DBLN3375

The Global Internship Course (GIC) provides a unique and innovative opportunity for students to engage in an internship (and living abroad experience) while supported by academic in class and online educational sessions to further develop their personal and professional skills while earning academic credit. GIC students also partake in out-of-class guided and self-guided activities and excursions that have been devised to enable students to become more comfortable with, and knowledgeable of, their internship locations/neighbourhoods. Furthermore, a day-long field trip illustrates how socio-political and economic factors, such as the effects of housing costs in global cities, necessitate commuting and changing work practices such as flexible working hours and working remotely that embody best practice in well-being. Field excursions vary and may also include a focus on, for example, corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

The GIC fits in with CAPA's philosophy and practice of enabling students to learn about the social and cultural context of their internship placement and the host region and country, as well as other GIC themes, through comparative global analysis. At times, this analysis will be facilitated through a small selection of CAPA Masterclasses and our “In Conversation with:_______” series given by leading professionals from a diverse range of fields. The in-class active learning approach gives students the opportunity to discuss and analyze theories and models of work, organizational behavior and management in a cross-cultural context. COVID-19 has, by necessity, and in time, by choice, increased the extent to which employees work remotely. The GIC will help students to work effectively in a partial and/or, if required, full-time remote capacity should the need arise and to demonstrate to students the competencies and skills that they will gain and demonstrate through remote engagement.

A variety of teaching and learning activities will be used; for example: lecture, workshop, discussion, informal and formal presentations, self-guided and guided research, and mock (recorded) interviews. The assessment mechanisms are all designed to support learning, using the internship and living abroad experience as a vehicle. Above all, the in-class CAPA sessions give students the opportunity to listen to individual experiences, compare and contrast activities with others, and consider the experience in terms of their personal and professional development. At the beginning we focus on self-reflection, and at the end of this process we challenge each student to focus on self-projection. At its core, GIC provides an opportunity for students to unpack, synthesise, and articulate (the value of) their learning.

It is, therefore, our intention that students will treat these on-site sessions with the same dedication and professionalism that we expect the students to display at their internships. Students will undertake an intensive orientation session to help them prepare for and integrate into their placements. Additional resources and readings to aid students' personal and professional development will be provided. Central to the pedagogy of GIC is self-reflection and collaboration; we value the diverse socio-cultural and academic backgrounds our students bring to the course and see the multi- and interdisciplinary nature of GIC as a plus for discussion and collaboration. Students with prior knowledge of certain topics covered in class are encouraged to share their knowledge in a mentoring capacity with their peers and to build upon their knowledge by considering such topics from other academic disciplines and global and practical perspectives.

The content of this course is arranged around three key themes: Personal and Professional Development, Intercultural Competence, and Comparative Analysis.