Maria MacDonald

Hi Maria! You work with student mobility at the International Office. What does this entail from a STARS EU perspective?

This involves looking at how and where we inform about the available opportunities and how we can create processes that are as accessible and clear as possible for students and staff to facilitate participation and positive experiences. It is also important to consider how we can use mobility activities to advance the work within the alliance, ensuring that the mobilities we grant serve a purpose for the goals within the alliance or for the university itself.

What can student mobility look like in a STARS EU context? What can students do within the framework of STARS EU?

Currently, some students can do a semester abroad with some of our partners within STARS EU. The reason I say "some students" is that not all programmes at University West allow for an entire semester of studies to be replaced by a full semester of studies at another institution. It is also not currently possible to take courses taught in English for a full semester at all STARS EU institutions, as the offerings are not yet sufficient – but this is expected to change in the future.

However, short mobilities, known as Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP), are becoming more common. These are online courses that include a one-week stay at a partner university and can be funded by Erasmus+ scholarships. BIPs provide students who do not have elective semesters within their programmes the opportunity to gain international experience during their education.

Why do you think students should take the chance to study abroad?

Moving yourself out of your familiar environment and placing yourself in a new one. This is essentially what you do when you start a new job, learning to adapt to a new environment and different expectations than you had before. Here, you do it in another country, where the culture, language, and education system are different.

Being and working in a completely different environment gives you a new perspective, an expanded view of who you are in relation to your surroundings, and an understanding of the differences and similarities between people and societies. You learn that you can handle more than you think. I believe all of this affects how you reflect on what you learn when you return home, having a significant impact on the student's continued studies, development, and education at University West.

The vast majority of students who have completed a period of studies or internship abroad, say it is the best thing they have ever done – it is worth taking advantage of and giving more students the opportunity to experience!

What challenges do you and your STARS EU colleagues face within your area of work?

I find that the biggest challenge is creating a common understanding of what we should do, and when we should do it. We have our goals, so it's not that we don't know. But a formulation in a project application or project planning is interpreted based on your own background and work environment, which looks different for all institutions. You also have different views on approaches, goals, and how to interpret the meaning of certain words, such as "programme".

If we can address these issues, I believe the way forward can be further concretized. But it is incredibly educational and exciting work, with many new colleagues full of valuable experiences and ideas – and so far, we have made good progress!