1st Edition
Optimising the Third Space in Higher Education Case Studies of Intercultural and Cross-Boundary Collaboration
Drawing on an empirical study of the cross-boundary, cross-campus, and intercultural collaborations between professional and academic staff, at both an Australian and a Singaporean university, this book demonstrates the potential of third space collaboration in higher education.
Through a multi-case study methodology, the author draws on the antecedent resources of spatial theory to investigate how staff working together, crossing, and transcending various traditional and imaginary boundaries created innovative boundary practices while successfully completing the university projects. The third space projects under investigation range from increasing the academic research visibility and commercialisation of a research solution to expanding the educational choices for students in one geographical region and developing a research culture in one international campus. The findings present practical approaches to strengthening collegiality and professional partnering, challenging the reader to reflect on potential strategies that will apply to their own work environments.
This book will be a useful resource for researchers in higher education, particularly those interested in the third space theory and practice, university collaboration, collaborative capital, and impacts of diversification of university staff roles and identities.
1.Introduction: University third space environments and their theoretical and conceptual antecedents 2. Self-determination towards boundary crossing: Empirical cases of university staff third space collaboration 3. Case one (Australia): A novel solution to a research problem: a case study of "sprinting the marathon" from an idea to the commercial entity 4. Case two (Australia): "Building the aircraft while flying it": a case study of teams defying the boundaries and working together to deliver a new model of generalist medical training 5. Case three (Australia): "If you build it, they will come": a case study of a significant organisational change that emanated from a technology solution 6. Case four (Singapore): "An exciting place to be": a case study of fast-paced, cross-cultural, cross-campus collaboration for building a research culture at Tropical University 7. Case five (Singapore): "It was only a very small project" but a huge step towards reaffirming collaboration: a successful case study of interaction and collaboration between colleagues from different campuses 8. Boundary crossing: Meaning making and learning, and the universal needs of actors working towards university collaborative capital 9. Recommendations for universities and the conceptual framework of the university third space professional staff cross-boundary collaboration and collaborative capital optimisation 10. Final words: University third space and time continuum. Appendix: Two research phases in figures
Biography
Natalia Veles is an experienced researcher, educator, and manager-practitioner based at James Cook University (JCU), Australia, with the doctoral student supervision affiliation with the University of Southern Queensland and research collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Having worked in educational leadership in Russia, China, New Zealand, and Vietnam, she embodies a third space professional identity: her scholarship and professional practice, commitment to improving learner engagement and increasing collaboration among university actors drive her research and teaching pursuits. Natalia holds a PhD in higher education research. Her academic background is in applied linguistics, organisational sociology, intercultural psychology, and career development within the interdisciplinary higher education research, with a particular curiosity for how organisational boundaries and discursive spaces impact collaboration.
