Different ways of looking: A study of personal, professional and civic rewards from International work-based learning experiences with Community youth work students at Ulster University, Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is emerging from a 30 year local conflict, with new democratic local structures established and a new landscape for civic engagement. Community Youth Workers are well positioned to nurture these new political and civic structures but after decades of insular living and thinking, global skills and attitudes are acutely needed. This study gauges the extent to which international student placements at Ulster University (UU) can help build a population who are ‘forward and outward-looking’ and how these new perspectives, skills and knowledge can be used for and beyond this ‘New’ Northern Ireland.

The study explores the impact of international student placements and their effectiveness of fostering ‘global-ready citizens’. It is proposed that the preparation phase must attend equally to both the fear and the opportunities within internationalisation that face the departing student. The practical measures of achieving this are assessed and the preparation of students to be ‘cultural nesters’ rather than ‘cultural visitors’ (in their new context) is also explored. The development of intercultural competence is evaluated against the backdrop of the Community Youth Work profession; to gain insight into how the knowledge, skills and values development of the discipline align with intercultural competence.