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University of the Arts London

Global Citizenship: Empowering international students by encouraging the use of cultural capital and allowing them to make up their own rules

Abstract

This paper presents a curriculum initiative that aims to encourage the ‘internationalisation’ of international student experience. This initiative, entitled the ‘Global Citizenship Project’ is used on the Cert HE. International Preparation for Fashion (IPF) course at London College of Fashion. By describing the sources and approach used by tutors on the course, the paper explores the Global Citizenship Project brief given to students in the autumn term, and how it encourages student engagement with the immediate environment and one another. It explores how the curriculum should aim towards accepting and understanding the needs of multicultural learning, empowering learners to share their own cultural capital (Bourdieu and Passeron, 1994).

 

Keywords

Inclusivity, Cultural Capital, Empowerment, Engagement, Internationalisation, Multiple Perspectives

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Author Biography

Suzanne Rankin-Dia

Suzanne Rankin-Dia has been working with International students at UAL since 2001 and currently leads the Academic Language and Communication pathway on the International Preparation for Fashion at LCF. She has a particular interest in implementing innovative and creative approaches into an EAP classroom and to empower International students to reach their full potential.


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