USI @ EAIE in Helsinki
International Relations and Study abroad Service
4 October 2019
Founded in 1989, the EAIE (European Association of International Education) is a centre for expertise, networking and resources in the field of internationalization of higher education. It annually holds the Europe’s largest international higher education conference. The 31st edition took place in Helsinki from 24 to 27 September 2019. USI, represented by the International Relations Service staff, had the chance to promote its educational offer thanks to the Swiss Higher Education booth hosted at the exhibition.
This year’s theme, “Encompassing all voices”, does not come as a surprise, being Finland a country that makes “inclusion” a key element of its educational system and firmly believes that diversity enriches the educational experience. For those interested to learn more, the full Conference Conversation Starter can be found here.
At this EAIE 2019, participants could hear and discuss on the notions of identity, diversity and inclusion, and how these concepts can inform and inspire the job and activities within universities.
The topic has been widely covered through presentations, panel sessions and workshops. We had the opportunity to attend some of them, especially those on the Erasmus Without Papers, a hot topic these days.
In addition to that, themes such as quality issues, marketing and recruiting, alumni relations and career, internationalization at home, Erasmus+ and Erasmus Without Papers were also covered throughout the week.
The EAIE was also the occasion to meet colleagues from partner universities, whom we thank for their availability, as well as new potential partners, with whom we are carrying on conversations on potential collaboration.
Furthermore, the EAIE Barometer can be downloaded here. The barometer (one of the EAIE association products) breaks down the divergent roles of funding as both a driver of and barrier to internationalisation. Drawing on the survey responses of 2317 practitioners at 1292 higher education institutions spread across 45 countries in the European Higher Education Area, this report looks at the wide-ranging particularities and perspectives on how much and in what ways money matters in internationalisation.
The video “EAIE Helsinki 2019: event highlights” is available here.
As every year, the EAIE conference is an enriching experience full of great opportunities. We look forward to the 2020 edition in Barcelona! Hasta pronto!