Increasing mobility – exploring new approaches
Studying abroad broadens one's horizon, widens academic approaches and develops intercultural skills - preparing students for a career in a globalized world. The University of Copenhagen is aiming to increase outbound mobility from around 2,000 to 2,300 students by 2017. To reach the target, we must explore new approaches to student mobility. A strengthened partnership with the University of Toronto is in the making. This may be one way to increase mobility - a positive challenge we share with many of our international partners.
In it together
The University of Copenhagen educate graduates with competences for a global labour market. To achieve this, we work continuously to internationalise our own campus and to provide international study opportunities through our network of partner institutions.
We encourage more students to integrate an international component into their study programme. Facilitating semester mobility windows is a key component in this exercise; providing scholarship-schemes is another one, but having international university partners equally devoted to expanding student exchanges is all-important. Meetings with the University of Toronto, an established partner, revealed mutual interests for a deepened partnership.
All on-board
We work with a wide range of highly valued exchange partners across the world. The University of Toronto is one example. With a common interest in student exchange, a good match in academic areas across the institutions, and a strong faculty and management support, both institutions see great potentials for deepening relations.
During visits in spring 2014 and 15 we had time and opportunity to explore our partnership, exchange thoughts on how to increase mobility, and identify specific academic areas of growth potential for exchange. The presence and strong commitment of both faculty and administrative staff during the visits ensured that many aspects were covered on the spot.
And the outcome of these talks? A commitment on both sides to raise exchange numbers from 5-10 students to 50 students annually.
The road ahead
So what is next? M
any tasks still lie ahead of us
for this new intensified partnership to become a success. This includes continued dialogue between administrative staff and academics, mapping curriculum to secure curriculum integration and credit transfer, and promoting the agreement to secure student interest – also in new academic areas. The success of this requires a strong commitment on both sides.
One goal, many roads…
Expanding existing student exchange agreements is one way of increasing outbound student mobility. Focus on short-term summer programmes and more student-to-student communication are some of the ways we try to encourage more of our students to go abroad. “All Abroad” is an online campaign with students sharing the value of studying abroad with each other.
For more information on UCPH student mobility please contact Anne Bruun, Associate Director.