Strategy
Internationalisation is more than mobility. But what exactly does it mean?
At Artevelde University of Applied Sciences, we follow the definition of Hans de Wit et al. (2015). He defines internationalisation as follows:
"The intentional process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions, and delivery of post-secondary education, in order to enhance the quality of education and research for all students and staff, and to make a meaningful contribution to society."
Hence, according to de Wit, internationalisation is a process where the international dimension (focus on different countries), the intercultural dimension (focus on diversity and different cultures) and the global dimension (focus on the bigger picture, worldwide) are introduced in all sections of the university college.
Internationalisation is therefore a matter for all stakeholders. It is a cross-cutting theme which is found throughout the organisation and which is reflected in the strategy, structures, education, research and services, HR policy and partnerships of our university of applied sciences.
At Artevelde University of Applied Sciences we consider internationalisation as a lever to:
- reinforce the professional identity of students and staff;
- improve the quality of our education;
- enhance the quality of our research;
- facilitate our social mission;
- shape our appreciative organisation;
- optimise our quality management;
- intensify our international profile.
International Network
Artevelde University of Applied Sciences is proud of its international network! Thanks to our partner institutions within and outside Europe, we can organise valuable exchanges for students, lecturers and researchers, we enrich each other with our knowledge and cultures, and we collaborate to create all kinds of educational and social projects.
All our partners (universities, university colleges, NGOs, companies, etc.) were selected for their complementarity in terms of student and teaching staff mobility, educational and research approach, and opportunities for cooperation on social themes. We currently have 972 partners in 97 different countries: 259 higher education institutions and 713 internship partners.
These partnerships include:
- VLIR-UOS funded programmes in Cambodia, South Africa, Ecuador, Rwanda
- Strategic alliances with Ecuador, Canada, China, South Africa and Vietnam
- Joint programmes in Canada, Austria, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark
- Development aid in Nepal
- Partnership with the Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance: Cambodia, Suriname, Zambia, South Africa
Through their Graphic and Digital Media programme, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences has been an outstanding partner of Ryerson’s Graphic Communications Management programme. We have a successful framework for formal student exchange. Additionally, Artevelde UAS has welcomed many GCM students for their innovative and popular two-week summer honours course in flexible packaging and 3D printing.
Strategic Alliances
Out of the network of institutions in countries that are not part of the European Union, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences opted for a strategic collaboration with five partner countries, i.e. the ‘strategic alliances’: Ecuador, Canada, China, South Africa and Vietnam.
The collaboration with these countries goes beyond a normal alliance. The partnerships encompass all possible domains, so that both parties get the best out of the international cooperation:
- mutual student and staff mobility
- joint programmes
- collaboration in research and services
- benchmarking for departments and offices
- the further expansion of an international network
Each alliance is represented by a ‘strategic agent’ who follows up on the contacts with the institutions and who is also the contact person for the various departments that are interested in expanding their cooperation network.
- Canada, represented by Nathalie De Boeck
- Ecuador, represented by Iris Postma
- South Africa, represented by Leen De Coninck
- China, represented by Jun Liu
- Vietnam, represented by Pieterjan Bonne
Our family is getting bigger.’ This is what our partners in Ecuador say about our increasingly close cooperation. And that’s really how it feels!
UP University
UP University is a consortium of 7 like-minded higher education institutions in Europe. The initiative aims to address the societal, industrial, and educational needs of the regions in which each partner operates, through interregional collaboration.
UP university’s members have already established a strong track record as quadruple-helix actors. Our close collaboration will enable the UP University partners to upscale our impact to an interregional and eventually European level by systematising exchange, increasing capacity, and combining complementary expertise.
All partners have an applied approach and are located in mid-sized, non-capital cities that span the four corners of Europe.
Responsible Living for the Next Generation
While global and European challenges, such as the energy crisis, labour shortages, and the growing threat of societal polarisation, often constitute high-level, complex issues that require European (and global) coordination, they are frequently tackled more accurately and agilely at the level of the regional ecosystem, where their impact is most acutely felt.
More often than not, solutions must be piloted at a regional level before they can be upscaled to the European context. In short, regions strongly feel the need for innovation and hold great potential to drive it. Yet Europe’s challenges call not only for regional innovation: they also demand changes in individual citizens’ mindsets and behaviour.
While younger generations, particularly students, are increasingly willing to act on their responsibility to the planet and our communities, they often experience thresholds in realising a sustainable, responsible lifestyle, as, for instance, energy-efficient housing or sustainably produced clothing remains prohibitively expensive to many and sustainable innovations are not always sufficiently promoted or disseminated.
With UP University, seven European Higher Education Institutions join hands to develop, make accessible, integrate and implement new ways of “Responsible Living for the Next Generation”. We pursue our mission by co-creating innovative solutions to high-priority challenges with and for regional stakeholders and providing future-proof and solution-oriented education.
By upscaling regional solutions and implementing them with the end-user in mind, we will make impactful change a reality at the regional, European and individual levels. To accelerate our mission, the consortium is submitting an EUI (European University Initiative) application to Europe.
Development cooperation
Artevelde University of Applied Sciences demonstrates its social commitment all over the world. We do this by means of a structural cooperation with the Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance (VVOB) in four non-European countries. VVOB focuses on improving the quality of education in developing countries, through processes of exchanging experiences, developing education expertise and awareness raising regarding the importance of education for development.
- Suriname: Every year, both staff and students travel to the capital city of Paramaribo, but also to other more remote areas, to provide training and to conduct research into education in the region.
- Zambia: Artevelde University of Applied Sciences lecturers regularly teach training courses to VVOB employees in Zambia, to motivate the local coaches to become even more involved.
- South Africa: Through the VVOB, we cooperate with the South African Council for Educators, which provides an extensive professionalisation offer for local teachers.
- Cambodia: Our projects in Cambodia are currently being rolled out. We will focus on the optimisation of education in the country, and we will devote the necessary attention to preschool and primary education.
In addition to the VVOB, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences takes the lead in VLIR-UOS-funded programmes such as South Initiatives, International Training Programmes and the Global Minds programme. VLIR-UOS receives funding from the Belgian Development Cooperation and supports partnerships between universities and university colleges, in Flanders and in the South, looking for innovative responses to global and local challenges.
By leading South Initiave projects with higher education institutions in the South, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences contributes to tackling the challenges of its global partners:
- Cambodia: Cooperation with National Institute of Education (NIE) for the sustainable implementation of student-centered approaches in their science curricula.
- South Africa: We’re collaborating with Stellenbosch University to develop a tailored protocol for implementing a community-based rehabilitation centre in the rural area of Kwazulu Natal.
- Ecuador: We work together with Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, VVOB Ecuador and Universidad Técnica del Norte to manage the quality in teacher education. Also, we have a cooperation with Universidad Casa Grande, where we focus on training childminders and teachers.
- Rwanda: Artevelde University of Applied Sciences joined forces with University of Rwanda to improve the quality of midwifery clinical education.
After the earthquakes, we were often the first to arrive in remote villages with food, clothes and blankets for those who had lost their homes. The villagers were trying to stay strong, and so were we. But it was very hard to hold back our tears. Especially because everyone was so grateful.
International experiences for lecturers and staff members
Lecturer Exchange, Job Shadowing and Benchmarking
International experiences are not only enriching for students. A trip abroad can also be very inspiring for lecturers and other staff members. They can gain lots of inspiration and insights from shadowing colleagues and comparing their way of working or teaching. Thus, staff mobility gives both us and our partner institutions the chance to improve through collaboration and comparison. In addition, it is an excellent way to strengthen the ties between international institutions.
Advanced English Course (C1)
Artevelde University of Applied Sciences attaches great importance to good language skills. All our staff members can take free language lessons via the accessible online platform Altissia. Furthermore, we offer a blended formula of English, consisting of online and face-to-face classes at different levels.
Lecturers who wish to teach in English must pass the Cambridge Advanced English exam, the C1 exam of the British Council. In this way, we ensure the best (language) education for our national and international students. 139 of our lecturers have already passed the C1 exam.
International Staff Weeks
Every year, each department organises an international staff week around a specific field of expertise. During this week, we invite lecturers and staff from our various foreign partner institutions for an interactive programme. It is the ideal opportunity to network, to share ideas, to discover the latest developments in your field of study during workshops for lecturers and students, to benchmark, and to brainstorm about future international projects. And to explore Ghent, of course!
I loved meeting colleagues who are positive and enthusiastic about early childhood education. Seeing that we have a lot of similarities and being able to reflect on differences was really inspiring.
Teaching, building contacts and making comparisons has added a great deal of creativity to my job. The first time I went on a staff mobility to Gävle, I was job shadowing a Swedish professor for a week. The way he was around students ... I really liked it! It’s something I try to take with me.
Why choose Artevelde University of Applied Sciences as an international partner?
Acknowledged Quality
We are continuously making efforts to improve our educational offer and service range. These efforts were acknowledged when the committee of the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO) made a five-day visit to our university of applied sciences.
According to the committee, our great strengths include:
- The social role of our university of applied sciences;
- The quality orientation and guidance tailored to students;
- Bringing all students in contact with scientific research;
- The internationalisation activities;
- The educational innovation.
International Mindset
Did you know that Artevelde University of Applied Sciences is the university of applied sciences with the largest international student mobility in Flanders? It shows. Nearly every classroom is a greenhouse for cross-cultural skills:
- Thanks to the exchange of students and teaching staff, people of various nationalities can meet and spontaneously learn from each other;
- International and intercultural competences serve as the guidelines for determining our learning objectives;
- We communicate extensively about our international projects and achievements, in order to encourage more and more students and staff to discover the world;
- Whatever we do, we always do it from an international mindset.
Tailor-made Guidance
Naturally, we do not only support our students in terms of internationalisation. Studying is a challenging undertaking, so we insist on offering both our Flemish and our exchange students the best support in all possible domains. Our experienced advisers and coaches support students in achieving their goals, but they also offer them a shoulder to lean on. We offer personal guidance in domains such as:
- Choice of study programme and orientation;
- Admission requirements;
- Student finance;
- Study methods and study progress;
- Social-legal support;
- Psychological counselling;
- Studying and entrepreneurship.
Focus on 21st-Century Skills
Global citizenship is a 21st-century skill we attach great importance to. However, the current society also faces many other challenges. We provide our students with the necessary tools so that they can actively contribute to this ‘new’ society, through the focus on:
- Research skills;
- Sustainable development;
- Digital literacy;
- Co-creation;
- Self-directed learning;
- Entrepreneurial spirit.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Artevelde University of Applied Sciences fosters and applauds entrepreneurship and creativity. We help our students and staff to come up with their own ideas, to develop concepts and to be innovative through various initiatives:
- Idea Factory: Idea Factory supports students in developing their vague ideas and putting them into action. It points out important issues to starting entrepreneurs and brings them into contact with the right people.
- Student-Entrepreneur Status: Students who combine their education with their own business are granted the student-entrepreneur status. This ensures that they have enough room to combine the elaboration of their idea with schoolwork and exams.
- Artepreneur: If combining their own business and studying is a step too big, students can appeal to Artepreneur, so they can make all the preparations with an easy mind and build up a start-up capital to set up their business as soon as they graduate.
- Start to Start: Start to Start is a must for those who want to be well-prepared before taking the leap into entrepreneurship. After the course, students obtain the business management certificate recognised by the Flemish Government.
- Creative Weeks: Each department organises a creative week in which students and lecturers are challenged to give their creativity free rein, to examine current problems with a fresh look, and to take a close look at innovation in their sector.
Based in Ghent
Artevelde University of Applied Sciences’ eleven campuses are spread across the city of Ghent. With its 70,000 students, it is the largest student city in Belgium. It is impossible to imagine Ghent without its students cycling in the streets, studying in libraries and cafés, meeting with friends over drinks or a nice meal in the local or student restaurants ... Ghent has it all: comfortable living, first-class education and many leisure activities.
However, Ghent is much more than just a student city. “It is one of Europe’s greatest discoveries – small enough to feel cosy but big enough to stay vibrant”, writes Lonely Planet. And the travel guide is absolutely right. Ghent has something to offer to each and every visitor. The city boasts a unique mixture of architecture and contemporary events, museums of international repute, an impressive range of gastronomic choices, green parks and spectacularly fun nightlife. We have a rich past, and we’re dreaming of a bright future. That’s why the city aims to be climate neutral by 2050.