The ebb and flow of social capital in a European Nurse Education Network

This presentation offers some findings from an iterative case study that explored the practice and sustainability of a European Nurse Education network that has been functioning successfully for over 20 years. Networks are an area of practice that is generally poorly explored with minimal literature analysing the processes, value and impact of educational networks (Mujis 2010). Yet networks are perceived to be beneficial with multiple versions, ranging from intensive networks with close collaboration to much looser associations through networks. Increasingly universities are relying on networks and collaboration to expand within both general and disciplinary areas through increasing strategic advantage and providing wider educational opportunities for their students and staff. Interestingly, given the lack of understanding of network practice, networks are assumed to be an essential component for a university to meet key aspects of their internationalisation agenda, particularly for internationalising the undergraduate curricula in the UK (Leask 2015; Wakefield and Dismore 2015).