Abstract:
National mobility schemes can do more than move people—they can forge durable, mission-aligned partnerships that deepen research collaboration and social impact. Drawing on the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) portfolio—including Polish Returns, NAWA Scholarships, and the Research in Poland platform—this session unpacks how program design, co-funding models, and shared governance convert short-term exchanges into long-term institutional networks. Using recent case studies with Asia-Pacific and Global South universities, we will analyse the catalysts (joint supervision, seed grants, sandwich PhDs) that transform individual mobility into multi-layered cooperation and scalable joint projects. Participants will leave with an adaptable framework for embedding reciprocity, equity, and sustainability into their own mobility initiatives, thus advancing the APAIE 2026 theme of “Partnerships and Mobility” and contributing to the broader SDG agenda.

Learning objectives:
– Identify design principles that turn mobility programs into sustainable, multi-institutional partnerships
– Compare co-funding and governance models that foster reciprocity and capacity building
– Evaluate practical tools (e.g., joint supervision, seed-funded projects) that scale small exchanges into strategic networks
– Draft an action checklist for integrating equity and SDG alignment into mobility schemes

Target audience:
International officers, partnership managers, mobility coordinators, government agency representatives, and strategists focused on building equitable, SDG-aligned global networks through student and staff mobility.

Abstract:
This poster presents findings from a U.S.-based quantitative study using the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) to examine how traditional college readiness metrics, such as high school GPA, standardized test scores, and extracurricular involvement, predict college success differently across socioeconomic groups. Multivariate regression models reveal that while high school GPA predicts first-year college GPA for all students, its predictive strength is significantly greater for high-SES students. Similarly, standardized test scores (e.g., SAT/ACT) show a positive relationship with college outcomes primarily among high-SES students, but offer limited predictive power for low-SES students.

These findings raise urgent questions for Asia-Pacific institutions, particularly those collaborating with or modeling practices after U.S. universities. As global partnerships expand, admissions and advising frameworks rooted in Western norms risk being replicated in ways that may unintentionally disadvantage non-elite or culturally diverse students. This poster invites institutions engaged in Asia-Pacific partnerships to critically examine the cultural assumptions underlying shared metrics of “readiness” and “success.” The poster also outlines institutional strategies for developing more culturally inclusive models of readiness and support. Attendees will leave with insights on applying equity-driven research to global higher education systems.

Learning objectives:
– Understand how traditional college readiness metrics (e.g., GPA, test scores, extracurriculars) reflect elite cultural norms.
– Recognize how these metrics disproportionately predict success for high-SES students and undervalue low-/middle-SES students.
– Learn how cultural mismatch can impact student well-being and engagement with campus resources.
– Explore how Asia-Pacific and global institutions may unintentionally replicate these inequities through imported admission models.
– Identify data-informed strategies to design more culturally inclusive admissions, advising, and student support systems.
– Apply insights from U.S.-based data (HSLS:09) to inform local or institutional equity efforts in diverse educational contexts.

Target audience:
Designed for attendees with some background in student support, admissions, or equity initiatives who are interested in applying data-informed and culturally responsive practices in higher education. Also, those working on global student mobility or adapting admissions models across the Asia-Pacific context.