1 / 30

Empowering Student Mobility in European Higher Education

Explore the impact of student mobility programs on cultural competence, independence, social networking, and more. Discover the challenges and rewards of international exchanges through firsthand experiences.

crosswhite
Download Presentation

Empowering Student Mobility in European Higher Education

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. COUNCIL OF EUROPE Directorate of School, Out-Of-School And Higher Education, Higher Education and Research Division and PEOPLES’ FRIENDSHIP UNIVERSITY OF RUSSIA INTERNATIONALSEMINAR MAKING THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA A REALITY: THE ROLE OF STUDENTS www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  2. International Student Experience: Mobility Ewa Krzaklewska Vice President Erasmus Student Network www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  3. Content • The impact of the mobility • The issues in the mobility schemes • Students’ role in fostering mobility www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  4. Data on quality of exchange • ESNSurvey • in 2005, 8000 students evaluated their exchange • in 2006, 12,500 students responded to questionnaire on exchange students’ rights (done in partnership with Universita’ Bocconi) More information at www.esn.org/survey www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  5. International experience • Wide range of experiences: • international students (full degree) • specialised degree MA • exchange students (Erasmus,Tempus, CEEPUS, bilateral) • Internship, work • short term experience www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  6. Impact on students+ 1. Culturally competent 2. Multilingual (2,1 => 3,6) 3. Mobile (78% would move) 4. More mature and indipendent 5. Created social network abroad. www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  7. Different experiences... My time in Edinburgh was an unforgettable experience, full of challenges and adventures, but also time of measuring my capabilities and time of meeting other cultures. Kasia, Polish (Scotland) www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  8. I think one thing that I appreciated most was getting to meet lots of people from different cultures. Just on my floor there were students from South Africa, Tanzania, Japan, Netherlands, Australia and France. It was great interacting with them all. Jim, English (Sweden) www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  9. I had time not only to learn about my academic discipline from the other perspective (new experiences, new technologies), but also learn language.Michal, Polish (Germany) www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  10. Impact on students+ Best experience in life www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  11. Issues of exchange Finances Information Recognition www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  12. Financial issues Satisfaction with financial situation is 2,97 (on the 1-5 scale). www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  13. www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  14. Access to mobility • Privilaged group of students have access to mobility • International students do not have right to exchange programmes www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  15. Information provision • Limited access to information • Information hard to find • Information only in local language • Unclear rules Satisfaction with information prior to stay abroad equals 3,05 (on 1-5 scale). www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  16. Recognition • 28% lost a semester at home university www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  17. Comparable curricula • ‘I got a B for my all semester in Estonia and they recalculated my semester abroad and put me an E. Saying that you can not compare our school to the university in Estonia.’ www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  18. Other issues • Practicalities e.g. accomodation • Inadequate structures (eg. library systems) • Visa obstacles • Language • No equal rights for local and foreign students • International ghetto • Lack of representation www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  19. Role of students • Students as agents of change • Questioning status quo and demanding solutions • Creating partnerships • Demanding recognition, also for non-formal education • Showing issues before not viewed as important => changing structures www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  20. Erasmus Student Network • International non-profit student organisation • Founded in 1990 • On 230 HEI in 29 countries • Mission: to foster student mobility in Higher Education under the principle of Students Helping Students www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  21. Students-helping-students • During the exchange • buddy-programme • language exchange • orientation week • trips, sports, parties • help-desk/office hours • representation of needs www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  22. Students-helping-students • Before exchange • motivating • relevant information • improving language skills • internationalization at home • After exchange • re-integration • sharing experiences www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  23. Fostering mobility • Practical support for incoming students • Integration with local community • Representation on issues • Motivating and informing local students • Volunteers more often considers exchange • Internationalization at home www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  24. Why students doing it? • Students as more trustworthy helpers • Taking responsability for their own institution and student European community • Non-formal learning experience for local students • „Paying off”already received help • Always with students www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  25. Support for university • Helping the IRO • Increasing satisfaction with stay of foreign students • Enhancing image of institution • Connecting institution to wider European network • Evaluating exchange www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  26. Conclusions • Mobility experience has a great impact on students • Main mobility issues are financial problems, limited access to exchange, lack of information and lack of recognition • Practical issues can be solved within students-helping-students scheme www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  27. Suggestions • Universities should encourage creation of local students groups supporting mobility (like ESN) • This group shoud take care of practicalities of exchange but also represent exchange students towards university • Student unions’ should consider exchange and international students in their policies • Local group should provide evaluation on exchange to universities www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  28. Suggestions To help in financial obstacles: • Amount of grant should be reconsidered • Accomodation • Getting the same rights as local students • discounts for meals, local transport • Lower costs of visa and permits, and issue in time • Help in job search, or employ by university www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  29. Suggestions To provide better information: • Local students groups (such as ESN) should provide peer to peer counselling • Buddy system could be introduced to foreign guests • Ex-exchange students should be asked for help www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

  30. Thank you More more data on exchange students see: www.esn.org/survey With questions: vicepresident@esn.org www.esn.org vicepresident@esn.org

More Related