The day was opened by Daniël Wigboldus, president of the Executive Board. He welcomed the international guests and reiterated the importance of the international exchange programmes; "There are many international problems and to address these problems, it is important that we get to know each other and put aside our differences," Wigboldus said. "The student exchange programme is important in this. Through it, students learn about other cultures and are introduced to other perspectives."
A stay abroad is therefore of great added value for students. Also for those 'at home', as a diversity of perspectives of exchange students coming to Nijmegen is shared in their international classroom. "Every year, some 900 students go abroad for studies or internships, enabling them to acquire new academic skills, develop personally (flexibility, problem-solving skills, intercultural competences, et cetera), experience a country from the inside and gain international friendships," says Rob van Leeuwen, Manager Partnerships & Mobility within the Student Life and International Mobility (SLIM) team. "Some destinations are immensely popular among our students. As a cooperation with such a partner university depends on a good balance of exchange students, it is important to host enough students from these partners as well. Our partner day will hopefully contribute positively to this."
The international visitors are enthusiastic about participating in this partner day. "It is very well organised and the topics are up to date," says Ulrika Jaresund from Sweden. "In addition, I also find it very important to meet colleagues from other universities. The first time I came here I thought I was just there to learn, but soon I found that I also had information to share. So in that sense, it really is an exchange." Jason Kinnear from the United States even calls Nijmegen a 'hidden gem'; "Most students only think of Amsterdam when they think of the Netherlands, but there is so much more out there to discover. I even agreed with my partner yesterday that we will definitely come back here again."
The day, organised by SLIM together with the faculty International Offices, ended with a boat trip to Rotterdam, where the European Association for International Education (EAIE) international conference will take place from 26 September.
During this day, a video was also launched on the reasons for choosing a study abroad stay as part of one's studies. For students and staff interested in such a study abroad stay: get inspired and informed during the Radboud Go Abroad week from 9-12 October!