Exchange and the value of intercultural perspectives

Author: Annet Ghering is exchange coordinator at Academy for Leisure & Events and a lecturer at Social Innovation.

In line with BUas’ programme portfolio, international cooperation has always been part of what we do. In 2023 Academy for Leisure & Events (ALE) had 18.6% incoming international students (of 547 students in total) which compares favourably to 2017 when we had 11.8% incoming international students (of 493). This is the number of students who do their entire study programme (bachelor’s or master’s) at our academy, named ’degree- seeking students’ in formal terms. We also welcome incoming exchange students, who only come to study for one semester.

Incoming exchange students come and study in the context of the Erasmus student exchange programme which was introduced in 1987. The aim is three-fold: to enable learning mobility of individuals, to stimulate cooperation among organisations and institutions, and to support policy development and cooperation. ALE has enthusiastically embraced these possibilities and where the question ‘why manage leisure?’ initially raised some eyebrows internationally, adding ‘Events’ to the title definitely helped. 

Selection and matching
Together with the academic coordinators, Student Office coordinates the selection of students who apply for an exchange. The system is straightforward: students who have obtained most credits and who have the highest average grade stand the best chance of going to the university of their choice. Students choose three universities they would like to go to and although there are usually enough places available for all students who apply, not all of them can go, mostly because some countries tend to be much more in demand than others. The popularity of Spain is very hard to beat. 

Numbers
To give an indication of the numbers: since 2011, around 300 ALE students have participated in exchange programmes in as many as 19 different countries; in 2024-2025 32 ALE students will go to 13 different countries. ALE now has exchange agreements with 57 partner universities, and we regularly receive requests from new international universities. The number of incoming exchange students at ALE has been stable between 10 and 20 for several years now, a number we would like to see go up. However, finding accommodation turns out to be a major challenge, for all students but for incoming exchange students especially, because they are only in Breda for one semester. 

Specialisations
The introduction of specialisations at ALE has enabled incoming exchange students to choose a programme that is as much in line with their ambitions and interests as possible. All specialisations have welcomed incoming exchange students in their midst. Events for Business and Sports & Esports are currently doing a more in-depth exploration, together with partner universities, of how programmes are complementary and how new ways of cooperation can be developed, for example, with Kajaani University of Applied Sciences in Finland. 

Positive experiences
Fortunately, the experiences of almost all students are very positive. Both incoming and outgoing exchange students value being immersed in a different culture for one semester, they learn a lot by being in a completely different educational system (“It made a nice change to attend classes in a more traditional way”) and they become more appreciative and understanding of different cultures. Although having a good time and making friends for life is not one of the main aims of the programme, it is clearly something that enhances students’ well-being and clearly contributes to study success.  

Coming to Breda 
In their evaluations, many incoming students explicitly state how much they appreciated the welcoming atmosphere, created by staff and students alike, and the different approach. Project groups, peer assessments, going through a course programme as a group - all ways of working that we are used to at ALE; this is new to most international students. Bonding with classmates through projects, sharing responsibility and feeling proud of what has been achieved are all enriching. Moreover, students experience living in a new culture. Many students who come from cultures where employees are addressed by their formal title and where they are not expected to ask questions are pleasantly surprised by the ease with which they can reach colleagues at ALE. 

Exchange experiences offer students as well as colleagues who welcome them and ALE students who work with them, the value of intercultural perspectives. We look forward to offering this inspiration and being inspired ourselves for many years to come. 

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