Global Civic Engagement for Nursing: A Transformative Model to enhance student experience

The Global Civic Engagement for Nursing initiative represents a bold and innovative step by the University of East London in redefining civic engagement within a globalized context. By embedding structured, ethically grounded international volunteering into the Level 6 Civic Engagement module, the team has created a pioneering framework that enhances cultural competence, global citizenship, and experiential learning for pre-registration nursing students. This approach moves beyond traditional classroom learning, offering students authentic opportunities to engage with diverse communities and health systems worldwide.

The initiative is underpinned by strong international partnerships, rigorous safeguarding protocols, reflective assessment practices, and inclusive access to “Glocal” opportunities—acting locally while thinking globally. UEL’s Glocal strategic vision strengthens community partnerships and fosters international collaboration through education, research, and sustainability. This model is not only robust and sustainable but also scalable, providing a blueprint for other departments within UEL but also for Higher Education Institutions across the UK in general to elevate nursing education and civic engagement.

What makes this initiative particularly impactful is its origin: a student-driven request that evolved into a full-scale redesign through cross-departmental collaboration between the Nursing Department and the Global Experiences team. The result is a curriculum that transforms learners while setting new standards for ethical global engagement in higher education.

The impact on students has been immediate and profound. Post-mobility reflections reveal significant professional growth, including enhanced critical analysis, deeper cultural insight, and thoughtful examinations of global health challenges and social determinants of health. Students demonstrated heightened awareness of inequalities faced by vulnerable communities worldwide and developed as compassionate, globally minded future nurses. This session will showcase how listening to students, embracing ambitious ideas, and committing to ethical global engagement can create transformative educational experiences with sector-wide implication.