Socrates Promoters - Kluesener-net.de

The Netherlands -
National week on studying abroad
From 4 to 11 October 2000 the Nuffic, National
Agency (NA) for the Netherlands, organised a
promotion week on studying abroad. This week
was the launching of the new national campaign,
called ’WilWeg’, which means ’wanna go’. In
the promotion week, in which also Socrates promoters
took part, a new website
(www.wilweg.nl) and a virtual information centre
with all relevant information and links have
been set up. The new ’Vagant’, an information
booklet for studying abroad, has been also prepared.
The memorable aspect of the ’WilWeg’-
week has been a big yellow American school bus
full of promotion- and information material. All
higher education institutions in the Netherlands
were asked to promote studying abroad during
this week as well. Many organised an international
week or day for their students with information
markets, presentations, forums, speeches.
Dutch Socrates Promoters participated in two
International Days during this week. They
organised a presentation at the University of
Maastricht about Socrates Programme for local
students. On October 11 they also organised the
Utrecht ’WilWeg’ Day together with Utrecht
University, the Hogeschool of Utrecht and the
Utrecht School of Arts. The event has been promoted
through 10.000 personal invitations sent
to second and third year students and included
also an information market and an international
cultural programme. Additionally, an exhibition
of photos made by exchange students during
their time abroad and a theatre play about studying
abroad took place.
Femke Wegman and Patrick de Looff,
SP Netherlands
Promoting Socrates
Iceland - Variation of Information Channels
I did my first promoting event on a “University
Day” in Iceland on April 9th, where all HEIs in
Iceland introduced their programs. During the
summer months I used the time to prepare some
promotional material and to establish some contacts
with people within institutions where I
could do presentations.
On September 8th I took part in the launching of
Socrates II in Iceland as one of the few students.
In the following week I made a presentation on
Erasmus to students at University of Iceland. I
wrote twice about student mobility programs in
the student newspaper at University of Iceland.
On October 17th my article on possibilities for
students through Socrates II was published in
“Morgunbladid”, the most read national newspaper
in Iceland.
In October and November I did presentations in
various higher education institutions in Iceland.
On January 25th 2001 I promoted Socrates at the
“International Day” at University of Iceland.
Being a Socrates promoter made me more aware
of matters regarding student mobility and gave
me more motivation to work with these matters
within my student union. I used the opportunity
to lobby for a faster process of the implementation
of a diploma supplement as one part of the
Bologna declaration. I also encouraged the
University of Iceland to offer more courses for
mobility students and to adobt an international
policy of the university.
Socrates on the Move has created a great experience
for us the Socrates promoters to work in a
European student team. The workshops in
Brussels in March and in Naples in December
were very useful as well as the exchange of
information through e-mails during the promotional
period. After the Socrates on the Move
project I feel that we students are able to and
should be given the opportunity to participate in
promoting, evaluating and improving the
Socrates Programme.
Fanney Karlsdottir, SP Iceland
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