The EAIE is the perfect occasion to strengthen existing connections with partner institutions and to form new ones. “I think the EAIE in Rotterdam was enriching and a great success. It’s a fuller experience, because there’s the conference, the Partner Day ánd the Campus Experience. All in all, this caters for even more quality time with international colleagues”, says Wendy Raaphorst, teacher of Cultural Tourism and International Coordinator at Inholland.

During many of the conversations she had, it became evident that Inholland is a forerunner when it comes to the development of new forms of education. “It’s nice to know that we are ahead of the troops, but this also comes with its own set of challenges. We might not be so compatible with some of the partners in our network, because our educational systems are too different.”

Dedicated to internationalisation

Just like Wendy, Minke van Schelven of the International Office in Haarlem has been attending the EAIE for a few years now. “It gives me such a boost to see that people from all over the world and from different cultures are just as passionate about and dedicated to internationalisation as me.”

She visited several workshops, like the one about student selection. “It’s good to know that other institutions face the same challenges as Inholland; do you just select those with high scores, or do you look for their motivation? One institute had a practical tip for us; to have the students make a motivation video. I think this is a helpful tool to lower the threshold.”

New ideas

Astrid de Jong teaches Marketing and is the International Coordinator at Inholland in Alkmaar. She said the EAIE was ‘overwhelming and inspirational’. “Internationalisation is a wonderful phenomenon. It offers young people a broader perspective on the world. It has that effect on me too. Just by being at the EAIE, new ideas spontaneously come up to me.” During the conference, Astrid visited the stands of Brazil and Indonesia to see if she could get new partners from outside of Europe to join her COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning). She learned new things from them. “I heard of a BIP (Blendend Intensive Programme) on European law. This is interesting for my colleagues in the Business Studies department, since most of our projects often focus on economics. I immediately referred these new contacts to my colleagues.”

Internationalisation should not be a coordinators thing only, says Astrid. “After the EAIE, it is my job to get both colleagues and students excited about it, and show them all the possibilities.”

This day is all about the students. During the morning session, four of our students share the ins and outs about their studies. In the afternoon, the audience is captivated as yet more students present the Living labs.

The day starts off with Bart Combee, Chairman of the Board and Nahied Rezwani, Director of the faculty Business, Finance and Law addressing the visitors. “Internationalization fits in with our vision because our students will go on to work in international situations”, he says.

Researcher and lecturer Linda Snippe gives the audience a little taster of our practice-based research strategy. Dina, who has almost finished her studies at the conservatory, performs a calming jazzy song on the piano. Student Bart takes a short break from shooting these photos to show his already famous pictures, which were published in different international papers.

Klara gives the audience some insights in the workings of the Student Buddy Program for exchange students; a way to ensure every student always has someone to rely on during their time abroad.

Communications student Renske shares about working on projects with students from different studies and locations using our portfolio-based study method. “I’m learning by doing. Not by reading a book, making it through an exam and then… poof - everything I’ve learned is gone. We put what we learn into our portfolio, so it’s not about the grades.”

Tasha Welch from the Royal Roads University in Canada is inspired by the Renske’s story. “Working with portfolios is very innovative, and it is similar to how we work at our university in Canada. We are also looking for more innovative ways of education. This week gives us the opportunity to find out what different universities have in common, so that they can collaborate for future projects.”

After a tour of the building, it is time to lift off to Delft or to go visit a Living Lab at Zuidplein.

Living labs, the new way to go
At Zuidplein Rotterdam awaits a Living lab market with 7 Living Lab topics. From Sustainable Fashion to Sustainable Tourism. Visitors are invited to talk to the students and lecturers to get an idea of how a Living lab works.

Asad Ullah Sheikh from Pakistan visits to almost all the Living labs. “I think it is extremely valuable that the students are involved today, because they are our main stakeholders. I find the interaction between the industry and the students interesting, that’s a bridge I want to build.”

At the Living lab Lombardijen, student Gianni Staal together with his fellow student give a presentation about how they intend to solve social problems in this district. The crime rate is high, and poverty is prevalent. “In this Living lab, we work together with the government of the city Rotterdam. We do research on topics that are relevant for this district and share our recommendations with the bodies and institutions that are responsible for this neighborhood”, explains Gianni.

A visitor from Spain asks how the students they will implement all they’ve learned in this Living lab later in their careers. Gianni: “Well, I found a job as a ‘Leefbaarheidsregisseur’ (livability director) because of this Living Lab, so I am actually going to work in this district to help people with these issues.”

Javier Gil Rojo from Spain and Nadine Hachimann from Germany discuss the Living labs. Nadine Hachimann: “I think Living labs are very innovative concepts. It’s unique and it really fosters flexible thinking. However, I do think the maybe students might need more guidance.” Javier Gil Rojo: “But tmaybe that is only our point of view. I do think this is the new way to go.”

Photographer: Bart Stoutjesdijk, student Creative Business at Inholland

Some guests are here only for the first or second time, others know Inholland like the back of their hand. One of the latter is Marcus Kjellberg. Only a few years ago he himself was an exchange student at Inholland Diemen. Now he works as an International Coordinator at the Mälardalen University in Sweden, making other students just as enthusiastic about gaining international experience.

Nahied Rezwani and Bart Combee warmly welcome the attendees as they introduce them to Rotterdam and Inholland. “Let's strengthen our relationships, build new ones and learn from each other”, said Bart Combee. Coach, teacher, and international speaker Bas van den Beld is hosting the Partner Day.

Linda Snippe treats the attendees to a sneak peek of the European strategy for practice-based research at Inholland. “We work with ‘Trias Academia’, in which we collaborate with educational, research and the professional institutions. We believe this is how we can be most impactful.”

Dina, a conservatory student, writes and records her own music. She performs in cafés and bars every month, and now she’s singing at the Partner Day. “I’m learning about the importance of the business side of music. My conservatory teachers help me with my branding and to position myself as an artist.”

The audience has many questions for our students. They want to know what the students think should change at Inholland, whether they feel they can combine their personal work with school projects and if they think teachers are in fact real humans.

The answer is yes to all of these. Inholland gives students a lot of freedom to combine their personal work with their studies. One of the students’ recommendations is that all Inholland students should work portfolio-based, instead of writing exams. And yes, they do think our teachers are real humans. Moreover, Inholland’s teachers are also coaches. ‘I feel that we are equal.’

Photographer: Bart Stoutjesdijk, student Creative Business at Inholland

Irena Melua, Vice President for Internationalization at the Caucasus University in Georgia
“First of all, we have a great partnership with Inholland. We exchange students for Erasmus+ programs and for faculties. We not only enjoy a partnership, I feel like I came here today to see my friends at Inholland. We are looking forward to networking with different colleagues, and to exploring new partnership options with universities we aren’t yet connected with. One of our goals is to attract more international students. Right now, we have more students going abroad than students coming in from other countries. 

We are trying to get more European students to come to our beautiful university, and to see our country. We have a wide range of programs in English, we offer a lot of great educational opportunities, and we have great facilities. Our campus is situated in the capital, in the historical old city. If students come here, they get a real taste of our unique Georgian culture with it’s with warm people and great hospitality.”

Madina Mamanova, KIB University in Kazakhstan
“It’s my first time in Rotterdam. I really like the city; it is very modern. I’m here at the Partner Day because we are partners with Inholland and because of the Erasmus+ training week (training opportunities for staff). I would like to spend some time with the international office of Inholland to see how they work and how they communicate with students and learn more about the selection process they use. I am responsible for the students that go abroad. We work with different European universities, and we have about 30 to 40 students who are eager to go study in other nations. However, at present we only receive 2 or maybe 3 students per year.”

Armend Berisha, Head of International Projects, Universum International College in Kosova
“I’m here at in Inholland for the second time. What brings me here are my connections with Inholland - and new ideas are already bubbling up. We have different things going on currently: from working on projects together to exchanging ideas for new projects. The Inholland colleagues can select students who would like to come for a project in Kosova to do a Blended Intensive Programme and work together on a topic within the domain of Tourism and Hospitality. It is only my second time here, but by the looks of it, I’ll be back many more times! 

I’m responsible for developing our projects and I’m always eager to explore new areas of collaboration and new projects. Fortunately, here at Inholland everyone is very openminded and excited about international collaboration, making it a pleasure to be here. I think Inholland’s Tourism Department is well developed and they have interesting ideas about the Tourism industry. One of the things I learned from them is how we can improve our students’ learning experiences, because at Inholland, they look at things both from a local and an international perspective.”

Sarah Marx, Project Coordinator at Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin in Germany
“We are already partnering with Inholland, but I’m here and also attending the EAIE because I want to meet new people. As a COIL coordinator, I’m always looking out for best practices to glean or learn from. Maybe we can start a COIL connection with Inholland in the future. [Coil stands for Collaborative Online International Learning.] 

That would be a great opportunity. I don’t have a specific topic in mind yet, since our university is diverse and offers a wide range of studies. It would be great to have a multi-disciplinary COIL. I’m openminded and I look forward to talking to different teachers from different fields. In America and South America, the COIL is a well-known concept. It was only introduced in Europa in the last 4-5 years, so it is quite new here. Maybe Covid has helped it to become more prominent.”

Photographer: Bart Stoutjesdijk, student Creative Business at Inholland

Bart Combee is eagerly looking forward to the 4 day conference, which will start at the end of September. “It’s going to be inspirational. We will be learning new things from many international colleagues, hear about new initiatives and start new collaborations. Since I was born and raised in Rotterdam, I’m very excited that such an event is taking place in my city.”

Strengthening each other
“The world is becoming a global village with ties that bind. This is not only true in the areas of education and research, but also for challenges we face as a city such as the Energy Transition, climate goals and social polarisation. Our colleagues abroad are dealing with these same issues, so it’s helpful to be able to exchange knowledge and strengthen each other.”

International experiences for students
With that, Bart is touching on the core of the vision for internationalisation: “We want to improve the quality of our education and research. We do that partly by investing in our staff’s professional skills. For example, we exchange subject related insights with our colleagues abroad. But we also do this by facilitating international experiences for students. This can be an exchange program, to let them study abroad, but internationalisation is more than that.”

Especially internationalisation at home is taking flight. Students work together online in international groups on projects dealing with social issues. Examples of this are the BIP’s, in which students both come together and work individually from their own locations, and the COIL’s, in which the students do all their work together online.

Global Professional
“You need great collaborations between institutions in different countries to make these projects succeed,” Bart explains. “But thanks to these international experiences, the students develop knowledge and skills they need to become future global professionals. This involves language skills, but also intercultural skills to work with people from other cultures or ethnical backgrounds.”

Communication styles
As Chair of the Executive Board, Bart knows first-hand how valuable it is for students to have these experiences. After he studied Economics at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, he worked in international business, the healthcare sector, became the Director of the Consumer Association and later on President of the worldwide federation of Consumers International. This required him to work closely with people from all continents.

“Not only did I have to make an effort to express myself in another language, I also had to deal with different styles of communication. In some nations you first have to build relationships before you talk business, and in other countries they first talk about the details. If you are not aware of such communication styles, it can hinder you collaboration.”

Serve the City
Bart is involved with the EAIE in many different ways: from delivering the opening speech during the Partner Day and Campus Experience to attending some of the sessions. He wants to inspire people, but also make them think.

“An international and diverse city like Rotterdam also has it’s downsides, such as that fact that not everyone is profiting from being connected to the world out there. To some people, globalisation is a threat rather than an opportunity. I believe we should somehow serve the city. How can everyone benefit from the fact that we are all here together? That is something I want us all to think about.”

From 26 to 29 September, the 33rd edition of Europe’s largest international conference for higher education will take place. This time, it is being held in Rotterdam, with Inholland University of Applied Sciences as one of the host institutions. At the annual EAIE conference, education professionals come together to learn, discover trends and meet up

Various different workshops, sessions and lectures will take place during the EAIE conference. Visitors can also take part in the Campus Experience in Delft and Rotterdam on 26 September. In the morning, you’ll see examples of our practice-based education, we'll engage in discussions about internationalisation policy and activities. In the afternoon, you’ll either have the opportunity to explore one of our Living Labs situated on the scenic Southbank of Rotterdam, or visit our green campus in Delft. 

In the Living Lab in Rotterdam students from different disciplines, teachers, researchers, the professional field and community members come together to work on current and future challenges. During the experience in Delft, participants from a wide range of countries including France, the Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden and Mexico will find out more about our education, our labs and the special projects taking place in Delft.

Flappy Project
One example is the Flappy Project run by Mauro Gallo (Biomimicry lecturer). Given the growing world population and increasing demand for food, it is essential for agricultural and horticultural production to increase. However, pests and diseases pose a significant threat to crop yields and can reduce them by up to 10 per cent. Moreover, growers are increasingly restricted in the use of chemical pesticides. This calls for an alternative, sustainable approach.

Through the use of hovering drones, these diseases and pests can be monitored and controlled at an earlier stage. The drones must be small enough to fly between the plants and able to stay airborne for a sufficiently long time. It is also important to optimise energy efficiency in order to achieve an effective and sustainable solution. This can help growers to grow crops sustainably. If it were up to Mauro, several different crops would be grown in a single greenhouse in the future: 'In this scenario, the "Flappy" drones could monitor the crops, help to prevent problems and even let growers know the optimal time to harvest.’

The place where green & technology come together
In short, Inholland Delft is a dynamic environment in which students, researchers and businesses come together to work on pioneering projects and solutions to the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. From robotics and artificial intelligence to renewable energy and biotechnology, a wide range of disciplines are represented.

Campus innovation 
Besides this special project, Richard Oerlemans, director at the Faculty of Engineering, Design and Computing and location director of Inholland Alkmaar, will open the Campus Experience in Delft. With his extensive experience in higher education and his passion for developing talent, he has transformed the Sticky Campus in Alkmaar into a dynamic learning environment: 'I believe that the Sticky Campus in Alkmaar is a true breeding ground for innovation and collaboration. It is a place where knowledge, talent and businesses come together and where new ideas can come to life.'

Study associations
Finally, the two study associations of Inholland Delft, S.V. Futurum Mundus Clementia (FMC) and V.S.V. Sipke Wynia, will also be present. These two study associations focus on different disciplines and areas of interest. They provide a platform that not only allows students to connect with fellow students but also allows them to develop further outside the classroom. By organising lectures, workshops, excursions and social events, the study associations contribute to students' academic, professional and personal growth. They provide a community in which students can support, collaborate and inspire each other. 

The EAIE Conference 2023, the largest international education conference for higher education in Europe, is coming to Rotterdam. This conference of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) will take place in Ahoy from 26 until 29 September. Inholland University of Applied Sciences is one of the host institutions.

The EAIE conference is an annual conference where education professionals from partner institutions meet, discover new trends and gain new insights into internationalisation. Last year, the EAIE conference in Barcelona attracted 6,300 participants from 90 countries.

Petra Hogendoorn-Schweighofer, policy adviser on internationalisation at Inholland and one of the speakers, has been attending EAIE 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.’

Inholland at the EAIE
This 33rd edition in Rotterdam will be packed with workshops, content sessions, speakers and Campus Experiences. As the host institution and funding partner, Inholland will take up a prominent place this year, together with Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Thomas More Hogeschool and Codarts.

This means that, for the first time, Inholland will have its own stand during the conference, it will organise 'Partner Days' on 25 September and the Inholland locations in Rotterdam and Delft will be open on 26 September during the Campus Experiences. We will also get exposure with an article in EAIE's Forum magazine, on the conference website and at the conference venue. In addition, two of our proposals this year have been selected for content sessions on Thursday 27 September.

View on developments
In one session, about the future of internationalisation, Petra will talk about the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) and how these programmes can contribute to solving societal issues. In the other session, Adinda van Gaalen, strategic adviser for research and internationalisation, will discuss the key role of policy in making the internationalisation of higher education more sustainable. Check out the full programme of the EAIE conference.

Internationalisation and sustainability
Sustainability is one of the trends at the EAIE conference, alongside inclusivity and digitalisation. An interesting topic, because how do you cooperate sustainably? And can a conference where people from 90 countries travel to one place be called sustainable?

Petra Hogendoorn-Schweighofer: ‘That's right, it's a dilemma for many educational institutions. Therefore, the EAIE encourages travelling to the conference by sustainable modes of transport. Fortunately, conducting meetings with international partners online allows you to reduce mobility to some extent. However, the best ideas often come from meeting each other in person.'

Read more about the EAIE conference in this article

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.