From Stockholm to Gothenburg: IHECS at the heart of the international academic network
On 8 September, Stockholm hosted the 8th seminar of the Group of Francophone International Relations Officers (GRRIF). Around fifty delegates from Europe, Quebec and Africa gathered to discuss the specificities of their profession: the organisation of constantly evolving international offices, responsible partnerships and collaboration with research. It was a day rich in debate, experience sharing and collective reflection, to which IHECS, through Sophie Henrard, was able to contribute actively.
Following the GRIFF, a few hours away by train, Gothenburg hosted the 35th annual conference of the EAIE (European Association for International Education), the must-attend event for higher education stakeholders worldwide. More than 7,000 participants gathered over four days to discuss a variety of topics, ranging from the future priorities of the Erasmus+ programme to the digitisation of processes, sustainable mobility and institutional selection criteria.
Beyond the conferences and presentations, this event is a unique opportunity to meet our partners face-to-face and explore new collaborations. Thanks to the stand provided by Wallonia-Brussels Campus, Sophie was able to organise nearly 30 individual meetings with representatives from European institutions, as well as North and South American, Asian and Australian institutions. These meetings fuel an essential dynamic: refocusing a larger part of our mobility programmes in Europe, in line with the priorities set by the European Commission and the available budgets, while remaining open to offering students attractive and diverse destinations.
Sophie also took advantage of her trip to visit three long-standing partner institutions: Jönköping University in Sweden, the Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX) and Aarhus in Copenhagen. These meetings not only enable us to regularly assess the quality of the exchanges offered to students, but also to explore new forms of collaboration with institutions that are among the most popular destinations for the IHECS student community.
