Outcomes of a Global Leadership Certificate Program in Japan

• In Event: Leadership Education for a Global World: Expanding Students' International Capacity

Short Description

This presenter will examine how undergraduate students develop their global leadership through an on-campus certificate program at a Japanese University. Using Morais & Odgen’s (2011) Global Citizenship Scale, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews, this study will identify the factors influencing students' global citizenship development through a leadership program.

Detailed Abstract

This presentation is a case study of the internationalization process of higher education institutions in Japan. Specifically, this study focuses on a university Global Leader (GL) program which was launched in 2013 in order to promote students’global citizenship.

In the past few decades, universities and colleges worldwide are also exposed to the pressure of adapting to new conditions associated with the globalization of societies, economy and labor markets (Killick, 2006, 5; van der Wende, 1997, 19), as “the relationship between internationalization in higher education and globalization is complex and unpredictable (Leask & Bridge, 2013, 80).” Reflecting this situation, a number of higher education institutions are recognizing the importance of increasing the number of ‘global-ready graduates’ (Bennett, 2004, 2009; Deardorff, 2006, 2009; de Wit, 2010; Knight 2008; Leask, 2015; Ota, 2012). Amongst the feature of ‘global-ready graduates’, global citizenship has become recognized as an important outcome of student learning along with disciplinary knowledge through traditional curriculum (Rumbley, Altbach, & Reisberg, 2012). Universities need not only to develop students intellectually, but also to educate and equip them with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will help them become engaged citizens, active members of society, and furthermore, participants in a global community (Braskamp, Braskamp, & Merrill, 2009; Musil, 2006; Rizvi & Lingard, 2010). In order for students to develop their level of competences and tolerances to be able to live and work in a globalized society, universities need to provide adequate global learning opportunities (Hovland, 2005) to encourage students to understand, appreciate, and articulate the relationship with other countries and cultures (de Wit, 2009, p.96).

Although increasing number of universities are taking initiative for creating programs to develop students’ global citizenship, only limited number of them are indeed assessing the outcomes of students’ learning, and Japan is not an exception. In Japan, the internationalization of higher education institutions has been promoted by top-down approaches (from government to students through universities), and ‘student voices’ are often not reflected. Nevertheless, student voice is an essential component in order to adjust and improve the programs. Therefore, this study will focus on how global leadership program which mainly offered on-campus have been promoting level of students’ global citizenship by reflecting student voice.

Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the personal and program factors influencing the level of global citizenship of participants in the Global Leadership Program for undergraduates at the university.
The following research questions will guide this study:
1. To what extent did the participants develop the level of global citizenship through the program?
2. What personal factors are associated with the program participants’ level of global citizenship?
To what extent is undergraduate students’ (participation in the global leader program/exposure to intercultural setting/ prior international experiences/ English level/ major) related to their level of global citizenship?
3. To what extent did the program factors influence the level of global citizenship of the participants?

Traditionally, it is said that study abroad is the most popular way to develop global citizenship (Dolby, 2008; Williams, 2005). However, study abroad programs may not be accessible or affordable opportunities for all students. Therefore, some Japanese colleges and universities have been paying attention to developed ways to internationalize their campuses through ‘Internationalization at Home’ (IaH) (Mestenhauser, 2003; Nilsson, 1990, 2000). It is thus extremely important to assess whether these classes and activities as parts of IaH are promoting students’ development of competencies necessary to thrive in an increasingly globalized world. However, these efforts and the related studies so far tend to focus mainly on student mobility and how they develop their global citizenship, however, students who have engaged in intercultural experiences at their home universities were not given much attention in term of assessment (Jon, 2013). Assessment of the impacts of IaH on campus communities and students’ outcomes provides important information for decision makers to contribute to strategic goals of their institutions.

Employing mixed method study, this study will examine numerous ways in which undergraduate participants develop global citizenship by engaging in a variety of formal and informal activities on campus and abroad through this program. Using Multidimensional Citizenship Model (Cogan & Kubow,1997; Cogan & Grossman, 2012) to assess the development of students’ global citizenship, this study will be a meaningful endeavor from both theoretical and practical perspectives as well as development of students’ global citizenship. This study includes quantitative measures from 1) survey questionnaires targeted to the participants in GL program; 2) assessments using the Global Citizenship Scale (GCS); and 3) qualitative data obtained from in-depth interviews with participants who were certified as global leaders through the program.

It is already known from the presenter’s past experience that students are actually developing their self-efficacy and motivation through the program. Also, comparing with non-participants of the program, program participants are more active in engaging in study abroad, and more open to leadership opportunities. This study will contribute to the leadership education in a way that how universities can nurture global leaders through on-campus curriculum.

Participant

• Mina Mizumatsu, Tohoku University