Tom Hinch is making international connections to enrich the student experience and to lead the way in developing opportunities for faculty to research and work abroad.
Maybe Walt Disney had it right: it's a small world after all. If Tom Hinch has anything to say about it, it'll also be a gold mine of new and different opportunities to enable students and faculty to reap the benefits of studying, working and/or researching abroad.
Consequently students in the Faculty could soon find themselves able to take 3-4 week course in mountain studies in Austria, or a recreation and sport as culture class in China. These are just some new additions to the big plans Tom Hinch has for creating and growing an ever-richer experience for students as they work through their degrees.
Through faculty-led exchanges, study abroad courses and other options, students currently have opportunities in New Zealand, Norway, Thailand, Cambodia and England through arrangements with partnering universities abroad, in addition to those offered by University of Alberta International.
Now in his second term in the community and international engagement role, Hinch's goal is to make international opportunities more plentiful and affordable for all students, and to increase their scope and variety. "I'd also like to increase student funding support substantially. At present we're looking at developing some awards for incoming students that would be sponsored by the faculty for undergraduate international students and student-athletes enrolling in our faculty," he says.
To build the necessary ties to other universities, there's only so much you can do from your office, offers Hinch, regardless of the technology that brings people two continents and times zones away right into the room. So he travels and hosts - a lot.
"You can do pretty innovative things with Skype and video conferencing," says Hinch, who has travelled to China, Thailand, Norway, the UK and Chile over the past four years, "But to me, where the impact actually occurs is when you are face-to-face. You develop rapport and friendships, and that helps to build the long-term vision. To me, building friendships with international colleagues is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do."
With his efforts having produced some solid results, Hinch's strategic plan for the community and international engagement portfolio also includes increased opportunities for international exchanges for faculty and attracting more visiting scholars as well.
"I would like to facilitate and increase the number of short and long-term visitors to the faculty," says Hinch, "and to build a culture of appreciation of having a visiting professor here and working with them because visiting scholars bring a different perspective; they see things from a different angle and that's valuable.
"I also see opportunities for greater interaction with colleagues in partner institutions. The Norwegian School of Sport Science is one where I think there is a lot of potential in terms of the breadth of research and curricular interests that match much of what we do in the faculty."
Clearly, Hinch's efforts have been paying off. Last year the faculty hosted 18 visiting scholars including three visiting delegations and several independent visitors. We've also had contingents of visiting students from Norway and New Zealand and over a dozen of our own students traveling to Thailand and Cambodia as part of our Play Around the World program. Hinch would love to see more.
He says any exposure students have to overseas study both broadens their world perspectives and enhances their confidence and resilience. "We've found that, increasingly, the evidence of living, working and studying abroad are seen as key pre-requisites for successfully launching and building a professional career," he says.
With plans to increase funds for students to experience the world through study, "I'd also like to formalize a 'top-up' program to encourage our faculty members to visit our partner institutions with whom we have memoranda of understanding, including the University of Otago, the Norwegian School of Sport Science, Beijing Sport University, Shanghai University of Sport and two universities in Thailand," says Hinch.
To progress these plans, Hinch is setting up an advisory group of interested academics, staff and units across the faculty, harnessing different perspectives to ensure planned opportunities meet the faculty's goals for international engagement
"To me, the quality of the student experience will be one of the fundamental ways that I'll assess how successful I've been in this position," says Hinch. "I want to ensure they have the best international experience we can deliver, then to mine their expertise so other students can learn from their perspectives, possibly through a special topics course."
Looking to the future, Hinch is imagining ways to use technology to bring lecturers abroad into the classroom in Canada via video-conferencing and webinars. Another program may bring former high performance athletes from China to the University to help them prepare for careers outside of athletics.
To Hinch these are all part of building innovative ways to expand the faculty's international horizons, and he's tackling them with vim. "We're just beginning to explore the magnitude and feasibility of our plans," he says.
To Dean Kerry Mummery, an international focus is a win-win for all. "The faculty has much to offer, and much to gain on the international front," he says. "We look forward to giving students, faculty and staff a view to the world - either by travelling abroad or sitting in a classroom with one of our international guests."