Posts with the Tag ‘partner university’

Written by Imke Bertrams

The Intensive Programme on International Trade Fair Management would not have been possible without the teachers and coaches. But what do they think about the programme? And what is it like to be a part of this international experience?  I talked to a couple of them and asked for their opinion.

Mrs. Anne-marie van Oost and Mrs. Pascale Aerts, Lecturers Event Management from Karel de Grote University College, Antwerp, Belgium:

“We are pleased with the way the programme  is running at the moment. Students and teachers seem to be on the same page about what this programme is all about. It is structured in a way that it really motivates the students to work hard on their business plan and even to continue working until the late hours. There is great communication between the partner universities and the students are heard as well. The top class accommodation gives students and teachers the opportunity to both work and relax and the warm welcome in Nijmegen made us feel at home right away.

Even though the programme is between neighbour countries, we come across the cultural differences between the Germans, the Flemings and the Dutch. This is a learning  experience for both students and teachers. Next to that the mix of different educational backgrounds is interesting to see. Working together with other disciplines gives a great taste of a real life situation. The students complement each other and learn to see situations in a different perspective. “ 

Mr. Georg Zollner, lecturer of international entrepreneurship and sustainability from München University of Applied Sciences, Germany.

It’s an exciting experience! It is very different from the standard lectures in Germany which are more rigid and less project based. For me it is really a highlight, stepping out of the normal ‘day to day life’. When you work with students from different backgrounds  you get different questions and also different answers. This is great to become more open minded. What I like about the programme is that it is a very specific subject (trade fair management) which is embedded into a strategic setting( a business plan). A great opportunity for the students to broaden their knowledge. For me as a teacher this project  is an opportunity to bench mark. To see how other teachers are structuring their lessons, what methods they use and how they explain their theory.

I am impressed with the overall organisation of the programme, it has been done really well on many different levels; the accommodation, the workspaces for the project group and the information facilitation. To my opinion the project as a whole is of good standards. The lessons are complimentary to one and other, and the information is really informative. However for next year we need to take a look at the work load. We were a little over enthusiastic this year ;)

Mr. Robert Geurds, coach from HAN University of Applied Sciences, Arnhem, the Netherlands:

“This is what education should be like! It is amazing to see students like this. They are really motivated and  concentrated and  want to get the best out of the two weeks! I did not really have a good idea of what my role would be as a coach. But with these students coaching becomes almost unnecessary.

Also for us as teachers it is a good opportunity! We get  to bench mark, brainstorm and get an idea of how it works in other universities. I was pleased to see that the subject I teach myself had many things in common with the way Georg teaches the same subject in Germany.  I believe we are on the same page! However we can still learn from each other and improve our teaching.

The  thing I will remember for a long time to come is the enthusiasm of the colleagues and the students. An ideal working situation…. it feels like being on a pink cloud.  I know that it’s also the setting that creates such an amazing working atmosphere and that it is different form a normal semester. But I think it’s an amazing experience that should be possible for more students to have.”

So the project appears  to be a success for both students and teachers. The enthusiasm during the past two weeks of the project has already led to excitement for next year. Evaluations are planned and the ideas for the next round of this Intensive Programme are being discussed in the hallways. Hopefully next year we go to Antwerp!