the Project

I realised my introduction did not really explain why on earth I decided to call the blog Project: Internationalisation. Well, yes, the 'project' bit does have to do with the fact that I watch too much TV - or too much of the shows that are about agents, spying and saving the world from terrorists - but it also has to do with work, as in the working life everything is about projects, project teams, project funding etc. And internationalisation is a project - generally, of any person, and especially of me. A life-long project I believe (and hope such good fun it is that I hope it never ends ;)!).
So what's this project internationalisation about? Quite simply - about internationalisating, i.e. becoming international or developing to become more international. See what the Wiktionary says > http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/internationalization .
So it's a process (i.e. should see some development here later.. ). A process that involves the willingness to learn and develop, theory and practical experiences as the content of the development, and reflection and assessment as the means of development. This blog works as a way of reflection and assessment, measuring the development - or if indeed any internationalisation is really going on at all... For me, the theory and practical experience (weight on the latter) are present in my everyday work and life in general, so there's a lot to reflect on. For anyone studying or working at Laurea, internationality is part of their studies and work in one form or another. It does not only mean having to practice language skills every now and then, nor does it mean that you must go on an exchange abroad to be international. There all several different ways (for both theory and practice) to internationalise one self, varying from studies that concentrate on international issues or are carried out in international settings to international tutoring or acting as a 'god family' for a foreign student to studying and working abroad or as part of international cooperation networks and projects. (Do go to www.laurea.fi > studies > internationalisation of studies for more.)
Quoting from the wiktionary, international is "Of or having to do with more than one nation". I suppose I really should click on the edit button, as I think it's much more. Its essential how the 'to do' part is carried out. Every tourist visiting a foreign country is not international if they are not in interaction with the foreign culture and are not affected at all, if they do not go home with a bit of extra; be it new information, experiences, development.. Being international has to do with knowledge, skills and competence regarding foreign cultures and nations, and especially about the competence related to interaction and communication with foreign cultures and nations. This involves a lot of reflection; being able to recognise one's own culture and way of communication, as well as the foreign culture and way of communication, and seeing the differences and similarities and acting accordingly. Good manners and sensitivity to diverse situations come in handy.. :)
Being about competence, internationality as an attribute needs updating and 'maintenance'. Or simply: international interaction regularly. One can be international one day and lose the ability later - although never totally if the international experiences have made genuine changes in a person's way of thinking, opinions, attitude or ethics. The need for updating and maintenance makes internationalisation a process - or a project.