The Internationalisation at Home (IaH) team from PolyU’s School of Nursing received the University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Award in the Collaborative Teams category for 2023 in recognition of their achievement in developing a new IaH education model, which goes beyond conventional clinical practices to develop students’ cultural awareness and global competence.

IaH activities integrated into study programmes for eight years

Led by Professor Engle Angela Chan, Interim Head and Professor of the School of Nursing, the IaH team members included Dr Arkers Wong Kwan-ching, Assistant Professor; Mr Timothy Lai Kam-hung, Associate Professor of Practice; Dr Betty Chung Puiman, Assistant Professor of Practice; and Dr Doris Leung Yuet-lan, Adjunct Assistant Professor.

Since 2015, the team has integrated IaH activities in the BSc (Hons) in Nursing programme and post-graduate collaborative projects with local and international peers designed to enhance students’ global learning experience, impacting over 1,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students globally.

During the pandemic, the team provided a platform to continue the cultural exchange activities, serving as an online “overseas exchange” learning experience to develop students’ global vision. Other colleagues in the School of Nursing also adopted the IaH model into their Service-Learning subject and summer exchange programme.

The team hopes to further the impact of IaH across multiple disciplines and will integrate virtual reality technology to provide an immersive learning experience.

IaH activities integrated into study programmes for eight years

• Student-created and video-based simulated scenarios help students learn in various clinical practices across cultural contexts.

• Students from PolyU and overseas universities discussed the ethical and cultural dilemmas associated with nursing professional and research practices, which help students integrate international and intercultural dimensions into their research.

IaH activities focusing on peer-led mentoring can help students enhance their continuous development in global competence and ability to communicate with culturally diverse patients by gaining in-depth understanding and appreciation of clinical practices worldwide.

~ Professor Engle Angela Chan