Case Study 7: International Technical Assistance and Training - Griffith University
Griffith University was established in 1971 as the second university in Brisbane and, following amalgamations with several former colleges of advanced education, now has campuses at six locations in Queensland, the main campus being at Nathan in Brisbane. It has an enrolment of 18,000 with nearly 1,400 international students (7.6%). The University comprises the Faculties of Asian and International Studies, Commerce and Administration, Education, Environmental Sciences, Humanities, Law, Science and Technology, Business and Hotel Management, Arts, Engineering and Applied Science and Nursing and Health Sciences. The Graduate School of Management, the Queensland College of Art and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music are also part of the University
The Mission of the University states:
In the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and community service, Griffith University is committed to:
innovation;
bringing disciplines together;
internationalisation;
equity and social justice; and
lifelong learning
for the enrichment of Queensland, Australia and the international community.
Griffith University was selected for a case study on internationalisation in technical assistance and training because, from the outset, internationalisation has been a core focus of the University. It has given special emphasis to a range of international activities, spearheaded by its Faculty of Asian and International Studies. One of its strengths in engaging in technical assistance and training projects has been its ability to draw on the inherent advantages described in its Mission Statement, especially its interdisciplinary structure, its emphasis on innovation and on the international dimension. In keeping with this focus the University has, from the time of its establishment, directed attention to problem solving for the region. Its activities in technical assistance and training projects are seen by the University as part of a long term process where the benefits to the region, and to the University, may not be immediately apparent but develop over time. Furthermore, involvement in these projects often stimulates and broadens the interests of academics in international activities generally.
The University has a history of innovation and, in seeking and bidding for projects, it looks for niche opportunities, usually relatively small projects ($A1 to $A10 million) with a limited geographical spread, eg. the South Pacific. Profit-making on projects is of secondary importance, the main emphasis being to perform the task well, providing extra services where appropriate and so encourage ‘repeat’ business and develop a good reputation and track record. Merit is seen in collaborative arrangements, including links with regional and New Zealand universities.
Strategy
At the organisational level, the University is well served by its Office for Research and International Projects (ORIP) which, without limiting the initiatives of individual Faculties and Schools, can assist in ensuring quick responses to requests and opportunities in organisational matters, in the provision of additional resources and in monitoring quality assurance processes, including meeting ISO standards. Faculties have a positive attitude to ORIP. The University does not have a commercial arm, the development of contracts and agreements being the responsibility of ORIP.
In addition to the culture of the University and the specific provisions in its Mission Statement, a significant contributor to the level and success of technical assistance and training programs, and to international activities generally, is the recognition of the importance of networking, partnerships, personal inter-relationships, track record, and the need for flexibility and incentives for staff engaged in and developing international projects. In several instances the reputation won by senior Griffith academics in countries in the Asia Pacific region has created favourable images about the University which in turn enhances opportunities for Griffith’s involvement in international projects.
This case study focuses on two leading project examples - Health Education in China, and Teacher Education in the South Pacific.
Planning and Evaluation - Health Education in China
Good examples of the way the culture of the University and its academic emphasis on Environmental Sciences and on Asian Studies have facilitated effective and successful technical assistance and training projects can be found in the work of the School of Environmental Sciences, in particular in Training and Development in Reproductive Health, in Workplace Health Promotion and in Public Health Education.
Health Education in China
Training and Development in Reproductive Health Research
This project aimed to develop reproductive health research capabilities in China. Funded by the Ford Foundation, and in partnership with the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) it provided a special training program at Griffith University for researchers and potential trainers from ACWF. The objectives and activities were:
Important contributing factors to the initiation and success of the project were:
Workplace Health Promotion Project in Shanghai
The forming of a collaborative partnership between Queensland’s Department of Health and Griffith University, on the one hand, and the Shanghai Public Health Bureau, on the other hand, resulted from the recognition by WHO of the training and research activities of Griffith University and Queensland Health in the field of workplace health promotion and their development of a practical training model and materials.
Facilitated by Griffith University, Queensland and Shanghai formed a unique partnership in workplace health.
The collaboration involves exchange of information and resource material, reciprocal study tours, training workshops and an international conference.
Public Health Education
Griffith University has an international reputation for its work in Public Health education. Projects, both current and proposed, have attracted the interest of funding organisations such as the Ford Foundation, WHO and AusAID.
Much of the success derives from the publication Ecological and Public Health: From Vision to Practice, co-edited and contributed to by Dr Cordia Chu and Dr Rod Simpson of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences. The publication describes an ecological public health model which combines health promotion and environmental health in its teaching and research programs.
Formal links are being forged with overseas universities, such as the Beijing Medical University, designed to build research and training capabilities in health promotion, reproductive health and ecological public health in order to address future environmental and public health needs of Chinese communities in particular and the Asia Pacific region in general.
In the case of the Workplace Health Promotion Project in Shanghai, it has built on the established reputation in China of the School of Environmental Sciences and it is important internationally because health promotion is one of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office's work priorities. The worksite is considered one of the most important settings to promote health and well-being of workers. In Shanghai, an industrial city of 13.5 million people, an important way of promoting health and preventing illness is through the worksites. The Griffith University consultant is a central figure in the WHO regional health promotion program and is the author of Guidelines for the Development of Health-promoting Workplaces.
Benefits - Health Education in China
Benefits which flow from the University's technical assistance and training strategies in the field of Health Education in China include:
Planning and Evaluation - Teacher education in the South Pacific
Griffith University’s work in technical assistance projects directed to teacher education and human resource development in the South Pacific illustrates how the experience and track record of a successful project can lead to further opportunities.
In 1992 AusAID (AIDAB at that time) funded the Fiji-Australia Teacher Education Project and engaged Griffith University as Project Manager (contract value $A4.25 million) for a three year project the primary objective of which was to establish the Fiji College of Advanced Education as an institution providing secondary teacher training, a pre-service training program for Junior Secondary Teachers, and to consolidate the in-service programs for Senior Secondary Teachers.
Griffith University was responsible for the management and implementation of the project which included over forty in-Australia training attachments and nine distance education programs.
The success of this project led to the University being awarded the Basic Education Management and Teacher Upgrading Project valued at approximately $A6 million to commence in the second half of 1996. The primary objective is, in conjunction with the Fiji Ministry of Education, to enhance teaching and learning in Fiji junior secondary schools through the strengthening of teaching, the pre-service preparation of teachers, and the strengthening of research and curriculum development in primary schools.
The University's experience in the South Pacific also led to its successful bid in 1996 for the $A1.4 million contract for the Tuvalu Education Support Project which aims to assist in the reform of the ‘Education for Life’ program. The objective is to promote general development while conserving the local culture.
Benefits - Teacher education in the South Pacific
The benefits which flow from the University's technical assistance and training strategies in the field of teacher education in the South Pacific include: