The global at home, at home in the global: A study tour case study from the belonging project

Study abroad and study tour opportunities have become the dominant model of intercultural exchange in Australian universities. While these initiatives can provide meaningful opportunities for the empathetic engagement with Others, the development of cosmopolitan consciousness, and multicultural identity (Paige, Fry, Stallman, Josic, & Jon, 2009; Bellamy & Weinberg, 2006; Ribeiro, 2005) for students who are able to access them, they are not unproblematic. As Waters and Brooks (2010) have noted in the UK context, these students 'remain a highly privileged group and their experiences [may] serve only to facilitate the reproduction of their privilege.' The fly-­‐in, fly-­‐out nature of these exchanges may limit the effectiveness of fully reciprocal relationships. This paper draws on the research of The Belonging Project, a four-­‐year longitudinal project at RMIT University that aims to support the participation and integration of students from diverse backgrounds, circumstances and cultures. Specifically it draws on qualitative research and an ethnographic case study of a course initiative between the RMIT Melbourne and RMIT Vietnam campuses. It explores low-­‐cost possibilities for pedagogical innovation and virtual collaboration as means to develop more sustainable, equitable, and accessible intercultural opportunities.