“Retaining international talent in the EUregion”

How to connect (international) students of Maastricht University to partners in the EUregion

VSNU – EUR Conference ‘Internationalization’November 19th, 2018Bibi Linssen

bibi.linssen@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Today’s topics

Maastricht University

Lessons learned

Three projects:

PREMIUMMaster Yourself

Internships

International student

retention

Maastricht University

“A European University with a global outlook”

(Strategic Programme 2017-2021)

We are committed to our mission…• Our location in the Euregion makes us an international

university by definition.

• We can rightly say that UM has been an international university for twenty years. We have been working in our 'International Classroom' for many years, with students from different nationalities working on international themes in small groups.

Source: UM Executive Board, 18 May, 2018

International student retention

International student retention UM Labor market outcomes of international UM alumni:• n=1237 UM alumni from cohorts

2006 – 2009 five years after graduation

• About 27% of them come from abroad

• About 18% of international alumni are employed in the Netherlands, five years after graduation. They often work for internationally active organisations.

Source: Geographical mobility and labor market outcomes of Maastricht University alumni, ROA report ROA-R-2017/4

Building bridges: PREMIUM and Master Yourself

Building a bridge: PREMIUM

Format• 8th year now running• In current format since

2015/16• From 70 -> 120 students• From 18 -> 30 projects• Programme language English

Student participation2016/17

72 students, 76% not Dutch

2017/18

109 students, 80% not Dutch

Further growth potential is limited due to the nature of the programmeand the community activities

Building a bridge: Master Yourself a project of the Maastricht University Student Employability Initiative that aims to prepare our graduating Master students for entering

the job market in the best possible way

Students are offered the unique chance to attend workshops and masterclasses at renowned companies and organisations in the region

Together with mastering new valuable skills, they get the chance to expand their network and get an inside look at how these companies run their businesses

Format• Started in 2017• From 83 -> 152 students• From 9 -> 13 organisations• 90% of activities in English• Similar % of foreign students

as in PREMIUM

International student retention2016/17

• 2 internships

• 1 summer school

2017/18

• 1 internship

• 2 traineeships

Growth potential is positively linked to the amount of UM alumni as decision makers in the region

Building a bridge: English internships

a pilot of the Maastricht University Student Employability Initiative that aims to increase

possibilities for English speaking European Law students in the (Dutch) region

In close cooperation with the internship coordinators at the faculty, we aim to find 10 new internship

possibilities for 2019/2020, with focus on a 100 km radius

Lessons learned

What works?

• Rapid prototyping: fail early to succeed quickly. Learning-by-doing, based on the principles of Design Thinking.

• Start small and build on successes.• Invest in close cooperation with faculties and

organisations. Make sure to know their needs and constraints.

Sources• https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/news/why-um-

committed-its-international-strategy

• https://www.nuffic.nl/en/subjects/higher-education/

• http://roa.sbe.maastrichtuniversity.nl/?page_id=789

ContactWant to know more about PREMIUM or Master Yourself ?fabienne.crombach@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Want to know more about the Maastricht University Student Employability Initiative?https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/about-um/organisation/employability or ellen.bastiaens@maastrichtuniversity.nl