International Staff Mobility - Between pratice and policy -

How international is Ghent University? How internationally mobile is our staff? Practice: until now Policy: (implemented) plans Conclusion Content

International students How international is Ghent University?

International PhD- students International Staff How international is Ghent University?

Wide variety of programmes: externally funded and own initiatives Tradition in internationalisation –ECTS label ( , , ) –Erasmus success story –Longstanding experience in Erasmus Mundus –Very active in Tempus –Focus on development cooperation –Several prestigious ERC grants How international is Ghent University?

Exact number? 2014: – registered travels in SAP –4.591 individual staff members (on total of 9000) –121 different countries Mostly short term Very diverse in nature How internationally mobile is our staff?

Funding opportunities: –Research: Marie Sklodowska Curie programmes BOF –Sandwich scholarships for PhD-students from developing countries –Scholarships for joint PhD’s Faculty Research Funds –Outgoing mobility for Doc/PostDoc’s –Sabbaticals for ZAP –Decentralized! FWO How internationally mobile is our staff?

Funding opportunities: –Education: Staff Mobility for Teaching: per year Staff Mobility for Training: till 2015, 10 per year Bilateral Agreements: 30 per year Erasmus Munds Action 2: 27 in 6 years time U4-network: in total 207 from all partners in 2014 How internationally mobile is our staff?

Mobility for senior academic staff (ZAP) –Extremely mobile senior academic staff but mostly short trips –Educational mobility much less than Research mobility –Mainly based on individual, thematic networks –Only fraction of staff mobility is captured –Very limited structural funding : mainly through project resources –Institutional or external funding: considered administrative burden Staff Mobility at Ghent University: practice

Mobility for junior academic staff (PostDoc/PhD) –Less mobile –Difficult because of lack of personal network –Considered to be burden in publication pressure (Write ‘the book’!) –Knowledge on possibilities and opportunities depends on promoter –Institutional funding: Faculty Mobility Fund Staff Mobility at Ghent University: practice

Mobility for administrative staff (ATP) –Mobility mainly by staff working around internationalisation –Mindset: “Why would I go there? They do things completely different over there” –Little support for mobility by other staff members Benefit? Where to? What while you are gone? –Limited funding Staff Mobility at Ghent University: practice

Integrated Policy Plan for Internationalisation ( ) –Why internationalisation? –Why integrated? –Institutional vision on internationalisation –5 strategic goals for Staff Mobility at Ghent University: policy

5 strategic goals ( ) –Internal structure and communication –Strategic cooperation Quality driven (bottom-up strengths / strategic selection) Regional platform, thematic network, institutional partnership –Internationalisation of education 25% outbound student mobility English taught courses Intercultural/international competences for ALL students –Selective recruitment of students and staff Strong focus on integration –International branding Staff Mobility at Ghent University: policy

Strong focus on bottom-up input –3 Working Groups with all faculties and relevant CA departments represented –Specific ad hoc meetings –International Staff Day –Focus group meetings Staff Mobility at Ghent University: policy

General remarks on staff mobility –Internationally active =/= internationally mobile –International activities need to be evaluated and valorised much better -> return on investment! –Not just about funding –Unnatural division between education and research (in structures and funding) –Making better use of incoming mobility Staff Mobility at Ghent University: policy

Mobility for senior academic staff (ZAP) –Better capturing mobility –Creating institutional support of (individual) thematic networks! –More flexibility in length and type of mobility: very challenging! “What while your are gone?” cf. very tight semester schedules for teaching –Rewarding international activities throughout career Evaluations Promotion Individualized targets Job description Staff Mobility at Ghent University: policy

Mobility for junior academic staff (PostDoc/PhD) –Making them more internationally active > internationally mobile –Helping them in building academic network: Mentoring project –Rewarding international activities: Internationalisation portfolio Staff Mobility at Ghent University: practice

Mobility for administrative staff (ATP) –Activating non-internationalisation international staff –Convincing management/colleagues of benefit –Creating awareness on international dimension of academia –Implementing flexwork Staff Mobility at Ghent University: policy

Mobility for administrative staff (ATP) –Earmarking funds per department: In 2015: pilot: 20 places for 8 central departments Call for proposals Coordinated by Personnel Department For non-IRO staff! Big turnout, especially by ‘unusual suspects’ (Infrastructure, Catering, Staff Counselor..) –Facilitating mobility within strategic partnership: U4 Universities of Gent, Groningen, Göttingen and Uppsala Additional funding via DAAD Workshops, seminars, … Lowers threshold Staff Mobility at Ghent University: policy

U4-Network: total intra-network mobility Staff Mobility at Ghent University: policy Helping them create a network Growing trust

No one size fits all solution International mobility as part of broader internationalisation policy > internationalisation portfolio Flexible and more funds Creating stimulating and supporting environment Rewarding efforts: institutional recognition Conclusion

Policy Coordinator for Internationalisation Prof. dr. Magda Vincx Policy Advisor for Internationalisation Thijs Verbeurgt Policy Coordinator for Internationalisation