School of Languages and Area Studies (SLAS)

Transnational Dialogues in HE:
Responding to the Needs of the Asian Learner in Higher Education

Asian Learners Conference 2010

The conference was held at University of Portsmouth on 17 September 2010. Please click here to view the presentations and photographes.

Following a series of successful conferences (Portsmouth University 2004, 2006 and 2008; Shandong University 2007 and 2009) we are pleased to announce the sixth conference in the series.

With an increasing number of links and agreements between UK HEIs and universities in a number of Asian countries, the focus of our conference has widened from China to include learners from other Asian countries, such as India, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. In the new and ever-changing educational environment that faces us today we need clear understanding and rigorous research. The aim of the conference is to provide a forum where these strands can come together, where researchers, HE teachers and managers can learn from each other. Previous conferences in the series have been praised for promoting cooperation and a fruitful exchange of ideas, in a friendly and supportive environment.

The conference will have four strands:

  • Language Issues for Asian Learners
  • Cultural issues for Asian Learners
  • Teaching Asian Learners - practical approaches
  • Institutional Issues

The Language Issues for Asian Learners strand The Language Issues strand will consider issues relating to the roles that the English language plays in the Asian student’s learning experience.

The Culture of Asian Learners strand will include consideration of similarities and differences between various groups of learners. A focus on recent changes in learning cultures will be particularly welcome.

The Practical Approaches strand will include a discussion of a range of teaching methods and case studies which have wider implications for Higher Education. Approaches to online learning would be welcome here.

The Institutional Issues strand will look at Asian learners from the perspective of Higher Education Institutions, government policies and transnational student movement.

Examples of good practice in all these areas and presentations showing different viewpoints or papers from a variety of disciplines will be welcomed.

Keynote speakers/ plenary speakers

Janette Ryan (HEA Teaching International Students Project)
Martin Cortazzi (University of Warwick) and Lixian Jin (De Montfort University)
Prof Jianwu Peng (Shandong University of Science and Technology)
Dr Ganakumaran Subramaniam, (University of Nottingham, Malaysia campus) The changing landscape of Malaysian education from the schools to universities.