Ten European countries send reps to symposium at Cork's MTU

Researchers from across Europe attended Munster Technological University (MTU)’s Bishopstown campus for a one-day symposium event.

The event, titled: “MFL Interculturalism and Internationalisation: Higher Education at a Crossroads”, involved talks and a roundtable discussion between the Munster university and several others who visited from Europe.

The event stemmed from a wider research project funded by the INGENIUM European University Alliance, of which MTU is a member. INGENIUM is an alliance of 10 institutions of higher education from 10 European countries.

The MTU event brought together research partners from higher education institutions in Ireland, France, Sweden, Romania, and Belgium, and the symposium served as a platform for conversations on best practices and innovation in modern foreign languages (MFL) pedagogies, intercultural communication, and internationalisation within the European higher education landscape.

Challenges

The programme also featured a series of presentations exploring the challenges and opportunities surrounding internationalisation and intercultural competence development.

Participants shared insights on supporting students and staff in navigating diverse cultural environments both within institutions and across multinational, multi-organisational European partnerships.

The event concluded with a roundtable discussion with the participants which focused on shaping future strategies and policies to advance internationalisation in higher education.

Key topics included stakeholder engagement, institutional collaboration, and the design and implementation of relevant educational policies.

Dr Kristin Brogan of MTU’s Department of Social Sciences, the principal investigator of the INGENIUM-funded project, said that the event had been very successful.

“This symposium highlighted the importance of collaborative reflection and action in fostering inclusive and globally connected higher education institutions. It is our hope that this event will catalyse future national and international cooperation in this vital area.”