For the University of Oldenburg, internationalisation is more than just a buzzword. Students and international academics are a particular focus. Esther Ruigendijk, Vice President for Young Academics and International Affairs, talks about a welcoming culture and the best minds.
QUESTION: Politicians are saying that the international orientation of German universities is more important than ever. What is your view on this?
RUIGENDIJK: This is actually nothing new. Globalisation is progressing, and this has of course also affected universities for decades. But the current hype is also a good thing: it brings attention to the topic and therefore also financial opportunities for new structures.
QUESTION: Competition is already fierce at national level. How can a medium-sized university like ours also prove itself internationally?
RUIGENDIJK: In my view, as an educational institution you are automatically international. And: we should definitely focus on our own strengths. We also asked our international students about this: the result was that life in Oldenburg is very favourable in an international comparison. But even more important to most of them was the content. In other words, we would do well to advertise the degree programmes that we know are top and that set us apart even more aggressively.
QUESTION: You just mentioned "automatically international" - what exactly do you mean by that?
RUIGENDIJK: Two things: There are many immigrants and refugees living in Germany. Third and fourth generation families. The group of students has become so much more colourful, with many ethnic identities. So we have long been international, in our own country, in our own city, at our own university. On the other hand, science is transnational per se: knowledge can only be gained in an open, free and international discourse.
QUESTION: If we are already international: What adjustments should the university still make?
RUIGENDIJK: Everything that is not automatically there - for example, the welcoming culture. Whether students, academics or employees from abroad - they should all feel welcome here. The information on offer, which we have gradually improved, is crucial here: from the expanded English-language website to customised forms and the current translation of Stud.IP. All of this is flanked by adequate counselling and services. I also really like an initiative from our Human Resources and Organisational Development department: employees in administration and academia can now receive even more needs-based training through newly structured English language courses.
QUESTION: Is there anything you are still missing in this context?
RUIGENDIJK: Yes, multilingual signs on campus! And I don't just understand internationalisation to mean "We're going to do this in English". Why not also have signs in Russian or Dutch where appropriate?
QUESTION: Are there plans to offer further degree programmes in English?
RUIGENDIJK: We are looking from faculty to faculty. In areas where we already have a very international focus and have made a name for ourselves, such as the Master's degree programme in Sustainable Economics and Management, this naturally makes sense. Another example is the new IT degree programme Engineering of Socio-Technical Systems at School II. Here, too, the subject builds on a strong research profile. Incidentally, I also find cross-faculty programmes such as EuGl... important.
QUESTION: You mean European Studies in Global Perspectives...
RUIGENDIJK: Exactly. This programme is aimed specifically at exchange students. In the programme, they can look at Europe from different angles: from a socio-political, linguistic and cultural studies, historical and economic perspective.
QUESTION: However, you are not only focussing on incoming students, but also want to make your own students fit for studying abroad.
RUIGENDIJK: That's right. I find the idea of "internationalisation at home" exciting. The question here is: why do students have to get on a plane when they can gain intercultural experience in their own city? The conditions for this are very good here: we have a degree programme that deals with intercultural education and academics who deal with migration. We also have specific projects with refugees that we can participate in as a university. We could make even greater use of these prerequisites for "internationalisation at home".
QUESTION: We've only talked about students so far. What about academics?
RUIGENDIJK: They are just as important for us. Especially as we are much more successful in recruiting them. Unfortunately, the proportion of international students in Oldenburg is still below average, so we need to do better. The situation is quite different for doctoral students: One in five comes from abroad - for a medium-sized university, that's a top figure.
QUESTION: Why are academics so important to you?
RUIGENDIJK: In my work, I am less concerned with keeping student numbers high in view of demographic trends. For me, it is much more important and forward-looking to attract the best minds to Oldenburg - whether from China, Italy or Germany. And the more broadly we recruit, the better we will be able to do this. As a result, our students also benefit from this.
QUESTION: How do you make the University of Oldenburg appealing to potential international academics?
RUIGENDIJK: There is little pre-structured work at our university - for academics this means that they have a lot of room for manoeuvre. In addition, the appreciation for successful work is quickly very high - unlike at large universities, where you remain "invisible" for longer as a newcomer. Another big plus: as the research groups are generally smaller, our young scientists are very well supervised.
QUESTION: And what do you say to international students?
RUIGENDIJK: The "distances" are very short here - on campus, but also in our interactions. However, the topics we specialise in are also crucial. We are among the world leaders in some fields of research. We have incredibly good scientists who also excel in teaching and are looking for good employees. This, combined with the flair of a small city close to the sea, is quite attractive.
