To provide students with global mindsets and prepare them for their future careers, most universities aim to increase international student mobility. In our effort to raise outbound mobility numbers, we asked select faculty to share their personal study abroad stories in six short films.
Rasmus Elling at the Faculty of Humanities. Image: Aske Stick
The University of Copenhagen recently launched a new strategy and entered into a new three-year performance contract with the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, which sets out the University’s goals, core responsibilities and strategic objectives in relation to Danish society. In both, UCPH commits to fostering international competencies and a global outlook in our students.
All on board!
Achieving our ambitions relies on joint efforts across our institution. Knowing that academics are key influencers on students, having faculty on board to advocate student mobility is as important as having the support of university management and providing administrative structures underpinning mobility. Through their engagement, the academics become important local ambassadors for internationalization reaching students as well as peers.
That is why we invited six academics from five different faculties to talk about their international experiences and how these experiences shaped them as persons and researchers. The outcome is six personal stories touching upon themes that will resonate with the students such as academic self-awareness, networking skills and personal development when stepping out of your comfort zone and engaging in a new culture.
Connecting with students
By continuously talking directly to students about international education and the value of international experiences through our academics, we strive to make international education become a natural part of students’ curriculum and mind-set. Having academics talk from a personal point of view and not shy away from addressing issues that were challenging to them when living and studying abroad, serves to meet students where they are and address legitimate concerns they may have.
UCPH will work for more students utilising the mobility windows available in the various degree programmes for exchanges abroad – so be prepared. We do that because international experiences and competencies make our graduates much more employable - now and in the future.
