ghent university – international relations office trends in internationalisation policy valère...

Ghent University – international Relations Office

Trends in Internationalisation Policy

Valère Meus – Head of IROGhent University - Belgium


Four main functions within the IRO:

1. Communication & Marketing: to promote the university as a partner for international co-operation 2. Policy Development & advice and support: to help develop an institutionalised international policy, act as a “centre of expertise”3. Programme Management & Coordination: to promote and support participation in international cooperation programmes4. Logistics of International Mobility: to facilitate the mobility of students & staff


1.Communication & marketing

• Providing information about international programmes

• International promotion: English information, joint guest professor policy, participation in conferences and fairs, strategic alliances and networks, international alumni activities

• International recruitment: start-up and consultation with other departments & faculties (where, which programmes, resources), international programmes in English

• Possible partners: local, national, regional alliances, networks …


2. Policy development

• Bologna: national legislation on higher education, UGent decreesfollow-up of recent evolutions: accreditation, flexibility, competence oriented education, European Qualification Framework (EQF), …

• FCI & Central Admin (faculty committees of internationalisation) maximising and officialising their roles

• Proposal for a platform of internationalisation within the central administration, to improve interaction and detect shortcomings (cf. China Platform)

• Internationalisation @ home: non-mobile students, foreign students and professors, English materials, international curricula

• International marketing


Policy development in practice

-Regional alliances-European Programmes-International networks-Joint programmes-Associations-Integrating private industry and authorities-Marketing


3. Programme management and coordination

• Finding new external funding possibilities (North-America & Asia)• Preference for ‘equal’ partners rather than purely supporting

projects• Larger involvement of faculties in institutional projects• Clear division of tasks between IRO and promotor: proposal and

budgetting, implementation and administration, reporting • Stimulating non-active professors : implies trying to obtain official

recognition for internationalisation activities within their careers• Database with all international projects• Financial management of external and central funds


4. Logistics of international mobility

• Trying to find a balance between incoming - outgoing students

• Faculties: recognition of ECTS credits obtained abroad + indicating where mobility is possible within new BA/MA structure

• Overview of all possiblities and grants -> a SPOC function is the ideal scenario

• Defining and remediating obstacles • Additional mobility possibilities outside Erasmus (bilateral

agreements, networks,…)


UGent institutional strategy: further policy

• Involvement of international student organisations • International alumni (Erasmus Mundus)• Shortage of accommodation and facilities• Defining and remediating language knowledge of

exchange students- Orienting exchange students towards enrolment for a

Master programme- Incentive funding


History & structure: the IRO

Head IRO

Management/Project Officers

Student Adviser

Incoming Students

Student Adviser

Outgoing Students

Project administrator

Secretary

Accountant


Overview of types of int’l cooperation

EC programmes

Lifelong Learning Programme-Erasmus- Comenius- Lingua - Minerva-Grundtvig

-Thematic Networks

- Leonardo da Vinci

Tempus (Cards – Tacis - Meda)Alfa / AlbanAtlantis /EU- Canada /Australia/NZAsia-Link / Asia Pro-EcoJean MonnetErasmus MundusEdulink

Other programmesInteruniversity bilateral agreements

International educational cooperation projects (Flemish Community)

PEACE

Other initiatives: e.g. Santander Group


A. EC-Programmes in detail: LLP

http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/socrates.html

EC programme for cooperation in the field of educationDivided in sub-programmes: -ERASMUS: mobility programme for higher education (student & staff mobility, curriculum development & intensive programmes) -MINERVA: ICT in education -GRUNDTVIG: adult education -COMENIUS: school education -LINGUA: language teaching and learning - Leonardo Da Vinci -Thematic Networks


A. EC-programmes in detail: TEMPUS

http://www.etf.eu.int/

Cooperation between EU and Eastern Europe & Central Asia (Tacis), the countries of the Western Balkan (Cards) or the Mediterranean (Meda).

-TEMPUS/CARDS-TEMPUS/TACIS-TEMPUS/MEDA


A. EC-programmes in detail: ALFA / ALBANALFA:http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/alfa/index_en.htmCooperation programme between EU and Latin-America in the field of education

ALBAN:http://www.programalban.orgindividual scholarships for Latin American students and professionals > EU


A. EC programmes: Atlantis (EU-US)

http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/eu-usa/call_en.html

Main goal: The main focus of Atlantis is on supporting innovative projects for cooperation in the higher education field, including vocational training, which are designed to develop and implement double or joint “transatlantic degrees” for students in the EU and U.S.

Actions under Atlantis:ACTION 1 – Transatlantic Degree Consortia ProjectsACTION 2 - Excellence (Follow-up) Mobility ProjectsACTION 3 - Policy-oriented Measures


A. EC-programmes: Erasmus Mundus

http:europe.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus/index_en.htm

• prepare citizens for global society• Ensure world-wide recognition of European universities as centre of

excellence• Remain at leading edge of developments• Contribute to cultural understanding• Improve quality of higher education in Europe• Promote intercultural understanding through co-operation with third

countries


A. EC-programmes: Edulink

http://www.acp-edulink.eu/

- new programme with ACP-countries- to foster capacity building and regional integration in the field of HE through institutional networking & support quality HE relevant to socio-economic needs- 3 levels

– Institutional/administrative– Academic – Research and Technology strengthening


B. Int’l programmes in detail: Institutional Bilateral Cooperation

An institutional policy instrument to anticipate and support programmes by:

- generating external finances- creating benefits for students and staff- activating new initiatives- providing incentives

Currently approx. worldwide 70 bilateral agreements


Int’l programmes in detail: Cooperation programme with Central-and Eastern Europe

http://docs.vlaanderen.be/buitenland/deelsites/centraalenoosteuropa.htm

pillar I: post-accession model (co-operation with the 8 new member states)

pillar II: pre-accession support for Bulgaria, Rumania and Croatia

pillar III: support to the new neighbours (Ukraine) Projects funded by Flemish government, with Flemish promotors and COE partners (for pillar II: 85%) Different approach per pillar


Int’l programmes in detail: Cooperation programme with Central-and Eastern Europe

Possible activities: promotion activities, establishing networks, stimulating twinnings among cities, stimulating bilateral co-operation among chambers of commerce, trilateral co-operation with countries from the new neighbourhood, co-financing Interreg projects, initial costs for participation in projects in the framework of EU-programmes, bilateral film festivals or promotional cultural events, conferences and co-operation on regionalisation in Europe


Int’l programmes in detail: Santander Grouphttp://sgroup.be/

•European Universities' Network (45 partners) with the aims of establishing special academic, cultural and socio-economic ties •Setting up specific and advanced facilities as well as privileged channels of information and exchange •Encourage contacts between universities and their surrounding communities or regions on matters related to social and technological development


contact

International Relations OfficeOnderbergen 4 a-cB-9000 GentBelgiumPhone: +32-9-264.82.34Fax: +32-9-264.83.99

www.international.ugent.beE-mail: [email protected]

ghent university – international relations office trends in internationalisation policy valère...

Documents

international cooperation

mobility of students

foreign students

central administration

policy developmentbologna

nonmobile students

policy development advice

english information