We live in an increasingly global world. Technical innovations and
improved infrastructure enable people to interact and work on a wider scale
than ever before. Key changes relevant to the academic landscape are the
increasing internationalisation of both students and academic sta, as well as
the spread of web-based learning. ese changes demand the development
of pedagogical research and practices that provide high-quality learning and
impart the analytical understandings and skills now needed by students.
In an eort to develop such practices, Linköping University in Sweden
and Rhodes University in South Africa are participating in a Linnaeus–
Palme student/sta-exchange programme. e programme’s overall goal
is to establish self-sustaining educational collaborations between the two
universities that enhance understanding, knowledge and openness between
and within our dierent cultures and regions. Research collaborations
between the two institutions are integral to this process. e study described
in this chapter is an outcome of one such collaboration.1
Although this
chapter focuses on work done in South Africa, a parallel study is ongoing
at Högskolan Väst in Sweden, and our intention is to produce comparative
empirical material that can be used to encourage similar international
collaborative initiatives elsewhere. It is our hope that students in international
higher education environments will build on the approach outlined in this
chapter to help them identify various patterns relevant to cultural diversity,
and analyse their implications to gain a better understanding of a range of
issues, including the impact of globalisation.