ABSTRACT Background: Globalisation trends such as increased migration to and within European countries have led to even greater cultural diversity in European societies. Cultural diversity increases the demand of cultural competency amongst professionals entering their work field. In particular, healthcare professionals need knowledge and skills to equip them to work with clients from different cultural backgrounds. Within higher education (HE), the professional development of cultural competency should ideally feature in undergraduate education and is often promoted as a by-product of a study abroad period. However, recognising that logistical and financial barriers often exist for extended study abroad, one alternative approach could be participation, at home or abroad, in a short-term international programme set within students’ own HE institutions. Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore HE students’ experiences of participating in international ‘short-term mobility week’ programmes at three European universities. Methods: Each university involved in the research offered short-term programmes for healthcare professions students at their own institution, where both local students and students from abroad could participate. Participants were healthcare students in the programme at one of the three universities. Data were collected through focus group interviews (4–8 students per group; n = 25). The data were transcribed and then analysed qualitatively, using a content comparison method. Results: The analysis identified six categories, which reflected students’ journeys within the short-term international experiences. Conclusions: The analysis suggested that, for these students, engagement in a short-term mobility week programme provided valuable opportunities for encounters with others, which contributed to personal and professional development, greater confidence in the students’ own professional identities, as well as an increasing sense of cultural awareness.

中文翻译：

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短期国际课程的高等教育学生体验：探索文化能力和专业发展

摘要背景：全球化趋势，例如欧洲国家内部和内部移民的增加，导致欧洲社会的文化多样性更大。文化多样性增加了进入其工作领域的专业人士对文化能力的需求。特别是，医疗保健专业人员需要知识和技能来使他们能够与来自不同文化背景的客户合作。在高等教育 (HE) 中，文化能力的专业发展应该理想地体现在本科教育中，并且通常作为出国留学期间的副产品来推广。然而，认识到长期出国留学往往存在后勤和财务障碍，一种替代方法可能是在国内或国外参与，在学生自己的高等教育机构内设置的短期国际课程中。目的：本研究的目的是探讨高等教育学生在欧洲三所大学参加国际“短期流动周”计划的经历。方法：参与研究的每所大学都为自己机构的医疗保健专业学生提供短期课程，本地学生和国外学生都可以参加。参与者是三所大学之一的该计划的医疗保健专业学生。通过焦点小组访谈收集数据（每组 4-8 名学生；n = 25）。转录数据，然后使用内容比较方法进行定性分析。结果：分析确定了六个类别，这反映了学生在短期国际体验中的旅程。结论：分析表明，对于这些学生来说，参加短期流动周计划提供了与他人接触的宝贵机会，这有助于个人和专业发展，对学生自己的专业身份更有信心，以及增强文化意识。