Welcome to the third B-International Newsletter!
The Project is now in its final year and so much progress has been made since our second newsletter. With travel now at full speed ahead a number of overseas trips have occurred and we take this opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved, and what is yet to come. In addition, we look at how visible B-International is across various platforms, and the impact that the project is having. Finally, we will continue to introduce you to our valued colleagues and partners working together on the B-International journey in the 'partner insight' section.
The road to internationalisation is a long but exciting one, so sit back, relax and we hope you enjoy the third edition of the B-International newsletter!
Project Progress
What has the project achieved since March 2022? Well, as you can see from the extensive list below, we have been busy:
March 2022
The second training for WP2 was held between the 29th March and 7th April on topic of High Quality Partnerships and was the first time that our Pakistani Partners each delivered a session, preparing them for the final year of delivering these sessions at their own Universities.
As Part of Global Week (29 March -01 April 2022), Cardiff Met and Partners hosted a number of Guest Lectures reaching out to staff and students across the consortium partners.
May 2022
On the 12th May 2022, LUMS officially inaugurated the B-International Centre for Internationalisation. The session commenced with opening remarks of Dr. Furrukh A. Khan, Director of the OIA, and Ms. Anna Dukes, Coordinator of the B-International Project followed by keynotes of Dr. Arshad Ahmad, LUMS Vice Chancellor, and Ms. Sabine Vermillard, Higher Education Attaché at the Embassy of France in Pakistan. The new Centre for Internalisation further consolidates LUMS position as Pakistan's premier educational institution and is an excellent step to promote the country's higher education sector across borders.
June 2022
Between the 21st and 23rd June, the first in person meeting was held in Islamabad! More details and photos can be found below in the dedicated section below.
July 2022
The second overseas trip saw Work Package 3 representatives travel to Salamanca between the 18 and 20 July 2022. More details can be found below and on our website.
28th July 2022- The Quality Monitoring Group met to review the progress across all work packages.
August 2022
On the 16th August 2022 LUMS held its 1st Alumni Talk live on Facebook as part of its WP4 event. The session featured two LUMS alumni who discussed their experiences of applying, preparing and studying abroad. Great event to promote internationalisation and the benefits of studying abroad. You can watch the session on Facebook here: https://fb.watch/gvoOfIYlRE/
Another WP4 event was held between the 21-27 August. The Centre for Internationalisation PIFD in collaboration with the Academic Departments hosted an exhibition titled: " Thesis Display 2022". The exhibition showcased the work of students of 7 UG departments to their communities and partners that includes local and international students, scholars, and alumni, university faculty, staff and larger student body, local community members, businesses and school districts, employers and artists both locally and aboard to create awareness abou the Specialist Design Education being imparted at PIFD and promotion of intercultural understanding.
September 2022
The Centre for Internationalisation at PIFD hosted their very first BE International Awards Ceremony on the 22nd September.
October 2022
The External Evaluator mid-term report was submitted in October 2022 reviewing all the work packages and providing recommendations to be implemented in the final year of the project.
November 2022
The second trip to Pakistan tool place in Lahore between the 29 November and 01 December 2022 and were hosted by LUMS and PIFD. More details and photos can be found below.
On the 10th November 2022, PIFD held a B-International WP4 event titled 'Learn how to achieve innovative Visual Merchandising for your business' attended by mostly current Fashion Marketing and Merchandise department students.
January 2023
On the 27th January, the Office of International Affairs (OIA), LUMS hosted an open house for the students at the Centre for Internationalisation providing students with the insight into the international partnerships and exchange programmes available at LUMS
The third attempt for consortium members to travel to Cardiff has finally happened! We welcomed B-International Partners to Cardiff between the 30 January and 1st February 2023 as well as the senior Rector/Vice Chancellor delegation from our Pakistani Partners, COMSATS, LUMS, NUST and PIFD. More details and photos found below.
Here are some examples of how the project has been collaborating with a lot more interactions happening face to face ...
Above are a number of screenshots of some of the key events the project has held (from top left clockwise): The second WP2 training week delivered by all of the PK Partners (Feb/March 2022); Global Week Guest Speaker Sessions (29th March 2022 - Dr Ramla Shahid from COMSATS University Islamabad presented on 'Breast cancer: Early detection saves lives'; On the same day Dr Asif Zaman from CMET delivered a session on 'Digital Economy: Opportunities and challenges for Islamic Finance;' 31st March 2022 - Maninder Ahluwalia from CMET presented on how to 'eat to fit your genes - how the diet we eat interactive with our genome and affects health in general';1st April 2022- Britt Hallingberg from CMET presented on 'has growth in e-cigarette use led to changes in your smoking? examining evidence from national surveys of young people in the UK', On the same day, Sanna Ejaz from COMSATS University Islamabad, delivered a very interesting session on Pakistani Architecture: Then & Now with Staff and Students from CMET joining in.); Inauguration of the B-International Centre for Internationalisation at LUMS (12 May 2022); QMG Meeting (28 July 2022); WP4 event - LUMS held its 1st Alumni Talk live on Facebook (16th August 2022); WP4 event at PIFD - The Centre for Internationalisation PIFD in collaboration with the Academic Departments hosted an exhibition titled: " Thesis Display 2022 (21-27 August 2022); B-International Award Ceremony at PIFD ( 22 September 2022).
21-23 June 2022 - First Overseas Trip to Islamabad, Pakistan
Consortium members from Cardiff Metropolitan University, Ecole Centrale De Nantes, University of Salamanca, COMSATS University Islamabad, LUMS, NUST and PIFD all gathered together (with UNIBO joining us virtually) to undertake the third WP2 training on Academic Recognition, facilitate WP3 Working Group sessions, host the first BE International Awards Ceremony at both COMSATS and NUST and finally hosting a dissemination event to ensure the wider reach of the B-International Project to various stakeholders.
A huge thank you to Partners at NUST and CUI for your incredible hospitality during this trip. The visit to Islamabad was a great success, not only for the B-International project objectives, but also for establishing the fundamental building blocks of the project’s longer-term collaborative partnerships.
18-20 July 2022 - Salamanca, Spain- Work Package 3
The second overseas trip saw Work Package 3 representatives travel to Salamanca between the 18 and 20 July 2022. and plan the content of the online learning programme, meet with members of the project office and Head of the International Relations Office at the University of Salamanca. On the second day the representatives visited the set of where the recordings took place for the Online Learning Programme. The outcome of those recordings were disseminated in the launch of the online platform in Lahore in November 2022.
A huge thank you to our Partners at the University of Salamanca, especially Juan Luis Garcia Alonso and Susana Verde Ruiz for your incredible hospitality during this trip.
29 November - 1 December 2022 - Second Trip to Pakistan, Lahore
The B-International consortium travelled to Lahore in Pakistan to continue with project activity. In a similar way to the Islamabad B-International visit, we squeezed many activities into the three-day project meeting including the final WP2 training on External Funding, attended by participants from LUMS and PIFD; WP3 Online Learning Programme launch and two Be International Awards promotion events, hosted by LUMS and PIFD.
We finally managed to also see the beautiful city of Lahore with a cultural trip exploring the Walled City of Lahore, the mosque and busy markets. A huge thank you to our Partners, LUMS and PIFD for their thorough coordination and hospitality throughout our time in Lahore.
30 January - 01 February 2023 - Cardiff, Consortium Meeting
Third attempt lucky! The kick off meeting of the project was meant to take place in Cardiff in March 2020, however the pandemic prevented that. Then, the second attempt was to hold the consortium meeting in Cardiff in September 2022, however due to the unfortunate passing of her Majesty the Queen Elisabeth II, this had to be postponed again. Finally, on its third attempt and its final year of the project, partners of the B-International project managed to travel to Cardiff and attend the 3 day consortium meeting.
We also welcomed the Rector of COMSATS University Islamabad, Prof Muhammad Afzal; Vice Chancellor of LUMS, Dr Arshad Ahmad; Pro Rector Academics of NUST, Dr Osman Hasan and Vice Chancellor Prof Hina Tayyaba Khalil from PIFD to explore the wealth of opportunity for continued collaboration between our nations through the signing of Declaration of Understanding/Memorandum of Understanding.
We would like to thank all of our partners from France, Italy, Spain and Pakistan for a successful three days, and looking forward to the planning of the final year of the project
Social Media and Promotional Engagement
The social media and promotional engagement section showcases the dissemination activities that have been implemented by all partners involved within the consortium. The project's social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have seen increased interaction and engagement from partners due to the numerous activities that have occurred over the last few months including the many overseas trip finally happening which have given the project the platform to disseminate its outputs to a wider audience.
We would like to thank all of our partners for their continued support and collaboration in disseminating the B-International Project in a wide range of social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, videos, blogs and where possible face to face!
What are the B-International Partners saying.....
On the 16th August 2022 LUMS held its 1st Alumni Talk live on Facebook as part of its WP4 event. The session featured two LUMS alumni who discussed their experiences of applying, preparing and studying abroad. Great event to promote internationalisation and the benefits of studying abroad.
Read about the B-International Consortium attending a Reception at the French Embassy hosted by the French Ambassador to Pakistan.
Watch the video created by NUST detailing the Dissemination event during the Project's first in person meeting in Islamabad between the 20-24 June 2022.
Watch the video created by PIFD detailing the visit to Lahore between the 28 November and 1 December 2022
Blogs:
June 2022- B-International WP4: The Be International Award Ready to be international?
July 2022 - The first in person Project Meeting of the B-International project!
August 2022 - The B-International project arrives in Spain
December 2022- B-International Project Meeting – Lahore, Pakistan
February 2023 - Cardiff Consortium Meeting and Four Prestigious Pakistani Partner Institutions sign agreements with Cardiff Metropolitan University
Partner Insight
Welcome to our Partner Insight Section where in every E-Newsletter we will be looking at colleagues from one EU partner and their twin Pakistan partner and see what they have to say about the B-International Project!
For this newsletter we would like to introduce you to representatives from University of Bologna, Italy (UNIBO), who just joined the B-International Project recently and National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST)
Your Name:
Livia Mercatelli
Your University:
University of Bologna, Italy
What is your role at your University?
Innovation Division – Staff member of the Unit Cooperation for development and Capacity Building
How long have you been working at the University?
Since 2008, 15 years
What excited you most about the prospect of participating in the B-International project?
Meet new colleagues, study Pakistan HE system and its internationalisation features; join an energetic team of professionals and give my contribution for common goals; learn more about Pakistan as a country through the lenses of HE.
What are you most looking forward to and what do you hope that the B-International project will achieve?
Looking forward to work with peers at partner HEIs and learn by working together, exchange practices as well as vision on institutional development and internationalization; hoping that B-International will achieve its objectives in supporting HEIs in Pakistan in the design of their own internationalization paths and that the set of tools B-International will deliver might be further exploited by other HEIs in the country and beyond.
Your Name:
Lucia Ippolito
Your University:
University of Bologna, Italy
What is your role at your University?
Innovation Division - Staff member of the Unit Cooperation for development and Capacity Building
How long have you been working at the university?
Since 2018, 5 years
What excited you most about the prospect of participating in the B-International project?
Cooperation among different realities, knowing different countries and communities, learn more about PK HE System, Improving cooperation skills and working with and meet new partners.
What are you most looking forward to and what do you hope that the B-International project will achieve?
Looking forward to working with partners for the last year of the project hoping that B-International will achieve its objectives in supporting the enhancement of internationalization of HE in Pakistan by providing, among others, a set of tools to be exploited beyond the project’s lifetime and shared with other HE Systems in the region
Your Name:
Waasay Ahmad Khan
Your University:
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
What is your role at your University?
I work as Assistant Director at NUST International Office
How long have you been working at the university?
Almost 3 years at NUST now
What excited you most about the prospect of participating in the B-International project?
It was a very unique opportunity where I could get a chance to work closely with partners from Spain, Italy, Wales and France which by the way, has been phenomenal till now. Furthermore, knowing that I would be part of a project that is laying down the foundation for uplifting internationalisation in Pakistan is an exceptional opportunity which I always wanted. As an international student I loved cultural diversity and informing people about the bounties of Pakistan. Being a part of this project and getting to do all those things again with our international partners is an exemplary experience.
What are you most looking forward to and what do you hope that the B-International project will achieve?
I am looking forward to hosting our international partners in Pakistan. As to what objectives I am hoping to achieve, well the first and foremost is uplifting internationalisation in Pakistani academia overall. Hopefully with this project, we can create mechanisms which are favourable towards international students opting for Pakistan. Eventually, it will create a great brand name for Pakistan and will become a very enjoyable experience for any students that opts to study here. I am confident that we can achieve this stage with the help of B-International and support from our amazing partners in Pakistan and Europe.
The project is in its final year but still with plenty of activities still to be completed. Here is some of the upcoming activities and events in store for B-International:
April 2023
Dissemination Working Group meeting - Date TBC
June 2023
Our Pakistani and EU partners will be travelling to France to ECN to undertake the following objectives; Project Management Board, WP Working Group Sessions (WP2/3/4) - 6 month checkpoint, WP6 Toolkit Preparation, Dissemination Event and Dissemination Planning for November travel to Pakistan.
Quality Management Group meeting - Date TBC
July 2023
Dissemination Working Group meeting - Date TBC
October 2023
Dissemination Working Group and Quality Management Group meeting - Dates TBC
Nov/Dec 2023
The final trip to Pakistan will take place in November/December 2023 to Islamabad and Lahore celebrating the achievements of the B-International Project across the 4 years through large scale dissemination roadshow, but also to launch the B-International Toolkit and to hold a Be International Award recipients Event.
We hope you enjoyed reading the third edition of the B-International Newsletter and we look forward updating you in the forth edition as to the progress of the project. But if you can’t wait to learn more, you can visit our project website by selecting the 'visit us' button at the top of the newsletter or having a look at our social media platforms.
B-International Project Team
Credits:
Created with images by ATKWORK888 - "2022-2025 written on highway road in the middle of empty asphalt road at golden sunset and beautiful blue sky. Concept for new year 2022. " • geralt - "human google polaroid" • rutchapong - "Text with Upcoming Events and coffee cup, notebook,pencil on grunge wooden table."