Rick Arrowood at the AIEC Conference in Melbourne, Australia.
As international universities seek partners around the globe, how do they build success into their programs? Rick Arrowood, assistant academic specialist at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies (CPS) provided some insight when he spoke at the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) in Melbourne, Australia, this fall on a panel of experts in international education.
Arrowood presented on the topic of Global Leadership Programs in the Asia-Pacific Century, focusing on the academic aspects necessary for a successful partnership among universities. Arrowood teaches in the CPS Global Leadership Program which offers students an opportunity to earn a dual master’s degree in two years from CPS and Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.
Arrowood addressed the practical realities of structuring global partnerships and discussed how to replicate an American classroom experience for leadership students who predominantly come from authoritarian leadership cultures.
“Ideally, we are seeking to provide these students with the necessary leadership tools that will guide them to a global leadership mindset, and ultimately change the way they view themselves and their leaders,” he said in his opening remarks. This includes helping students from day one to identify a leadership style preference.
Other members of the panel explored how to incorporate international partnerships into existing paradigms of collaboration. Presenters advised that it begins with identifying a need and allocating resources to ensure partnership sustainability.
Based in Boston, Arrowood teaches in both the Leadership and Nonprofit Management degree programs at CPS. Each year he teaches for two to three months in the Swinburne Leadership program. The partnership between the two universities began in 2006, and since its inception, over 200 students have graduated from the program.
Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies (CPS) is committed to providing career-focused educational programs that are designed to accommodate the complex lives of motivated learners. Offered in a variety of innovative formats, CPS courses are taught by accomplished scholars and practitioners who have real-world experience. The result is an educational experience founded on proven scholarship, strengthened with practical application, and sustained by academic excellence.
Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a comprehensive, global research university. The university offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and more than 165 graduate programs, ranging from professional master’s degrees to interdisciplinary PhD programs. Northeastern’s research enterprise is aligned with three national imperatives: health, security and sustainability. Northeastern students participate in co-op and other forms of experiential learning in 90 countries on all seven continents.