The global citizen: Exploring intercultural collaborations and the lived experience of Australian and Malaysian students during a short-term study tour in Malaysia

This chapter draws from research on the ways in which a group of Australian and Malaysian preservice teachers reflected on their collaborative experiences during a short-term outbound mobility programme (OMP) in Malaysia. Funding was secured through the Australian Government’s Study Overseas Short-term Mobility Program (STMP), which aimed at promoting opportunities for more Australians at the tertiary level to undertake meaningful short-term international mobility experiences. The research focused on how both groups of preservice teachers reflected on themselves as culturally responsive global citizens during and after the two-week programme in Kuala Lumpur. The hypothesis was that when coupled with appropriate reflection, experiential and reciprocal learning might contribute to increased intercultural capacity and regional awareness of global concerns such as respecting religious differences and the impact of environmental degradation. Findings suggest that from initial ethnocentric assumptions, both groups developed a respect for cultural difference through their intercultural encounters with each other. The research also found that the Australian and Malaysian preservice teachers gained deeper insights into their cultural selves as global citizens and how global perspectives can be shaped through regional contexts in the Asia Pacific.