RSU to host third conference on internationalisation of higher education with leading European experts

From 5-9 November Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) will host the Third International Conference Internationalisation: From Words to Action. The upcoming event will focus on the best examples of internationalisation in the field of higher education in Europe.

Leading higher education experts from various countries will present during this event. Gero Federkeil, a founding member and managing director of U-Multirank, will discuss this international assessment initiative that compares 350 universities in more than 70 countries in five categories: teaching and learning, research, knowledge transfer, international orientation and regional engagement. The opening plenary will also include a speech by Rachel Hall, editor of the Higher Education Network at the world-renowned British newspaper The Guardian, who will analyse the international higher education landscape.

Internationalisation expert Toby Wilkinson, with extensive experience in the field of internationalisation at the University of Cambridge, will discuss his most recent accomplishments in heading the internationalisation strategy at another British flagship institution of higher education: the University of Lincoln. Irina Ferencz, deputy director of the Academic Cooperation Association - a Brussels-based think tank in the area of international cooperation, will also share her experience in facilitating international cooperation at the European level.

“Nowadays knowledge is not bound by national borders. Strong international engagement in the global exchange of knowledge is a significant task of modern universities. The diversity of today’s university stakeholders and the turbulent geopolitical climate require a much more complex understanding of the many facets of internationalisation. The aim of this event is to showcase the best examples of international engagement at various institutions of higher education, as well as to address the broader landscape of higher education in Europe within which internationalisation happens,”

Baiba Pētersone,
Director of the RSU International Department

Agenda

Tuesday, 6 November

9:00–10:00	Registration / coffee
Opening
10:00–10:30	Greetings
Internationalisation of higher education – what can we learn from rankings?
10:30–12:00	Gero Federkeil, Managing Director, U-Multirank, Centre for Higher Education, Germany
12:15–13:45	Lunch
Session: Best Examples of Internationalisation from around Europe I
14:00–15:30	Enric Ordeix, Academic Director, Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, Spain Dietwald Gruehn, Chair, Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning, School of Special Planning, TU Dortmund University, Germany Georg Overbeck, Administrative Director, Research Centre, THI, Germany

Wednesday, 7 November

9:00–10:00	Registration / coffee
Plenary: From an Internationalisation Strategy to Its Implementation
10:00–12:00	Toby Wilkinson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for External Relations, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom Irina Ferencz, Deputy Director, Academic Cooperation Association, Belgium
12:15–13:45	Lunch
Session: Best Examples of Internationalisation from around Europe II
14:00–15:00	Arailym Soltanbekova, Project Manager, Nasarbayev University, Kazakhstan Kata Fredheim, Director of Development, Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Latvia
Session: Higher Education Landscape in Europe
15:00–15:40	Rachel Hall, Editor, Higher Education Network, The Guardian, UK
15:40–15:55	Closing remarks

Thursday, 8 November (Senate Hall)

9:00–10:00	Registration / coffee
Erasmus+ Networking Session and Information Fair
10:00–12:00	Presentations of Participants’ Home Institutions Information Fair
12:15–13:45	Lunch

In conjuntion with the conference, RSU will also hold Erasmus+ International Week  to provide participants of the event with opportunities to present their institutions and take part in several networking events. International Week will also include cultural events, among them celebration of Latvia’s Centenary.

The conference and Erasmus+ International Week are annual events that are being held for the third consecutive year. Both events gather internationalisation professionals from various countries. The first conference focused on strategic management of internationalisation at institutions of higher education, whereas the second conference explored innovations in international cooperation.