Conference Theme:
“Collaborative academic programs as a contribution to developing nations”
The focus of collaborative ventures is no longer just on learning to communicate with our foreign neighbours, but in gaining the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and awareness that allow us to operate across cultural boundaries wherever these boundaries may be found. While globalization effects us all, many nations still continue to traverse internal boundaries between colonist and indigenous peoples. The world is full of interactions between people, groups, and nations who think, feel, and act differently. At the same time these people, groups, and nations are exposed to common problems that demand cooperation for their solutions. The threats of global warming, organized crime, poverty, terrorism, ocean pollution, extinction of animals, AIDS, or a worldwide recession demands cooperation and the support of diverse groups in order to implement the decisions made (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005). This conference will explore how academic partnerships driven by academic values rather than commercialism can draw on cultural diversity as an opportunity for growth and learning. Presenters are invited to critically examine the values and assumptions underpinning cross-cultural collaboration and explore notions of success that suggest new avenues for research.

Paper sessions, workshops, and panel discussion categories
International collaborative academic programmes
Global social responsibility
Managing global Capstone projects
Global collaborative e-tools
Collaborative research
Indigenous notions of collaboration
Cross cultural competencies
Developing global teamwork skills: Academic and Industry
Exporting/importing education – challenges/benefits
Cross-cultural student support
Cross-cultural teaching: a clash of pedagogies?
Working with [China] [SE Asia]: Country specifics and relationships (individual countries can be nominated.
Possible special track: Mekong Area Research Initiatives – to explore special interests of this critical region.

Features
Poster session: AUT/ITEC BCIS Capstone Project students.

Submissions
Abstracts (papers), Panel discussions and Workshop proposals: no more than one page, in English. Deadline: 29th Feb, 2012. Due date extension possible if required

Full paper submissions by: 20th April, 2012
Notifications by: 20th May, 2012
Deadline for final submission: 20th June, 2012
Submit to: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ficap1