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Ausgabe 05 | 2018 | 2. Jg.
Expanding
Strangers at Home
Studying abroad expands your Horizon
J
J
The multi-faceted short-term and long-term benefits of working with Erasmus+ incoming
exchange students in tertiary education.
In a world moving from globalism
to selective isolationism, what is the
value and impact of student exchange
programs like Erasmus+? A study
exchange in a foreign country can
potentially developmuch-needed com-
petences for a changing world through
language and cultural exchange, over-
coming misunderstanding and bound-
aries, integrating in a new living and
educational environment, and gaining
new academic insights.
Student exchange programs are pop-
ular with Austrian students. In 2017,
in Austria, in the Erasmus+ program,
in tertiary education alone, almost
35,000 short- or long-term exchanges
of teachers and students from Austria
with a partner university abroad took
place. Also many teachers and students
from international universities spent
time teaching and studying at Austrian
universities. Making these exchanges a
success is an important issue as a posi-
tive experience contributes to the good
image of the Austrian educational sys-
tem abroad.
As Erasmus+ coordinators, the authors
know that a study period abroad can
bring many positive experiences. How-
ever, in order to contribute to the long-
term and deeper benefits of an Eras-
mus+ stay, one has to recognize the
interpersonal dynamics that are foun-
dational to a successful exchange stay.
“The second I arrived in Linz, I realised
it was like moving from home to home.
The international team welcomed us
with opened arms. There was never
a moment throughout the semester
where I felt lost or worried. The inter-
national door was always open, they
were ready to answer all my questions
and amazingly gave us great opportu-
nities to develop skills and memories
during our Erasmus stay.” Chris Pol-
lock (Erasmus student from Northern
Ireland, 2018)
Professional support contributes to
making a study exchange a successful
cultural and educational experience
at the University of Education Upper
Austria. Beyond providing good edu-
cational programs, each student is more
than a number and receives personal
attention. A practical understanding
of the cultural and educational systems
in the home country is
also needed. Provided
with an individualized
program,
incoming
students can develop to
their fullest potential.
Another effective sup-
port program is the
“Buddy
Program”,
where each incoming
student is assigned a
“buddy”, who studies at
our university, and who
will go or has been on
an Erasmus exchange.
This means that “local
experts” help incom-
ings integrate in the
Austrian culture and
educational system.
The effects of creating
a positive study climate
goes beyond the per-
sonal realm. Each uni-
versity as an institution
can be positively affected by having
exchange students enrolled in various
programs and courses. The presence
of exchange students adds an inter-
national dimension and flavor that
otherwise may have eluded professors
and students from Austria. Erasmus
students contribute insights, experi-
ences, and perspectives from other cul-
tures and educational systems that may
contribute to the development of new
pedagogical ideas and strategies.
“Participating in the Erasmus Program
has been a wonderful and fruitful expe-
rience in my life. I could improve my
level of English and German, it helped
me to improve my teaching skills and
to find a job as a teacher in two different
countries. Especially, it helped my per-
sonal growth. When I took this step I
didn´t know that I was going to have a
‘foster family’ in Linz.This new family
was formed by my friends and teach-
ers whose friendship supported me to
make this experience an unforgettable
one. I love the cultural diversity we had
in our class, this contributed to open-
ing my mind, to fighting against pos-
sible prejudices while appreciating the
value of other cultures as well as the
richness brought to our classroom just
because we were all different! Different
countries, different languages, different
customs, different personalities …, this
program helped me to get the best of
all. I miss the days in Linz, my friends
and my teachers! I feel really grateful
to all of you; you left an important
mark on me that helped me being who
I am today.” Flora Benítez Alcázar
(Erasmus+ student from Spain, 2012.
Teacher in Spain 2013 - 2017. Teacher
in the USA 2017 - current.)
Furthermore, there are long-term per-
sonal benefits for Erasmus students
who return to their home countries
and universities, where their gained
insights and experiences also positively
affect their teachers, fellow students,
and future pupils.
“The best benefit is having interna-
tional friends and sharing their culture.
That part of my life is unforgettable and
I wish I could have the chance to do
it again. In Linz, my teaching practice
was with primary school students and
now I am working in a primary school.
In the beginning, teaching there wasn’t
easy because of the language.We spoke
different languages, but I managed to
communicate and now in Turkey have
a lot of students not speaking Turkish
as their mother tongue. The experi-
ences I gained in Austria now benefit
me working with, for example, Syrian
students. Furthermore, as a language
teacher I had to speak English in Linz
thus improving my skills. I am much
more confident in speaking English
thanks to those days.” Selim Pinar
(Erasmus+ student from Turkey, 2012,
teacher in Turkey)
As we can see, the benefits of student
exchange programs range from per-
sonal development, long-term friend-
ships, developing an international
professional network, and gaining new
educational insights in learning new
cultures and even languages. In order
to make a student exchange a success,
it takes a professional team of experts
from coordinators to professors who
welcome the exchange students in
their classroom. It often takes the pro-
verbial “extra mile”, but the results are
worth it.
Niels de Jong, BEd MA und
Christiana Petershofer, BEd MSc sind
Mitarbeiter/Mitarbeiterin am Institut
für Internationale Kooperationen und
Studienprogramme an der Pädagogischen
Hochschule Oberösterreich.
“Participating in the
Erasmus Program has
been a wonderful and
fruitful experience in
my life.“
Foto: Privat
Foto: Christian Kogler