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Student exchange programmes
Faculty of Spatial Sciences, 2014/2015
November 13, 2013 – 15:00
Paul van Steen
5412.0020 (Blauwe Zaal)
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Student exchanges....
A few questions....
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Why study abroad?
For whom? When? How long?
Where to? To do what?
How to prepare? Information?
Costs? Subsidies?
How to apply? Selection?
Some answers....
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Why study abroad?
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New, additional courses
Language
Learn about culture, people, country
Improve quality CV
Personal motives
New perspective on own country, culture,
discipline (the ‘mirror’ function)
› Confrontation with yourself
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For whom? When? How long? (1)
› Bachelor students – in third year:
› - semester 1: courses (in stead of 'Minor' at RUG),
› - semester 2.b (for example, Bachelorthesis)
› Master students - semester 1 or 2
› Approval of curriculum coordinator needed
(credits; conflict with FRW curriculum?)
› Minimum 3 months, sometimes 4 or 5 months
(problem/challenge: different academic timetables)
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For whom? When? How long? (2)
Other conditions:
1. If academic level abroad is equivalent.
2. If host university has space/capacity.
3. If there is a ‘balance’ in students exchanged.
4. If you have sufficient progress in FRW curriculum.
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What can you do abroad?
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Courses - sometimes very ‘different’, language!, time
period (serious differences in academic timetables)
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Bachelorthesis - not everywhere, FRW staff member
is primary supervisor; ONLY abroad in 2b
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Masterthesis - not everywhere, FRW staff member is
primary supervisor, time period? - NEURUS
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Some ‘solutions’ to some ‘problems’
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Bachelor: compulsory excursion 2b (in SG&P) - if you
go abroad when excursion is offered, you can apply for
waiver for excursion (but you need another 5 EC course
to compensate) - ‘costs’, benefits
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Bachelor and Master: combination of BA project (or
MSc thesis) and elective course abroad
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Master thesis: if host university only allows for course
participation, work 100% independently on MSc thesis
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Some ‘solutions’ to some ‘problems’
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Bachelor: if you have already developed a delay in
your curriculum, include 7th semester in your plans
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Master: if you have already developed a delay in your
curriculum, include 3rd semester in your plans
But: study abroad need not cause delays in your study
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Where can you go to? (1)
Important distinction:
1. FRW partners: Exchanges to partner universities of
the Faculty of Spatial Sciences = many options,
more flexibility, less competition
2. RUG partners: Exchanges to partner universities of
the University of Groningen = very few options,
often extreme competition
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Where can you go to? (2)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
European partners Spatial Sciences (Erasmus)
Non-European partners Spatial Sciences
European partners other RUG Faculties (Erasmus)
Non-European partners University of Groningen
Rest of the world
A to E: easy (A) to difficult (C, D, E) to arrange;
many (A) to very few (D, E) scholarships available;
short (A) to very long (D, E) preparation time, etc.
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Partners of FRW = Spatial Sciences
1. In Europe:
› 30 partners in 15 countries
› Very limited access to 200+ partners of other RUG
Faculties (e.g., Arts; Economics & Business)
› Erasmus scholarship almost ‘guaranteed’
2. Outside Europe:
• North America: USA + Canada
• Oceania, Asia: New Zealand, Indonesia
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Partners FRW - United Kingdom
1.
Coleraine
Newcastle
Reading
+ Leeds, Southampton,
Cardiff, Edinburgh
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Partners FRW - United Kingdom
Reading
› Courses
› Human Geography
› October-December,
January-March
› Campus, residence
halls for students
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Partners FRW - United Kingdom
Newcastle
› Courses
› School of Geography,
Politics and Sociology
› September-January,
February - May
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Partners FRW - United Kingdom
Coleraine
› Courses, BA project,
MSc project
› Human Geography,
Environmental Sciences
› late Sept - late January;
late January - early June
› Campus, most students
stay in Portrush or
Portstewart
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Partners FRW - NW Europe
Joensuu
› courses in English
› Sept/Dec, Jan/March
Stockholm
• bachelor/MSc courses
• also MSc thesis
Agder – new partner
Lund - courses!
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Partners FRW - East/Central Europe
Riga, Jelgava (Latvia)
Wroclaw, Krakow (Poland)
Vienna (Austria) 2x!
Budapest (Hungary)
Pecs (Hungary)
Istanbul (Turkey)
Volos (Greece)
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Partners FRW - East/Central Europe
Riga
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BA project, also in 2b
MSc thesis
Growing number of
courses (outside
Geography) in English
Jelgava - Agricultural
Univ. (BA projects)
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Partners FRW - East/Central Europe
Vienna
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University of Economics &
Business Administration
includes Dept. of Regional
and Urban Planning
large no. of courses, incl.
large number in English
2 full semesters (exchange
in 1 semester)
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Partners FRW - East/Central Europe
Pecs
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BA project, also in 2b
MSc thesis
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small number of courses in
Geography/Nature Sciences
Budapest
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MSc thesis
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MSc courses
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Partners FRW - Germany
Bremen ( + Oldenburg)
Berlin
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Geography, Planning
+ Ba project / MSc thesis
Munster - Geography, Planning
Frankfurt am Main
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Geography
!!! Semesters in Germany
October - February, April - August
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Partners FRW - SW Europe
Zaragoza
› ‘traditional’ teaching
(in Spanish)
› Ba project, MSc thesis
Lisbon
• BA project, MSc thesis
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Partners FRW - Rest of Europe
Italy - Milan
• planning, architecture, economic geography
Greece - Volos
• planning, regional development
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Partners of Spatial Sciences
1. In Europe:
› 30 partners in 15 countries
› Very limited access to 200+ partners of other RuG
Faculties (e.g., Arts; Economics & Business)
› Erasmus scholarship almost ‘guaranteed’
2. Outside Europe:
• North America: USA + Canada
• Oceania, Asia: New Zealand, Indonesia?
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Partners FRW - USA
Seattle
Urbana
Geneseo
Omaha
Irvine
Phoenix
NEURUS partner
Gainesville
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Partners FRW - USA, exchanges
Geneseo, NY
› Courses
› Ba project
› MSc thesis
› Campus town
› Geography +
Planning
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Partners FRW - USA, Exchanges
Seattle, WA
› Priority for MSc students
› Priority for students Real Estate,
Planning or Economic Geography
› courses
› ‘trimester’ system: Sep-Dec, JanMarch (Apr-Jun not possible)
› ‘in city’ campus location
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Partners FRW - USA, Exchanges
Omaha, Nebraska
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Geography,
International Studies
courses
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Partners FRW - United States
Fees
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Student exchange programmes: students do not pay
tuition fees ('collegegeld')
However: students do pay local fees, e.g. for oncampus health services, sports facilities; sometimes
also for use of computer labs, library
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Partners FRW - NEURUS
NEURUS
Network for European and US Regional and Urban Studies
Europe: Groningen, Berlin, Vienna ( + more)
Asia: South Korea
USA: Irvine, Urbana,Gainesville, Phoenix
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Partners FRW - NEURUS
NEURUS - for MSc thesis
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Arrive in USA in January
September: seminar EU: present and discuss research
proposal MSc thesis
September: workshop EU (research methods)
January - May: MSc thesis ( + course possible)
April: seminar USA: present work-in-progress
April: workshop USA (policy implementations)
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Partners FRW - New Zealand
Auckland
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BSc and MSc students, Geography and Planning
academic year: February-June, July-November
2 students per year
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Partners of University of Groningen
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Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand
Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Osaka University, Japan
Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
University of Calgary, Canada
McGill University, Quebec, Canada
Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada
University of South Carolina, Columbia SC, United States
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Unfortunately... serious competition with
students from other RUG Faculties…
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Student exchanges....
A few questions....
›
›
›
›
›
›
Why study abroad?
For whom? When? How long?
Where to? To do what?
How to prepare? Information?
Costs? Subsidies?
How to apply? Selection?
Some answers....
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Preparations (1)
Collect information
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website FRW (‘Information for students’)
travel reports FRW students, Student Support Desk
Identify or create time in study programme
› decide what to do, and when (timetables!)
› find other students (for Ba project)
Make shortlist of possible/desired destinations
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Preparations (2)
Have personal talk with Paul van Steen
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20 min., sign in (see list on room door 0.19) – prepare
yourself!
Make budget
› expenses vs. subsidies
Fill in application form
› available at Student Support Desk (for FRW + RUG
partners)
› submit before January 11, 2014
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Costs
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Travel
Housing abroad
Other survival expenses abroad
Decide on ‘local’ travel behaviour
Tuition fees (waived if you go to FRW or RuG partner)
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Funds
1.
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IBG/DUO scholarship continues (advance payment)
reimbursement OV card (at this moment: € 99/month)
rent room Groningen?
additional scholarship:
• Erasmus (€ 220/month) or Marco Polo
• GUF = ‘Groningen Universiteits Fonds’: € 300 or
nothing (tip: share in BA project)
• other, private funds (Studenten Service Centrum)
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Application & Selection (1)
1. Submit application form in time:
• before January 11, 2014 for FRW & RUG partners in
mailbox Paul van Steen (ground floor)
2. Submission of application form is expression of ‘serious
intention’ to participate, but not (yet) a contract
3. In January/February: selection of non-EU destinations,
next (in February/March): selection of EU destinations
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Application & Selection (2)
4. If demand for FRW partner > contract specification:
• we will try to let everybody go
• if not possible: selection (motivation, progress in
study programme, advise of program coordinators)
5. If demand for RuG partner > contract specification:
serious competition, chances not that high
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Questions?
Questions?
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Thank you - See you in Elsewhere!