Internationalisation is in our DNA: The power of the intercultural classroom is worth fighting for

Authors: Peter Horsten and Simon de Wijs are lecturers and researchers at Leisure & Events at BUas.

What does internationalisation mean to you?
Internationalisation adds so much value. The Science Guide even quotes that internationalisation leads to world peace. The world also goes beyond the Dutch borders. Borderless thinking is precisely the growth engine of our economy, our prosperity and our cultural development. At BUas too, it is really in the DNA of domains that are pre-eminently international. Through our strategy, we best prepare students to work in this international field. Our vision actually says it all: ‘Empower young professionals on their journey to shape a better world’. Become an all-round professional based on an understanding of other cultures and backgrounds. See that the world is constantly changing and not one-dimensional, but that there are multiple dimensions that make life more beautiful and better.

That’s why we educate alumni who dare to think without boundaries, which does not mean that everything is possible and allowed, but that taking interculturalism as the guiding principle is the best start for professionals to find their way in the domain. How wonderful it is that you learn to look at other perspectives as early as during your studies in a setting with students from, for example, Turkey, Bangladesh, Bulgaria or Mexico and are able and allowed to make mistakes in the process. There is an inherent strength in our programmes that makes you a better professional.

This significance of internationalisation and because BUas is an international university of applied sciences make me work here. Making sure we can put this into practice and passing it on to future generations is our strength. This is a great asset. This is also why we are fierce and clear in the debate around internationalisation. Of course, we are not blind to developments around us, including negative effects, such as student housing, but above all, we must not lose sight of the power of internationalisation. That is something worth fighting for.

You say that the Netherlands is borderless. Is the Netherlands different in this respect from other European countries, and does BUas occupy a specific position within the Netherlands?
A clear ‘yes’ to both. The Netherlands is well known in the international environment as agile. That international environment gave us a lot in the past and still gives us a lot today. Of course, you cannot be equally proud of everything, such as sea trade, which we did depend on at the time. As far as BUas is concerned, we have always been different from other universities of applied sciences. BUas has never been a regional institute, but has always seen the world as its field of activity. Incidentally, we are now focusing more on Europe in order to contribute and make an impact, especially there. That does not mean that the rest will disappear, but ‘priority first’ on Europe, which is also better from a sustainability point of view. 

Internationalisation contributes to the search for excellence to make a qualitative distinction. Research shows that the quality of study programmes skyrockets in an international classroom. A foreign student coming to BUas has an ambition and drive that also benefits Dutch students. Most of the study programmes are in English, the basis for understanding each other, and that attracts students with ambition. However, it is certainly not ‘just excellence in’ because it is precisely because of the international context we offer students that they rise above themselves during their studies and leave higher qualified. 

National discussions are fierce and sometimes very isolated around English as a language or housing issues. Is BUas currently inhibited and, if so, how bad is it? 
The actual problem is not so much with the universities of applied sciences, but with research universities that have seen unbridled growth. The response of Vereniging Hogescholen (Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences) seems very much geared towards clamping down on student numbers, thus favouring a shrinkage strategy resulting in the problem then being solved for the universities. Very stringent measures in the event that numbers (possibly) rise above ten per cent are now looming over our heads. That clashes quite a bit with BUas and we fundamentally disagree with it. It goes against not only our DNA, but also our common sense. Instead, we are committed to qualitative growth, and it is worth fighting for our role as an international university of applied sciences. 

Bear in mind that the percentage of international students at universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands has been between eight and ten per cent for years, and I see no reason why that should suddenly rise now. We ourselves do want to steadily grow in quality, but that concerns a few hundred students per year. We do not want more than 7,500 to 8,000 students as BUas. We could turn the tap on in some study programmes (like Games or AI), but we deliberately do not do that. However, steady growth is necessary to have sufficient quality, to continue to develop, to play our part in society.

BUas is different from many other universities of applied sciences. We did not start it only the day before yesterday. Internationalisation has been in our genes and fields of study since BUas was founded, so it is integral to our vision. Many, students and also staff, have come to BUas for that. Of course, there are more institutes among the universities of applied sciences that naturally have that, such as Design Academy Eindhoven, art education, NHL Stenden, but certainly BUas as well.

More locally in Breda, what about politics?
I am very happy with our good local contacts and collaborations. Locally, we also make an impact, with games, with tourism, with leisure, and also with Logistics Community Brabant we play a significant role in the local and regional fields. Recently there was a broadcast of the OP1 talk show in which the Municipal Executive and the municipal council of the city of Breda indicated that they are proud of Breda's international character, in which the role of BUas was explicitly mentioned. More and more international companies are finding their place in Breda. That’s why attracting and retaining highly educated people is becoming increasingly important. For our internationalisation ambitions, the presence of international players in close proximity, some even a bike ride away, is just as crucial. It is not necessary for you per se to go to the other side of the world. CM.COM, for example, fits BUas perfectly in terms of size and vibe. They operate all over the world, do well in leisure and AI. A typically local Breda example that teaches you can also offer this international environment close by. Jeroen van Glabbeek, CEO of CM.COM, also indicates in this context that he does not understand “what people are doing around internationalisation at a national level”. To give an example, an international classroom is really a prerequisite to prepare students for the international context of the BUas industries. Industry partners are eager to attract highly-skilled staff to deal with international social challenges. Housing is also considered a bottleneck by national politicians, but we are actually anticipating that in terms of plans and cooperation with the municipality of Breda. For the next phase of the BUas campus, it is going to be crucial that we can offer a residential campus concept. That you can make an integral combination of studying and living and taking part in recreational activities here in Breda.

There are all kinds of issues that do not respect national borders, such as sustainability or AI. You cannot address or solve those challenges within national borders. Does that make it extra important for BUas to get involved in these issues? 
To ask the question is to answer it. AI and climate education are both going to make a huge impact and create radical changes within all of our domains. From hospitality and creative business to logistics and built environment. By the way, that involves both students, employees and industry partners we work with. It requires a broader international outlook. In fact, we are too small as Europe to take that on. 

We want to give students a professional compass and make sure they have the basics on these topics when they leave us. That they have the tools to assess the now often polarised information from specific currents and act on issues thoroughly. If we want to make students future proof, we must also give them 'skills for life', such as an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset, with a global vision, an eye for local sensitivities and sustainable ambitions. But also the ability to find your purpose and role in the world and the self-awareness to speak out and address people. And of course we need to organise that for ourselves as well. Hence, because of sustainability, we introduced a different travel policy and offer an AI course for all employees. I do not see AI in our education as a ‘replacement,’ but as a tool you can use to make processes better. Personal contact will remain extremely important as always in our study programmes and sectors, but AI will become your new colleague whether you want it or not. And how do you (critically) deal with that colleague then? In addition, AI brings its share of moral ethical issues. And AI and sustainability do not necessarily go hand in hand (yet). We can set the thermostat to 17 but if we then use ChatGPT, all the savings are immediately gone because of servers that have to run extra. That balance must be found.

Regardless of the specific issues, the fact is that there is a need for new professionals to help in the transformation to a future-proof situation and to help convey the message and change behaviour. And I think that we as BUas should be emphatically part of that change.   

How does BUas play a role with regard to making students feel at home in the Netherlands? Is there also a role in increasing the likelihood of international students staying in the Netherlands upon completing their studies?
Let us be clear that towards students, the starting point lies in making sure that everyone feels welcome. The sense of belonging is crucial, both for Dutch and non-Dutch students. We pay attention to well-being and ensure that students can experience the campus as a safe haven. Basically, all communication on campus, including signage, is in English. Language is important to learn to understand each other. There is also attention to international catering and there are BUas-wide activities, which contribute to bonding and community feeling, such as Studium Generale and the Sport & Play Fest. The BUas clubs and study associations also play an essential role. Some are tied to a domain or study programme, but from our BUas+ strategy, we especially strive for cross-academy connections. The strength is that you look for a mix of international and Dutch lecturers and students, and for perspectives from different domains, all blended together. I myself am an avid fan of the Book Club, which has 54 members. And there is also a Bicycle Club. Both have a rich diversity. At the BUas clubs, you connect with each other in an easily accessible way. The most recent example is the importance of the recently opened Lighthouse, which functions as a living room and café. A landing spot for club activities, but also just for having lunch or a pint, across all domains, for students and staff.

And the stay rate is surely very important, but it is not an end in itself. BUas can try to encourage students to stay, but certainly not force them. The best way to do this is in cooperation with business partners in the professional field. Where does the professional field experience shortages of labour potential? What relationships can we offer students as early as during their studies with this professional field? BUas distinguishes itself enormously because our industry network is very ‘high end’. Students come into contact with very good companies here and abroad.

The Netherlands is not doing so badly at all in this area. Compared to England, for example, we have double the numbers. There is always room for improvement, but let us be aware that it is also very valuable to have international students here, even if they leave afterwards. Just consider the above-mentioned quality of the educational environment, but also the cultural and social enrichment for the city.

Do similar points for attention in the strategy apply to colleagues as they do to students?
Yes, these two are even strongly connected. With the pursued intercultural classroom comes a diverse workforce to also serve the international (oriented) professional field well. As for students, we want a maximum of 30% international staff. And we are very aware that with everyone, no matter where they come from, you have to pay attention to onboarding, allowing them to properly land in their new environment. In addition to previously mentioned activities that serve both students and employees, we are developing tools and educational offerings around, for example, Dutch Language and Culture to this end. International colleagues themselves also ask for such tools, so they can participate and integrate well. Here lies an important responsibility as an international institute and we can certainly take steps. We should not forget to face our own bias when welcoming others. We recently had a very good session on our Education Day where it was discussed that we as Dutch people always strongly believe ourselves to be hospitable, open and transparent, but internationals experience this openness and transparency mainly “when things are done our way”. 

It is a question of how you handle tensions. Do you call something an end-of-the-year party instead of a Christmas party? What helps very much is that we do not have these discussions with a club of Dutch people and a club of internationals, but rather enter into these discussions on a permanent basis together and from that also formulate joint lessons as to what we should do. It is a two-way street where both sides have to make efforts. Take language, the basis for communication. That means that on the one hand, we must ensure that everyone's English is up to standard. We have put a lot of effort into this in recent years. We also train non-Dutch colleagues in the Dutch language, so they can get by here. As far as this last aspect is concerned, we are aware that the requirements (from The Hague) will become stricter. It is important to be inclusive by providing space for various cultures and, more importantly, to become aware of differences or tensions between cultures in order to deal with them transparently by mutual agreement.

How important are rankings for internationalisation?
Rankings are not there for the ranking itself of course, but if you ask me, they are valuable because you want to provide the best education and prepare your students optimally. Rankings then help you to be visible and to attract those students, but also staff and industry. And the higher your rankings, the more attraction. Rankings also help to see in comparative perspective how you are actually doing. In that context, I am a fan of the multi-rank tool. You can turn many variables on or off: whatever you think is important for an institute to address - whether this is sustainability, intertwining AI in your study programmes, or directing a lot of focus at well-being. You then choose the ranking based on your own preferences. Of course, rankings also help to give a boost to something. However, it is important to note that good rankings alone do not automatically improve the study programmes, of course. 

BUas is strongly connected to many international partners and networks worldwide. What is the significance of taking part in these types of networks?
Those connections enrich perspectives, enhance quality and increase mobility opportunities. For example, BUas is a partner of the European Universities alliance KreativeEU, in which 11 institutes across Europe cooperate. Europe is getting more and more important and we are putting more emphasis on it, in our strategy. It should go beyond me as President signing something and having a beautiful photograph. Colleagues need to engage, and, fortunately, that is certainly the case at KreativeEU. This engagement spans across academies and domains. Because of the complexity, you really have to take up these kinds of processes and collaborations as an institute and not as a domain itself. What makes KreativEU such a good fit for us is the size (comparable to BUas) and diversity of the participating institutes, the focus on creativity and culture, but certainly also decisive is the major focus on students.

The WLO, which then goes beyond Europe, is also an important partner. The annual WLO congress is even coming to Breda and Rotterdam in 2025. How do you make sure this is going to be valuable and that the event has legacy?
We also call this conference the Olympic Games of leisure and are proud that we as BUas can host such a big event. Especially when you look at the theme 'leisure for a better society' which perfectly fits the BUas mission. We work together with Ahoy in Rotterdam, but also the Grote Kerk in Breda. In 2025 this event will bring together many elements. You have to take advantage of the fact that you have a very rich intercultural, global network of leisure professionals 'visiting' you that week. A considerable number of our colleagues will be involved in giving presentations or facilitating activities. Everything we will learn there we must try to translate into educational programmes, of course. We also want to strengthen the relationship between education and research, in which a renowned conference such as WLO can be of great help. Moreover, we must ensure that our strong connection with industry is given a place there and that we use the value created for that industry.

There are plans in Breda for an annual Dutch Leisure Week, similar to Dutch Design Week, as a spin-off of the WLO conference. The municipality is already actively working on it and we as BUas are having talks about our involvement in that. That would indeed be a worthy legacy - one in which we, as BUas, aspire to take a prominent role that fits what we stand for: Creating Meaningful Experiences.

This article was published in Uncover Magazine - Internationalisation. You can read the complete magazine via this link.