Internationalization

The internationalization process of International Telematic University UNINETTUNO was developed, and still continues to develop, through two distinct models. The main features of the first model are new in terms of modality and speed of diffusion, and are fostered by the spread of the Internet and online social networks: a spontaneous, world-wide word-of-mouth, that has brought International Telematic University UNINETTUNO to enrol students from 162 different countries over a few years, giving its identity a truly global character. The second model, on the other hand, is based on international agreements with Universities and Ministries from different countries world-wide, and on the involvement of the best academics from different partner Universities, giving each of them the opportunity to develop the contents of their individual subjects using their own language. This strategy has facilitated the setup of international alliances and the creation of new real and virtual spaces aimed at building knowledge networks among different Universities around the world, and at fostering the collaboration of different institutions. UNINETTUNO, through its internationalization model, has established a global network of public and private universities that pool their knowledge, share resources, technologies, curricula and research laboratories, freely implement exchanges among academic staff and students, still preserving their individual specificities as a value and enrichment for the overall network.

UNINETTUNO University Internationalization Models

First Internationalization Model

The main features of this first model are new in terms of modality and speed of diffusion, and are linked to the Internet. The citizen of the information society can select on the Internet the educational path that best suits his or her needs. Internet users explore and select information and services available on the Web, making choices which are not based on their physical location any more, but primarily on their own interests. The Internet, and social networks in particular, enable users to play an active role in promoting, suggesting and enhancing information, contents and services they experienced directly. It’s the users themselves who place a value to the "network nodes" which are deemed more interesting and worthy of being pointed out and recommended through their social networks. This new model of promoting global quality takes place through social bookmarking, link sharing and “liking” on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+, through active participation in discussion groups, thematic forums and social review services.

It is through this spontaneous, reticular, global word-of-mouth mechanism, not controlled from the above, that over a few years International Telematic University UNINETTUNO has managed to enrol students from 162 different countries world-wide, as shown in the table below.

Second Internationalization Model

The second internationalization model is based on international agreements with Universities and Ministries of different countries, with the aim of creating, harmonizing and sharing curricula that allow students to acquire a degree which is recognised in their country of origin, in Italy and therefore in Europe.

UNINETTUNO curriculum design process is based on the Bologna and Sorbonne recommendations regarding the organization of study cycles and ECTS system (European Credit Transfer System). All degree programs follow the European Qualification Standards. As an example, EuroPsy (European Qualification Standard for Psychologists) standards related to scientific subject areas and number of course credits for each subject have been applied for the design of the Psychology curriculum. The alignment of curricula to international standards allows the recognition at European level of awarded degrees.

As about the partner Universities located in countries that have not joined the Bologna and Sorbonne processes, UNINETTUNO has developed a model for the construction of shared curricula that has already been successfully applied. A specific example that can be mentioned is the creation of the double degree agreement with Helwan University in Cairo, Egypt. An initial assessment and comparison of the contents of the curricula for the Computer Engineering degree programmes of the two Universities was carried out, focusing both on the structure and on the specific contents of each single course. This demonstrated that despite the different time structure, the contents covered in the three years of the UNINETTUNO degree program match the contents of the first four-year cycle delivered in Egypt. A shared curriculum was therefore structured, where Egyptian students obtain the Italian (and therefore European) degree after the first three years, while in order to receive the Egyptian five-year degree they need to integrate into the curriculum the subjects covered in their fifth year. This process of analysing, comparing and integrating curricula can be extended to any degree program in any country.

Today UNINETTUNO has more than 257 agreements with traditional universities from different countries such as: Argentina (Rio Negro Universidad Nacional and Universidad Nacional de Salta), Arzebaijan (Azerbaijan Technical University - AzTU), Canada (Kotler Impact) China (Shandong Institute of Business and Technology; Open University of Hong Kong; Jiaying University - Meizhou, Guangdong; Co-Progress Education Group (CPMC); Guangzhou Vocational College of Technology and Business), Colombia (Fundación Universitaria Católica del Norte), Ghana (Bangism Technology University, Laweh Open University College), Guatemala (UGAL - Universidad Galileo), Ethiopia (Wolaita Sodo University), India (RUBIKA / Alpha Omega Infosolution), Mongolia (Institute of Finance and Economics), Mozambique (ISCTEM - Instituto Superior de Ciências e Tecnologia de Moçambique), Nicaragua (UNAN-Leòn - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua-León; UAM - Universidad Americana), Russia (Chelyabinsk State University), Somalia (Global Science University), Singapore (James Lind Institute), United States (Monroe College in New York, the University of North Alabama, the College of the Canyons) Vietnam (Huè College of Economics of Vietnam) in addition to major universities in Europe such as the London School of Business and Finance - LSBF, the London College of Contemporary Arts - LCCA and the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom, the Madrid Open University - UDIMA and UNED - Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia in Spain, the Berlin School of Business and Innovation - BSBI in Germany, the Université Catholique de Lille in France, the Atheneum - Liberal Studies in Athens, the University of Aegean the Institute for International Maritime Studies, the International Delphic Academy, IST College in Greece, Griffith College in Ireland, the EMUNI Center in Port Rose in Slovenia and the most important universities in the Arab world, including the aforementioned Helwan University, Sinai University, El-Ghad for Education Projects and Egyptian E-Learning University in Egypt, Al- Ahliyya Amman University, Yarmouk University, the Jordan University of Science and Technology, Princess Sumaya University for Technology in Jordan, the Hamdan Bin Mohamed Smart university - HBMSU in the United Arab Emirates, Al Akhawayn University, ESAV - Ecole Supérieure des Arts Visuels in Morocco, Saint Joseph University of Beirut - USJ, ALBA - Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts - Université de Balamand in Lebanon, Université Virtuelle de Tunis, and ESAC in Tunisia.

This internationalization model, based on agreements between UNINETTUNO University and traditional Universities of many different countries allows the coexistence of two models of University: online and in-presence. An "intra muros "and "extra muros" educational and training model is naturally developing world-wide.

These collaboration models between distance universities and traditional universities are strengthening a new model of a real and virtual academic community that is significantly expanding the range of existing educational solutions and is increasingly fostering collaborative learning among students and academics from different countries around the world. The network of traditional universities has offered UNINETTUNO an extremely rich reservoir of human resources and knowledge. In order to develop the contents for its educational cyberspace, UNINETTUNO involves the faculty members from the world's best universities who are open to implement a collegial teaching project. Moreover, this model has fostered the innovation of organizational models and teaching methodologies in traditional Universities. Traditional partner universities operate within virtual collaboration and cooperation spaces, but at the same time they manage to enrich the physical meeting spaces for students and faculty members with new meanings. Socratic interaction models are implemented during face-to-face exchanges, where the student becomes the main protagonist of the whole educational process, similar to the interaction models taking place in UNINETTUNO's interactive virtual classrooms, where dialogue is always the basis for a mindful knowledge growth. An exchange of educational models between different institutions has been implemented over the many years of cooperation with traditional universities, leading to the development of new learning methodologies and new languages for the communication of knowledge, both in presence and at a distance. International alliances have enabled UNINETTUNO to create a global network of public and private universities that pool their knowledge, share resources, equipment, curricula, laboratories, and promote faculty and student exchanges. This cooperation is implemented in a way that allows the specificities and values of individual universities to enrich the whole network. A network of universities has been created on the Internet, made above all of people and of intelligences that know how to connect their knowledge while respecting cultural, political, religious and economic differences.