The Challenge
Internationalisation is an important topic for the University of Twente which can be read in the policy documents Vision 2020 and 2020: Educating the Global Citizens - Internationalization Vision, The challenge formulated in these documents is the following.
The University of Twente has decided that by the year 2020 all Bachelor programmes should be taught in English to enable more international students studying in Twente. When international students enter the classroom, the international classroom emerges. This international classroom is different from a domestic classroom; existing manners of teaching might not work for students with a different cultural background. Integrating the domestic and the international students requires special attention.
A second challenge lies in preparing our students for an international labour market and work place where they probably will have to work with colleagues from different cultures. This requires competencies in intercultural communication and an international view on the subject of study that have to be developed in the programme.
In the sections below you can find links to collected resources that can help you taking on these challenges. For further information or advice on this topic you are most welcome to contact the Expertise team on Internationalisation from the Centre of Expertise on Learning and Teaching: Chantal Scholten and Marie-José Verkroost, or to participate in the course How to teach the international classroom.
Themes
Experiences at UT
Faculty ITC
The Faculty ITC of the UT has experience with teaching international students for more than 65 years; mainly catering for students from less-developed countries. All students and many staff members are international. The Master programme acquired the special feature Internationalisation from the Dutch-Flemish accreditation organisation in 2015.Incoming students are supported by a two week introduction programme, facilities such as administrative, housing, visa and study support. The content of the Master programme is truly international.
International Business Administration
The educational Bachelors Program International Business Administration (IBA) and Masters Program Business Management (BA) already have the international EPAS accreditation (international programme accreditation for Business/Management programmes). This is a good step in the direction to also receive the NVAO distinctive feature internationalization.
One of the things that IBA does is that they offer an acculturation workshop (a workshop about intercultural awareness) to the first year students at the beginning of each new academic year.
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS)
The Faculty EEMCS has developed a learning track for academic skills that will be used in all Bachelor programmes in the Faculty. One element of this track, to be used in the first module of all Bachelor programmes, focusses on Intercultural communication. Several programmes in this Faculty are being taught in English and attract international students. The programmes offer activities to integrate the international students with the domestic students.