Presentations 2.1 – European Cooperation in Student Affairs
International Cooperation
DE-FR
Jérémy Rossignol, Head of the Universities Department at the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ-DFJW)
Doreen Steudte, Managing Director & Nicolas Müller, Head of Communication and International relations, STW Lower Bavaria-Upper Palatinate (Regensburg)
French-German cooperation as institutional internationalisation
The Studierendenwerk Niederbayern/Oberpfalz has maintained a partnership with the Crous Clermont Auvergne in Clermont-Ferrand since 1978. Each year, the two organizations jointly organize a student exchange in one country and a staff exchange in the other. In two-year exchange cycles, participants gain insight into the working environment at student services organizations in Germany and in France. As a result, the program content is practical and closely tailored to the target group. Students are involved in the organization and planning of the exchange weeks.
The presentation highlights an example of vibrant German-French cooperation at institutional level. It offers insight into the modalities and organization of the exchange programs, participant selection, and funding. Finally, it highlights the benefits of participation for staff (e.g., boosting motivation and fostering intercultural competence) and students (e.g., acquiring cultural soft skills and gaining insight into a different student life).
Mathilde Jacq, Deputy Director at Eucor – The European Campus & Clara Lebigre, Project Manager at Crous de Strasbourg
Using the example of Eucor – The European Campus, an alliance of five French, German and Swiss universities in the Upper Rhine region, this presentation will highlight the potential of cross-border cooperation to enrich student life in Europe.
For more than 35 years, the universities of Basel, Freiburg, Haute-Alsace, Strasbourg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have been working together. Along the years, cooperations with Crous of Strasbourg, Clous of Mulhouse, Studierendenwerk Freiburg-Schwarzwald and Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe have increased, allowing to to plan more innovative intercultural events, to work in network and an exchange of knowledge between the staff.
Today, the member universities of Eucor even have a common strategy in which student life plays a central role. The objective is clear: to strengthen networking among stakeholders and to propose and promote large-scale projects and activities for students from the three countries. Besides, the Crous and Studierendenwerke are also committed to cooperation within Eucor. In its 2030 strategic plan, the Crous of Strasbourg explicitly states its intention to forge closer ties with Eucor in order to boost student exchanges in partnership with the Studierendenwerke in Karlsruhe and Freiburg.
The presentation will draw on concrete examples of cross-border cooperation, such as support for student cultural and sporting initiatives, networking between student associations, exchange and cooperation between Crous and Studierendenwerke, and the direct involvement of students in the implementation of the Eucor strategy.
It will show how the geographical proximity of universities and of students in general in border regions can be a powerful lever for developing more affordable and sustainable international mobility opportunities. It will also offer ideas that can be transferred to other European contexts.