STRATEGIC PLAN FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES AT ÅBO AKADEMI UNIVERSITY 2012-2016 Adopted by the Board of Åbo Akademi University 18.4.2012
Strategic plan for international activities at Åbo Akademi University 2012-16 Introduction Åbo Akademi University aims at offering all of its students and its staff the opportunity to take part in and benefit from international experiences. The education at Åbo Akademi University shall prepare its graduates for activities on the global arena. This strategic plan presents the individual actions, in particular the priorities for the period 2012-2016. During the period of the current plan, there is a national pilot project seeking to introduce tuition fees for overseas students at Finnish universities. Åbo Akademi University is not involved in this pilot project and thus the subject of tuition fees is not part of this strategic plan. However, this issue will be under discussion. 1. Internationalisation as a part of the daily life at Åbo Akademi University - ÅAU should aim to equip its graduates with the capacity to compete within the global labour market, providing them with the necessary knowledge, skills and adaptability to work as active public actors within different national and cultural environments and with global responsibilities. Knowledge of languages and a strong linguistic identity must be a central element of the education. - ÅAU should increase the number of opportunities available to ÅAU students, researchers and teachers in order for them to obtain unique, high quality international experiences without academic or financial obstacles. - ÅAU s international activities should reflect ÅAU s unique strength in integrating teaching and services with research. - International initiatives should be strongly integrated even at the subject level. 2. Åbo Akademi University as an international university environment - ÅAU should strive to make the university attractive so as to support the recruitment of high quality international staff. The establishment of a visiting scholar program should be explored. - Foreign researchers at ÅAU should be utilized more often as teachers and in giving thematic lectures.
- ÅAU s key policy documents and internal information should be available in both Swedish and English. - Development of international alumni activities shall be explored alongside those of the national alumni. 3. Undergraduate education Student mobility - ÅAU actively works to reach the goal of 450 incoming and outgoing exchange students during the period 2013-16 set by the Ministry of Education and Culture. - ÅAU should develop cooperation and long-standing bilateral agreements with universities from different parts of the world based on how they fit ÅAU s teaching and research profile. The agreements would be appropriate for both ÅAU s students and researchers. The agreements would seek to achieve a reciprocal and balanced exchange over time. Strategic cooperation partners of high quality shall be appointed. - ÅAU should offer more attractive and effective education in English for incoming students, as well as for domestic students. Greater integration is called for. - Courses in English should be given within larger and more appropriate course packages. Courses in English should be given at such a level that our incoming exchange students can participate in them. This requires that courses in English would also be provided at the bachelor s level. - Investments in guidance counselling should be made within the subject areas in order to assist students with plans for an exchange abroad at a sufficiently early stage in their studies. Departmental coordinators and teachers shall more efficiently awaken the students interest in studying abroad. - A minor subject in international studies with 30 credits should be established. The minor subject would take into account completed studies that cannot contribute credit towards the major, minor or elective studies. In addition to studies completed, the minor would also credit activities in intercultural communication, intercultural awareness, international online courses, as well as internships and job experience obtained abroad. - Opportunities for international internships should be encouraged and developed.
International degree students - There should be an effort to improve the relationship between the number of accepted international degree students and the number that enrols. - In order to meet the requirements of an increasing number of graduate students, greater demands will need to be placed on the functional division of labour between the different levels of the university. The goal is that students will receive the best possible service. - ÅAU s disciplines, various disciplines and guidance offices should work closely together in order to provide professional advice for the international degree students, both on arrival and throughout their stay at ÅAU. This shall also apply to visiting teachers, scientists, postdoctoral researchers, degree students, and their accompanying families. - A strategic scholarship program for foreign degree students at the Master s degree level is necessary in order to recruit good students. - Joint programmes may be arranged for masters and doctoral degrees at ÅAU. The programmes should provide added value in education, research or other value that cannot be provided without cooperation. The cooperation will support ÅAU s strategic goals in education, research and internationalisation. Great attention should be paid to quality assurance. The selection of cooperating partners should be based on strategic objectives, mutual trust and high quality. ÅAU should prepare new guidelines and recommendations on joint programmes according to the recommendations of the National Board of Education. - Modernized and improved marketing of ÅAU s educational programs should be sought. In order for ÅAU to recruit more masters and doctoral degree students, there should be better use of social media, which also requires resources. In addition, ÅAU should provide professional support and assistance for those subject areas that wish to participate in marketing efforts. Subject areas need to be able to take advantage of international marketing materials provided by the information unit, and get help with creating campaign websites and effective marketing materials. The Nordic countries will continue to be the main focus area. 4. Postgraduate education - Enhanced information should be made available on mobility programs and opportunities for mobility for young researchers. The funding database TURA should be exploited to a larger degree to identify personal funding opportunities, especially in terms of international scholarships.
- The number of graduate students that study abroad for at least three months should be 30 persons in 2012 and 50 persons in 2015 (according to development plans for research and postgraduate education, 2010-2019). - The European Union s Marie Curie Initial Training Networks should be used as a channel for recruiting outstanding new international postgraduate students and for study abroad for ÅAU s postgraduate students. Competitive applications for the Initial Training Networks are the central aim of all units that choose the most important strategic partners for the consortium. - A coherent presentation of doctoral education at ÅAU should be created. 5. Research - Funding opportunities for staff exchange within the EU Marie Curie program should be utilized to a greater extent. The units will create a strategy for both incoming and outgoing researchers. Administrative support should be made available to all units that are applying to Marie Curie programs and to those individuals that receive financing. The staff exchange program IRSES (International Research Staff Exchange Scheme) should be used for international mobility of research personnel at all levels, as well as support staff. The Industry-Academia program IAPP should be used especially by research groups focusing on postdoctoral researchers. - Success within programs of the European Research Council (ERC) should be the central aim of ÅAU. A system for mentoring with regards to writing an application, especially for young researchers, should be established. All applicants are guaranteed personal support from the administration, regarding the application budget and structure. Units would rank the applications according to which have the best chances of obtaining a positive funding decision within the ERC.