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Undergraduate Research at the University of Warwick: a tool for the internationalisation of student experience and the development of international partnerships.
• developing undergraduate researchers’ intercultural learning and global perspective
• increasing the depth and breadth of research collaborations
• facilitating the development of undergraduate exchange with existing or new partners
This case study will present three initiatives which have put us at the forefront of undergraduate research in the UK, creating engaging opportunities for our students as well as enhancing our international partnerships in Brazil and beyond:
Undergraduate Research Summer Scheme (URSS)
Warwick’s URSS (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/scs/experience/urss/) is a long-standing Warwick initiative but recent institutional investment in digital technology and an increased commitment to internationalise the student experience have enhanced the scheme to enable over 200 of our students to enjoy an undergraduate research opportunity underpinned by global engagement either through physical mobility or virtual exchange.
Under the URSS International stream, students complete their research project under the supervision of Warwick academics and existing research partners overseas. Alongside this they follow the URSS Experience- a skills development programme, which supports their development as a researcher through workshops, mentoring and a poster presentation.
In 2015, 10 students from Warwick undertook field trips in Brazil investigating topics as diverse as Finance and the Gender Gap to Afro-Brazilian literature. These placements were facilitated by existing bilateral research collaborations with projects taking place across the country from Curitiba to Campinas and Salvador to Sao Paulo. We also welcomed our first Brazilian undergraduate researcher from USP in summer 2015.
International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR)
ICUR (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/studentportal/conferences/icur2015/ ) is unique in concept and design. ICUR’s core is a simple motto and design philosophy: student-led, student-centred. It first emerged as a grassroots initiative by students and staff at Monash University and The University of Warwick who, funded and facilitated by the Monash Warwick Alliance, sought to design a multi-disciplinary programme that would internationalise the student experience without prohibitive financial thresholds, and in an environmentally-responsible manner. It is a forum for undergraduate researchers that employs the latest in High Definition video-conferencing technology and social media to connect students across the world to a single 40+ hour conference. The 2015 edition of ICUR saw over 300 undergraduate students present their research via video conference in 65 internationally linked sessions over 42 hours. The conference was held concurrently in Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Africa, and the United States.
Reinvention Journal
At Warwick, student researchers are also able to publish their work in the Reinvention Journal (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/reinvention) - an online, peer-reviewed journal, dedicated to the publication of high-quality undergraduate student research. It is produced, edited and managed by students and staff at the University of Warwick in the UK and our partner, Monash University, in Australia.
We would welcome the opportunity to showcase our approach to undergraduate research with the FAUBAI audience and to discuss this further in the Brazilian context, a country which has a rich history of undergraduate research, as we look to develop and broaden the scope of our initiative at Warwick.
Author(s):
Emily Lim
University of Warwick
United Kingdom