International Relations Day – Higher Education

#Promovetion: Let’s boost mobility and cooperation!

Every year, the higher education staff organises an information and exchange event for the staff of the International Relations Offices (IRO) and all those interested in Movetia's mobility and cooperation programmes for Swiss higher education institutions. 

Tuesday, 6 December from 9:00 to 17:00 at the Landhaus in Solothurn

It is primarily an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas. Conveying useful information on the political situation (closely related to the programmes) and on upcoming calls are part of the morning programme. The possibility of participating in presentations or exchanges in small groups should also allow guests to inspire each other on topics related to their activities.

The focus on promoting mobility and cooperation activities provides an opportunity to reflect on ways to restore demand within institutions in the wake of the pandemic. Experts will be present to provide a different perspective and above all a stimulating vision. In addition, many institutions are interested in this topic and several projects have been launched. Moreover, Movetia is launching its national promotion campaign this year!

Afternoon programme in detail

13:30 to 14:15: Break-out sessions A, B, C 

A: Workshop: Understanding and using Social Marketing’s six design principles to promote mobility
Social Marketing uses marketing techniques and concepts to promote social good. Social Marketing has been used successfully around the world to influence the behaviour of target audiences to achieve a wide variety of social programmes such as; stopping smoking, increasing exercise, sorting waste, improving sanitation and reducing infectious diseases. This workshop will introduce you to the six core Social Marketing design concepts. Come and join this workshop and learn how you can add Social Marketing to your efforts to promote mobility within your institution! 

With Prof. Jeff French (Brighton University, Strategic Social Marketing)
Language: EN

B: Promotion of internationalisation within the institution
Beyond student mobility, how can we measure internationalisation and make it more effective? This presentation is based on an ongoing mapping out of international collaborations within the University of Geneva that remain decentralized, following the training “Systemic University Change Towards Internationalisation” organized by Movetia in 2021.

With Dr. Nuné Nikoghosyan (UNIGE) and Maria Stergiou (Movetia)
Language: EN

C: Special needs – What to promote for which type of support? 

Sébastien Kessler, founding partner of the universal accessibility consultancy id-Geo, will give us some key points for the promotion of “special needs” funding. The aim: to ensure that we reach the people concerned and make exchanges accessible to all!

Presentation: Sébastien Kessler (id-Geo) and Stéfanie Brändly (Movetia)
Language: FR

Between 14:30 and 15:15: Exchange activity for IROs

The aim of the day is also to provide an opportunity for exchanges between staff from the various international relations offices. This activity gives you the opportunity to discuss a particular topic with different mobility colleagues several times during a defined period of time. 

Please note that it is possible to join the activity on the go if you have an appointment for the Café-chat or if you want to drop by the pedagogical universities corner.  

14:30 to 15:15: Café-chat 

Amanda Crameri and Olivier Tschopp invite you to have a chat with them.
Is there a particular topic you would like to discuss? Please register via the form below (max. 10 minutes per person). 

14:30 to 15:15: The universities teacher education corner – Mobility and exchange offers for students

Nadia Bignasca, in charge of the National teacher exchange programme, and Jana Kupiec, in charge of the Language Assistantship Abroad (LAB), will be available to answer your questions about these two offers, which are especially targeted at future teachers (or recent graduates of a pedagogical university). 

15:30 to 16:15: Break-out sessions D, E, F

D: Promotion of mobility activities for students – Best practices
In many Swiss higher education institutions, promotional measures are being implemented, tested and optimised to stimulate student mobility. In this round table discussion, six institutions will share their experiences on what works, what needs special attention and what can be left out. Get inspired!

With Andrea Delpho (UNIBAS), Andrea Leardi (for UNILU and PHLU), Anne-Marie Jäger (FHGR), Vanessa Gächter (FH OST), Christina Cottier (UZH) and Leslie Hansen (Movetia)
Language: DE

E: Promoting mobility and cooperation to your management – Strategic level  
The opportunities for cooperation between higher education institutions, for example with the Erasmus+ European Universities initiative, have never been greater. Are you interested in joining the effort to ensure that such international projects receive more strategic support from your institution? In this break-out session, we provide you with tips on how to convince your management.  

With Denis Dafflon (UNIL) and Julia Grünenfelder (Movetia)
Language: FR, DE

F: Building on existing initiatives to promote mobility!
Movetia has launched its national “Learning by Going” campaign to promote mobility among young people, the higher education team will test the Mobility Day concept on several campuses and ESN Switzerland offers various means of communication to encourage students. What are the objectives of these initiatives and how can you integrate them within your institution to promote mobility? The answer is provided in this break-out session!  

With Yasser Haddad (ESN Switzerland), Audrey Fasnacht (Movetia) and Héloïse Perrin (Movetia) 
Language: FR