If you are studying at one of the alliance institutions, you can easily register for courses at the partner institutions via www.eduxchange.nl. The realisation of this platform was a great and important milestone for the EWUU and the result of good cooperation between the institutions, with SURF as the implementation partner. A recent comprehensive evaluation shows that the platform provides a good basis for increasing student mobility, but also that more is needed than just a system.
Broadening, deepening, multidisciplinary
Studying at other institutions offers students the opportunity to broaden and deepen their knowledge in a way that their own university cannot always offer. That is the strength of the alliance: we are complementary to each other. For the students who have used the platform so far, it was mainly the broadening of the platform that was the reason to take a course elsewhere. They also indicate that they find it attractive to get to know perspectives from multiple disciplines outside the boundaries of their own university.
Provision of information and feasibility of study
Evaluation shows that the provision of information and feasibility are the most important points for improvement. Students indicate that they would like to have a better idea of the time slot of a course in order to be able to fit it into their timetable at their own university. The fact that students indicate these points is easy to explain. The universities of Wageningen, Eindhoven and Utrecht have different teaching periods, timetables and time slots. This requires good information and flexible space to follow the desired course.
On the road to more mobility
Around 100 students register via EduXchange every year. As an EWUU alliance, we have the ambition to increase this number in the coming years. To achieve this, and thus achieve more mobility, several things will be worked on in the coming period:
- The further development of EduXchange, with more and better information to help the student in the search process.
- To bring the mobility opportunities to the attention of both students and staff (programme directors, lecturers and study advisors) in a more targeted way and in a more targeted manner for each programme.
- Increasing the range of courses on offer: publishing more courses and exploring the provision of minors and other packages of courses.
- Identifying and, where possible, solving obstacles that stand in the way of mobility. Think of the different academic calendars mentioned, but also having entry requirements, not having courses open for co-workers and having a limited number of places available for students.
In our ambition, we also work together with students: we include their wishes and ideas in the process of achieving more student mobility.
About EduXchange
EduXchange supports students in course orientation and registration, and provides automatic feedback of results to the student’s home institution. The platform gives the student an overview of the courses on offer, and simplifies the administrative process for the student and the institution.
About alliance EWUU Education
Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht are jointly responsible for the EWUU education alliance. This complementary education is characterised by transdisciplinarity and innovation, (student) mobility, and aims to equip all learners – including the institutions’ own staff – with future-oriented knowledge and skills.
Contact
Would you like to know more about how EWUU Education is working on student mobility? Contact Fennie van Straalen (programme manager EWUU Education) via fennie.vanstraalen@wur.nl.