Internationalisation goes beyond student exchanges
from 26 until 29 September, Rotterdam will host the prestigious EAIE education conference in the Ahoy convention centre. The 33rd EAIE conference is the largest international education conference for higher education in Europe. Inholland University of Applied Sciences is one of the host institutions. This is an Q&A on this event.
What is the EAIE conference?
The EAIE conference is organised annually by the European Association for International Education (EAIE), an Amsterdam-based non-profit organisation with more than 3,000 members within and outside Europe.
Who is the EAIE 2023 for?
For higher education professionals who want to share and expand their knowledge about internationalisation. Policy advisers, international officers, team leaders, internationalisation coordinators and teaching staff from all faculties can participate.
Why is the EAIE conference highly recommended?
It is the best place to network, but gaining knowledge and inspiration and spotting trends are also good arguments to go. Petra has been attending these conferences since 2008. ‘This education conference does not only deepen your knowledge on internationalisation but it is also a great opportunity to meet and expand your international network.’
How special is it that the EAIE conference is coming to Rotterdam?
Together with the higher education institutions of Rotterdam and the Municipality of Rotterdam we have held the ambition to organise this annual conference in Rotterdam since 2017. That it is now happening offers great opportunities. For us as Inholland, it is an opportunity to present ourselves and show the world how we design our teaching. For the city it is an economic boost around €7.5 million.
Inholland is a funding partner, what does that mean?
Together with Erasmus University Rotterdam, Codarts, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Thomas More Hogeschool and the Municipality of Rotterdam, Inholland will be in the spotlight at the conference. This means that the Rotterdam consortium will be in the spotlight at the conference. This means that we have our own booth, that we will organise 'Partner Days' at our locations in Rotterdam and Haarlem and that we will host Campus Experiences on our locations Rotterdam and Delft.
Inholland is hosting such a big event and one theme is sustainability. How do you reconcile that?
'With difficulty,' says Petra. 'The contrast between sustainability and internationalisation are perceived as a dilemma by educational institutions. You can limit mobility, for example with online meetings, but real meetings are often irreplaceable. Inholland recently introduced a new traveling policy that promotes traveling by train, so the one thing doesn't exclude the other.
On the other hand, our teaching is geared towards sustainability. By participating in international projects, students learn to look across national, linguistic and cultural borders. This stimulates them to find solutions to global social issues, from sustainable banking to a sustainable food supply. This is how they learn to contribute to a better world in their own way. And you don't always have to travel for that, it can also be done through collaborative online international learning projects.'
How must does visiting the EAIE conference cost?
Early-bird ticket sales started on 31 May. Members of the EAIE pay €749, and non-members pay €959. From 1 July, the price will go up by €90.
What is Inholland's approach to internationalisation?
Petra Hogendoorn-Schweighofer, policy adviser on internationalisation at Inholland and one of the speakers at the conference: ‘Internationalisation is very valuable for our students. The world is becoming increasingly international and the challenges we face often transcend regional and national borders. We therefore want our graduates to be able to build bridges across national and cultural boundaries, contributing to a sustainable living environment and a resilient society.’
In short, internationalisation is alive and well, says Petra. At the moment, we are more and more establishing broad cooperations with our international partners that go beyond mobility. The EAIE conference is a great time to catch up on these partnerships and discover new activities. Internationalisation also often serves as a bridge between the faculties because it can facilitate cross domain collaboration with our international partners. This is also something that our partners are looking for.
’There is significant interest within our degree programmes to develop Collaborative Online International Learning projects (COILs). This way, internationalisation will also be accessible to students who can't or don't want to travel. We're also working hard with our international partners to develop Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs), of which we organised five at Inholland during this academic year,' Petra explains.
Do you want to be involved in the EAIE?
If you want to know more about internationalisation, the EAIE conference or get involved in the Partner Days or Campus Experience, contact Petra Hogendoorn-Schweighofer.
If you would like to participate in the conference as an Inholland colleague, for example to increase your knowledge and skills in the field of internationalisation, please get in touch with your line manager. Early-bird ticket sales started on 31 May.