization in East higher education, the role of faculty members as a catalyst of this process, and the tensions that can emerge as a result of cultural change and conflict at the borderlands between higher education institutions at home and abroad. The presentation will then offer confessional tales of the editors' and contributors' shared academic experiences at home and abroad and will highlight the need for further insight at each of the stages addressed in the chapter proposals for the book. An overview of the methods employed for each chapter will explain how key research related to international faculty mobility and relevant theoretical frameworks are applied to the ethnographic evidence drawn from all the authors’ experiences. An overview of participating chapter authors present will be shared to help the audience understand how these themes fit together and provide a sketch of the state of faculty work in East Asia. The panel presentation will also include an overview of relevant international faculty mobility literature.

Our book and panel presentation is targeted towards policymakers, scholars, and administrators with experience or interest in East Asian higher education. We specifically target those individuals doing work related to higher education, human migration, human geography, and internationalization. With the current demographic and market pressures on higher education in East Asia, we believe that the number of these individuals will continue to increase. Our presentation will provide insight into the experiences of international faculty within this diverse region and academic climate as they compare to established and emerging conceptual frameworks related to academic mobility.

Sub Unit

• East Asia SIG

Chairs

• Jonathan Damiani, Le Moyne College

• Peter G Ghazarian, SUNY Oswego

Individual Presentations

• “I’m not a language teacher”: Considering the complexities of teaching and learning in higher education English-medium instruction courses - Thatcher A. Spero, Waseda University

• Navigating the shifting terrain in US-China educational programs - Adam Jones, CET Academic Programs

• Constructing an Experimental Academic Life Abroad: Destination Choice and Expectation Management - Jonathan Damiani, Le Moyne College

• Developing an intercultural pedagogy, curriculum, and research agenda: International faculty experiences in Korea - Peter G Ghazarian, SUNY Oswego

Discussant

• Yuriko Sato, The University of Wisconsin-Madison