Date: 17 October 2019
Venue: China National Conference Centre, Beijing
Organiser: Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy (CESBE) and China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE)
The British Council China and China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) invite practitioners, policy makers and other stakeholders from tertiary institutions involved in EMI practice to participate in the International Symposium on EMI for Higher Education, taking place in Beijing on 17 October 2019.
The growing trend for universities in China and across the globe to offer graduate and post-graduate courses through the medium of English has brought about benefits but also challenges on macro-, meso- and micro- fronts. Reported benefits of EMI include improved teacher and student language proficiency, increased opportunity for professional collaboration, broader prospects in the field of employment and enhanced prestige for both institutions and the individual. However, there has been increasing scrutiny regarding the standards of teaching and learning on EMI courses, concerns in its implementation on governmental and institutional levels, as well as the questioning of its long-term socio-linguistic implications. In short, the ramifications of the EMI phenomenon are not yet fully understood.
This symposium aims to explore existing challenges in terms of both policy and practice and develop a greater understanding of how emergent issues can be addressed successfully. Alongside keynote speakers and the presentation of new research findings from Oxford University, academics and policy makers are invited to participate either through the presentation of a case study or in being a member of a panel discussion.
Symposium Focus
- Global trends and the East Asian regional context
- Research findings
- Policy and best practices in EMI teaching, learning, assessment and research
- Teacher development
- Language support, teacher and student support, and administration support
- Quality assurance of EMI courses and programmes: key success factors
- Student needs in internationalisation of higher education
Target Audience
- policy makers at the national, local and institutional level of teacher development
- policy implementers, i.e. teacher development centres, English language faculties, and academics of disciplines/faculties
- teachers and professors who deliver and/or are about to deliver EMI courses
- researchers on EMI programmes
- teacher development service providers
- course administrators
Language of the symposium
English and Chinese, with simultaneous translation provided