Newsletter Programme Internationalisation of Education
Destination:
WORLD
Spring 2016
Making Choices
Preface
The Strategic Programme Internationalisation of Education
Reflections by Ellen Hey About making reasonable choices. Policy-making, including about the internationalisation of education, involves making choices. It involves the rational weighing of pros and cons but ultimately the making of reasonable choices. The choices that we make today will hopefully enable our students to make reasonable choices, also during their lives as alumni of EUR. Internationalisation of education can contribute to attaining this goal by enabling our students and staff to experience that there are different ‘correct’ answers to the same question and thus different reasonable choices available. In order to attain that, among many other things, we need to: 1) Enhance the opportunities for our students and staff to spend time abroad and immerse themselves in other cultures and 2) Internationalise our campus, both in terms of students and staff. The choices highlighted in this issue of Destination: World highlight some of the reasonable choices we need to make as an EUR community. In view of the atrocities that recently occurred in Brussels and at so many other locations in the world before and after Brussels, I am appealing to humanistic reasoning, without losing what rationality has to offer us. Viewed in this context, making reasonable choices for the internationalisation of education at EUR might be regarded as involving embracing the reasonable that all cultures have to offer. However, in order to do this, we need to know that culture. This is where the EUR’s strategic programme of internationalisation of education has a contribution to make.
This column was inspired by a rereading of Stephen Toulmin’s Cosmopolis (The University of Chicago Press, 1990) over the Easter weekend.
The Erasmus University Rotterdam has a strategic programme in place with the aim to integrate the institution and its key stakeholders – its students, faculty and staff – into a globalising world. Since the last issue of Destination: World appeared, the people involved in the projects of the Internationalisation of Education programme have been working hard to obtain results that will contribute in making the Erasmus University Rotterdam an international university.
Ellen Hey Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
A selection of project successes include:
In this newsletter: Facilities, Services and Hospitality The Career Services EUR website has been online since February. Next to information for Dutch students there is also important information for international students about working in the Netherlands. Click here to learn more on global employability.
3
5
6
Sharing
International Incoming&
Milestones
Recruiting
7
8
News
outgoing
Upcoming
From the summer of 2016 onwards, Dutch courses for beginners that are offered by the Language and Training Centre (TTC) are open to exchange students with a discount. All international students (Bachelor, Master’s, PhD or exchange) can participate with a discount of 55% in the intensive Dutch summer course for beginners or in one of the evening courses during the semester.
events
Colophon Destination: World is a quarterly newsletter of the EUR Strategic Programme Internationalisation of Education. Editor Carien van der Wal Text editing Anne Husar
2
Destination: WORLD magazine
Photography Sanne van der Most, Eric Fecken, Sercan Kahveci @infinnacage Contributors Gwen de Bruin, Semiha Denktas, Marjo Gallé, Emma Hamilton, Trika Harms zum Spreckel, Godelieve van Heteren, Ellen Hey, Ad Hofstede, Dirkje Schinkelshoek, Anne van Woerkom, Mijke Zeegers
Published by Academic Affairs/ Internationalisation program Designed by Ontwerpwerk www.eur.nl/internationalisation
Want to know more about the Erasmus Language Sharing initiative, it’s organization, concept and goals? Read the interview with ELS’ President here.
Rotterdam Summer School The Rotterdam Summer School was officially launched in March. The Rotterdam Summer School offers a way for international students and professionals to get to know the educational institutions of Rotterdam and to contribute to the economy and dynamic of Rotterdam. More than twenty courses are offered in categories such as Health, Economics, Art and Culture, and Languages. Visit the website to see all the courses on offer or email to get more information if you want to offer a summer course yourself. Projects & Funding We are happy to report that Erasmus University Rotterdam is now profiled for the Sallie Mae Smart Option Loan. For recruitment staff this means that EUR is able to receive students from the United States with a loan from Sallie Mae and that recruitment in the US can be intensified. In earlier years several faculties had to turn students down who had wished to come with a student loan. Students may begin applying immediately at www.salliemae.com. This year has an exceptionally high number of Erasmus+ submissions. More than ten projects have been submitted in this EU programme for funding for innovation in education. Among them is the application for an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree for the Master in Health Economics and Management (EU-HEM) by iBMG. The Erasmus University Rotterdam is also applying for three Strategic Partnership projects: ESL, RSM and the Graduate School of the EGS3H. We hope to be able to celebrate multiple successful projects this summer. International Master’s Portfolio At the Global Education Café in March, the first round of proposals was launched for faculties to develop new
Destination: WORLD magazine
3
innovative and international master’s degree courses. In total €900,000 has been made available. The deadline for submissions is 25 April 2016. In 2017, a second round will be launched with the deadline 27 January 2017. Click here for more information on the procedure to apply. Internationalisation of the Curriculum For the Internationalisation of the Curriculum project we have had the pleasure to visit colleagues at the faculties, especially with regard to the International and Intercultural Learning Outcomes of the Erasmus University Rotterdam programmes. In the first few months of this year we paid almost all of the faculties a visit – with the final stop planned at EMC- to discuss how the international and intercultural aspects of their programme(s) – which are so often already present in the classroom, but not on paper – can be made more explicit. The advice we have given our colleagues can be implemented in the next curriculum review, mid-term evaluation or accreditation. We are also happy to confirm that the development of the module ‘Teaching in an International Classroom’ is in full swing and we will be able to offer the first classes in autumn 2016.
Global Education Café On 10 March, the second Global Education Café was held in the Erasmus Pavilion. At five tables, different topics and best practices concerning Master’s degrees included: Marketing and attracting students to your Master’s Programme; Internationalising your Master’s curriculum with international and intercultural learning outcomes, and Exchange during the Master’s Programme. They were discussed with interested parties of the EUR. Click here for an impression and findings of the café. Strategic Networks & Academic Partnerships This project aims to create and engage in aligning a pan-university international strategic academic network with innovative knowledge centres around the world. The network will build on the strengths and the many international relations which the faculties at Erasmus University Rotterdam already enjoy. A series of Brown Bag lunches were held with the aim of arriving at the realistic selection of a number of compatible, dynamic universities with which we can open partnership negotiations to capture the future. For more info check Youtube or check out the Facebook story of Godelieve van Heteren.
4
Destination: WORLD magazine
International Recruiting General approaches Community of Practice: people with expert knowledge and experience in a specific field share their knowledge and experience with stakeholders in the organisation, by joining forces on projects. Global Education Café: a meeting place for all that is happening within the Internationalisation of Education programme, taking place quarterly. Here we present updates on the progress of various projects, informally share EUR ‘good practices’ in internationalisation, and involve and inform others than only those directly involved in projects.
The people behind the programme Standing from left to right: Emma Hamilton (Internationalisation Curriculum), Adri Meijdam (Internationalisation Curriculum), Mijke Zeegers (Development and International Funding, Rotterdam Summerschool), Gwen de Bruin (Programme Management, EUR Master Portfolio), Carien van der Wal (Communication), Marjo Gallé (Programme Management, Networks), Jesse Schreuders (Student Recruitment), Dirkje Schinkelshoek (Facilities, Services & Hospitality) and Trika Harms zum Spreckel (Student Recruitment). Not in picture: Ellen Hey (Advisor to the Executive Board), Godelieve van Heteren (Networks).
To kick off our international recruiting project, we launched enhanced profiles on two influential rankings sites: Times Higher Education and QS rankings sites in order to improve brand perception and create leads. International student recruitment project overview The international recruiting project aims to keep up the great numbers of international students we currently have while increasing diversity in our international classrooms. There are three elements of the project that will run over the coming three years: country specific recruiting, an EUR online experience, and a personal contact campaign. For more information on all three efforts, visit: www.eur.nl/internationalisation. Rankings inspire confidence in EUR Rankings are an important tool for international students to identify and evaluate their university choices. Since the launch of our enhanced profiles in January on QS rankings and Times Higher Education, we’ve seen the number of visitors double, to about 10,000 students per month; three-quarters of the visitors are non-Dutch, with large numbers coming from India, UK, US, Italy, Hong Kong, and Iran to name a few. U.K., Spain, Mexico, India: here we come! Under the country-specific marketing initiative, our central marketing team will give extra recruiting attention to four countries in the coming three years. The first milestone was to identify two European Economic Area (EEA) and two non-EEA countries as targets out of the 70+ countries currently targeted by our faculties and institutes. The three-month analysis just concluded and our targets are: U.K., Spain, Mexico and India.
Learn more about the selection process in a recorded webinar.
Trika Harms zum Spreckel explains about international student recruitement in this interview.
Destination: WORLD magazine
5
Incoming & outgoing Why should you go on an exchange? We asked Dr Semiha Denktas (Head of Department Social & Behavioural Sciences at Erasmus University College): “Well, there are many reasons. For example, you can master a foreign language through practical immersion. You also become more mature since you have to cope with challenges outside a familiar support network and comfort zone. Lastly, you are much more attractive to prospective employers in almost every field because of your experience gained while living in a foreign country and knowledge obtained of another language and culture.” Become inspired and read the blog of Melissa and watch the video with Nilou and Alexander.
Melissa de Jong “I am Melissa de Jong, Dutch, third year IBCoM student, and fresh of the plane from my exchange to Singapore. The reason why I wanted to go on exchange to Singapore was simple: I wanted to explore Asia while studying in an English-speaking country. I found it very important to go on exchange, because why would you do an international course if you don’t want to go abroad?! Also, why would you stay at home and get grades that count towards your GPA if you can also have half a year of pass/fail courses. Personally, I am pursuing a career in an international environment, thus international experience is needed. Nevertheless, it is in any case a very valuable addition to your CV. Add to that, that on exchange you can choose subjects from a broader spectrum than you could do when you stay in the Netherlands. I really gained more knowledge in subjects I never could have done at home! Besides that exchange is one big party holiday (you still rather stay in Rotterdam?), I got a better sense of what I want academically and career-wise. If you get the amazing chance to go on exchange, take it with both hands!”
News Survey The Erasmus University Rotterdam has a strategic programme for Internationalisation of Education in place that aims to develop and strengthen the existing international character of its educational programmes and education related facilities. We would like to know how you see the internationalisation of education at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, so please fill in the survey. It only takes a few minutes and would help us greatly. For every completed questionnaire, the programme will donate one euro to the EUR crowdfunding project, Scholars at Risk.
Is it you who will compete in the next CGI? Get inspired by these students!
Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Nilou Yekta, Alexander Baanen
Rankings Erasmus University Rotterdam strives to achieve academic excellence. This results in high positions in international university rankings.
6
Destination: WORLD magazine
Destination: WORLD magazine
7
Upcoming Events NAFSA: June 2016 EUR will be part of ‘Study in Holland’ presence at NAFSA in Denver in June 2016. Let us know if you’re going too.
Work conference Strategic Networks & Academic Partnerships September 2016, precise date to be decided
Global Education Café – Fall 2016, for exact date and time, check here
8
Destination: WORLD magazine
Destination: WORLD magazine
9