Context and background of the project: Internationalisation at present is primarily focused on HE staff and students as the target groups and on mobility as the main activity, while Internationalisation at Home (IaH) is still marginal. Even in the most advanced and internationalised HEIs, internationalisation is still inward oriented and not strongly focused on the wider community. HEIs are increasingly active, however, in social engagement (third mission) but these activities, as the TEFCE mapping report states, are usually viewed as competing for priority and relevance with excellence in research and internationalisation. Massive social challenges with a strong connection with internationalisation are also apparent: climate change (e.g. with respect to air travel mobilities) and xenophobia/populism to name only a few. For these challenges, internationalisation will be in need of strong instruments to support change which at the same time would be considered social engagement and - since most of these activities will take place in the home community of the respective HEI - IaH. As TEFCE stated, however, internationalisation and social engagement today usually do not cooperate but instead compete for resources. IHES explicitly aims to change this and activate the internationalisation potential for social engagement. It is therefore placed in a highly relevant and changing social and political environment, not the least considering the COVID-19 crisis. Objectives: IHES aims to build any activity concerning the real needs of society. IHES also wants to test different approaches in a "regional lab" setting, thereby also using a quasi-experimental design by working in two different regions (Catalonia and Olomouc). The regions were also chosen due to both experiences in regional cooperation as well as specific societal challenges. Different approaches will be tested, compared and then set into context with findings related to the first objective. IHES additionally wants to generate knowledge that can be easily transferred from the regions and partners involved in the project. As many HEIs as possible will be able to learn from the experiences and apply their own IHES projects. Finally, IHES wants to ensure that the entire project is based on a multi-level inclusive approach that takes into account the main target groups for the project (see also below): HEIs and their networks, societal actors and their networks and regional governments. All Ios, as well as especially the constellation of the consortium, serve this goal. Number and profile of participants: Apart from the consortium members and their direct affiliates (esp. members of ACA, SGroup and LLLP), we will include members of local and regional university and student groups as well as participants from the wider public. Overall, we plan to have more than 500 individuals involved in various ways. Description of activities: IHES builds on a combination of desk research, exchange with different stakeholder groups, activities for individuals from society and university, continuous partner exchange and cooperation, production of various types of highly pragmatic and applicable products (guidelines, reports) and several multiplier events. All these activities are linked to each other and form part of different IOs. At the same time, all IOs build logically and chronologically on each other, assuring a step-by-step approach. The methodology to be used in carrying out the IHES project: As explained above, IHES employs a mixed method approach, using quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, desk research as well as interviews and group discussions, within the consortium members and outside, with a strict hierarchical order of IOs. A short description of the results and impact envisaged: The results will be on three levels: individuals (personality traits, attitudes towards internationalisation, intercultural competence), the organisations involved (HEIs, societal actors, HE partners) with regard to IHES, and the wider HE community outside the project consortium with regard to the relevance of IHES. IHES also generates long-term effects by establishing a network of IHES "enthusiasts" by the end of the project cycle. Based on all the partner organisations, this network should to be open to any organisation beyond the consortium to establish an awareness for and interest in IHES activities, also long after the project ends. IHES will produce a series of tangible products in the form of reports, guidelines, videos and other materials. The planned dissemination activities, using social media intensively, are also designed to generate a certain intangible result: a shift in the mindset of the wider internationalisation community towards more engagement with the public. We also hope to closely link the results to the COVID-19 crisis and the lessons learned.
Internationalisation in the current landscape predominantly revolves around higher education staff and students, emphasizing mobility as the core activity. Even within the most advanced and internationalised HEIs, internationalisation tends to be inward-looking, with limited focus on the broader community. Yes, it is true that HEIs are increasingly involved in social engagement, often referred to as the third mission. However, these endeavours frequently compete with excellence in research and internationalisation for priority and relevance. This situation becomes especially challenging given the pressing global issues linked to internationalisation, such as climate change, the rise of xenophobia and populism, among many others. IHES adopts an innovative approach of a "regional lab," engaging in quasi-experimental practices across two distinct regions, Catalonia and Olomouc. The project leverages this regional diversity to test and compare different methodologies and to contextualize the findings relative to its primary objective. The outcomes of these regional lab activities are accessible on the IHES website, serving as valuable resources for those interested in similar undertakings (https://ihes.upol.cz/outputs-and-results/).
Internationalisation at present is primarily focused on the Higher Education (HE) staff and students as the target groups and on mobility as the main activity, however, internationalisation at home remains marginal. Higher Education Institutions are increasingly active, but in social engagement these activities are usually viewed as competing for priority and relevance with excellence in research and internationalisation. With many social challenges at hand, internationalisation will be in the need of string instruments to support change which at the same time would be considering social engagement and internationalisation at home. The IHES project (https://ihes.upol.cz/) aims to build activities concerning the real needs of society. IHES focuses on testing different approaches in two different regions, Catalonia and the Olomouc region, using a quasi-experimental design. It aims to generate knowledge that can be easily transferred from the regions and partners involved in the project. IHES also focuses on ensuring that the entire project is based on a multi-level inclusive approach while targeting HE institutions and their networks, social actors and their networks, and regional governments.