S


peakers at the 2023 Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN) Global Symposium explored how international


schools and universities are supporting students’ transitions- care to higher education now – and what more leaders, global mobility and transitions-care professionals in education can do. The conclusions widen the


lens of who can benefit from more support to make positive international moves – and the role of schools, universities, parents and student voice in making this happen. They also provide a direct link to employers’ wellbeing focus and talent pipelines. Creating a resilient workforce of individuals who are equipped with life skills like growth mindsets, a global outlook and empathy who can adapt to and embrace change is crucial for the future workforce. Especially so where the human skills of self- care and good judgement will shape how AI is deployed for the betterment of all.


STUDENT WELLBEING A KEY PRIORITY Setting out a new model for supporting higher education (HE) students in cultural transition were Katie Rigg, director of higher education and wellbeing services, the Council of International Schools (CIS), and Kristen Rosenfield, secondary counsellor at Luanda International School in Angola. “One of the really big themes


we identified in our research is the big gap between schools and universities,” says Katie Rigg about the multistakeholder research CIS has been conducting in this area. “Both were saying they wanted to develop stronger partnerships, learn from each other about international students’ needs, and wanted to coordinate support so that international students can have a smoother transition.” CIS’s


draft Transitions-


Care Model for schools and universities, presented at the SPAN Symposium, is building momentum for new practices and


a more focused approach. Post- pandemic, awareness of young people’s mental health has grown in line with the number of young people seeking help. Even before 2020, figures from a 2017 US study of 42,480 domestic students and 2,423 international students in 42 HE colleges show international students were both less likely to access support and 40% more likely to reach crisis point with their mental health. “This finding is really


alarming,” says Katie Rigg. “It struck me because it shows that international students aren’t recognised as having mental health conditions. There’s other research as well that shows if not managed well, transitions generally – and we’re focusing on transitions from school to university – if they are unmanaged, can undermine protective relationships and lead to difficulties in forming identity and unresolved grief.” This picture corresponds with the Council of International


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GLOBAL EDUCATION WELLBEING HIGHER EDUCATION


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