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Given the cross-border nature of science and the globalization of the labour market, both universities and universities of applied sciences (hbo's) have been very active in the field of internationalization for several decades. Since 1999, international collaboration has been in place for the international mobility of students. The international objective is that at least 20% of all students should follow a period of education abroad.
At the same time, this internationalization is under pressure. It is increasingly seen as a cost for Dutch higher education. Furthermore, the (large) numbers of international students at Dutch institutions lead to various adverse developments, such as housing problems for (international) students, student discomfort due to intercultural misunderstandings, and a widening gap between rich and poor students. Additionally, due to the current pandemic, international exchanges appear less attractive for students.
In order to meet the ambitions and challenges of internationalization, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science will implement a programme for Virtual International Collaborative Projects (VIS projects) in the coming years. In these projects, students in the Netherlands will collaborate with students at institutions abroad, working together on a project. Between 2021 and 2024, a total of 700 projects will be financed within this programme to support the design and development of the projects. For more information on the subsidy scheme, see the announcement here.
The ministry has commissioned Dialogic to conduct evaluative research on the programme. We will investigate the experiences of teachers and educationalists in the development of VIS projects. Additionally, we will examine the learning outcomes of students, using the International Competences Model from Nuffic. This research will run until October 2027. We will collaborate with Dr. Robert O’Dowd, Associate Professor at the University of Léon (Spain) and an international expert in the development and learning outcomes of virtual exchange projects.
Want to learn more? Ask Max Kemman.