DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen at the EAIE Conference in Glasgow
The Annual Conference and Exhibition of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) is Europe’s largest conference and exhibition dedicated to the internationalisation of higher education. This year, the event took place in Glasgow in September. The theme, “The Rhythm of Revolution,” was even brought to life acoustically as traditional bagpipe melodies opened the conference week.
More than 7,300 participants from over 100 countries came together during the conference week to exchange ideas, establish new contacts, further develop higher education partnerships and explore current trends in internationalisation and higher education policy.
Representing DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen, Sarah Brucker from the International Office attended the conference. She met with numerous colleagues from DHBW Villingen-Schwenningen’s partner universities and exchanged ideas with them about existing exchange programmes as well as opportunities for new forms of cooperation.
“It is always one of the highlights of the year to meet colleagues from partner universities in different countries in person – people we are otherwise in regular contact with throughout the year by email or video conference,” says Brucker.
Another highlight of the EAIE Conference and Exhibition is the annual reception hosted by DHBW for its international university partners. This year’s event took place at The Savings Bank, an impressive historic venue in the heart of the Scottish metropolis. The former bank provided a fitting setting for an evening filled with inspiring conversations, new contacts and familiar faces, creating new opportunities for international exchange and encounters.
The reception once again highlighted what internationalisation ultimately depends on. Agreements and partnerships provide an important foundation. Sustainable cooperation, however, emerges when people meet, build trust and develop shared perspectives.
The numerous encounters and conversations in Glasgow were a valuable reminder of the importance of international cooperation – and of the contribution higher education institutions can make to bringing people together across borders.
