EU2020’s strategy framework set an objective of “at least 20% of higher education graduates and 6% of 18-34 year-olds” should have spent some time studying or training abroad by 2020. Following that lead, ESN France has developed a project to ease the welcoming of international students, all around Europe. The BuddySystem is an online platform matching international students and local students together. It is managed by associations welcoming internationals and the platform is also supported by universities. After having students matched, the international one can benefit a personalised welcome, including his privileged contact with his mentor, support for administrative procedures, one-to-one visit of the city and place of study/work. To sum up he can be helped when needed. The BuddySystem project will develop a web-platform on a quantitative and qualitative basis within universities and associations welcoming international students in Europe. The BuddySystem’s objectives are: To improve the welcoming of students doing an international mobility (through a technological web-platform with a matching system for universities and associations) To develop the internationalization of campuses and local students, while easing interactions, open mindedness and a mutual understanding. All three are mainstays of the European citizenship To strengthen structures welcoming international students (universities and associations) and allow them to develop long-lasting relationships between students, through a joint teaching tool. With the help of our partners, we benefit from a network of European universities (European University Foundation), a network of associations welcoming international students (ESN International), the University of Vienna, the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Hertforshire, and a national network of students associations (ESN France): This is great opportunity to cooperatively develop the project in which the following activities will be fulfilled: To launch a BuddySystem platform to allow local students to meet and welcome international students during their exchange as well as to give a common tool to universities and associations To research on existing European BuddySystems in order to have a sustainable analysis on that topic and to be able to produce reliable teaching tools towards universities and associations welcoming international students. To develop teaching tools and involve a network of trainers, who will able a sustainable dissemination of the project The BuddySystem will be effective in 30 European countries and 300.000 students are expected to subscribe on the platform. Thus, that project will reach a large number of students while favoring a quality welcoming since it allows international students to receive an unique guidance: personalised and customised to their needs. Among international mobility projects and tools, this platform will remain an essential tool, since the layout of the BuddySystem will result from the cooperative work of universities and associations welcoming international students. Awaited by several structures welcoming international students, that project will quickly be spread in Europe. To do so, ESN France can count on its network which includes 525 pan-European associations and thanks to its partners with their 700 universities network. The BuddySystem is a federating project between structures of the international mobility in Europe. It is intended for students who want to seize intercultural opportunity surrounding them. For some, it will allow them to optimise their mobility and for others to internationalise their everyday life: two midpoints when Europe is currently inclined towards an identitarian closure. Facing that fundamental concern, the BuddySystem project wish to favor intercultural exchange and thus aware participants to an European citizenship.
EU2020’s strategy framework had set an objective of “at least 20% of higher education graduates and 6% of 18-34 year-olds” should have spent some time studying or training abroad by 2020. Following that lead, the Buddy System consortium has developed a project to improve the welcoming of international students, all around Europe. To reach this goal, the Buddy System project has created tools to facilitate the qualitative and massive pairing systems for higher education institutions and international students welcome associations in Europe. When matched, an international student can benefit from a personalised welcome, having a privileged contact with his/her mentor to get support during his/her mobility. The BuddySystem’s objectives were the following: - To improve the welcoming of students going on an international mobility through a technological tool (web-platform) with a matching system for HEIs and associations. - To develop the internationalization of campuses and local students, while easing interactions, open mindedness and a mutual understanding, thus developing a European citizenship. - To strengthen structures welcoming international students (HEIs and associations) and allow them to develop long-lasting relationships between students, through common teaching tools. The consortium’s achievements in that sense are the following: - the creation of the BuddySystem platform, allowing local students to meet and welcome international students during their exchange as well as being a shared tool for HEIs and associations to collaborate on the pairing coordination. - the gradual integration of the Erasmus+ app from the European Commission, which gives a great visibility and legitimacy to this pairing tool, and highlights it as an essential step for every mobility. - the research that was implemented on existing European BuddySystems in order to provide an updated and extensive analysis on that topic and to be able to produce reliable teaching tools towards universities and associations welcoming international students. - the creation of training, engagement and communication tools and the development of a network of trainers and local coordinators, who will conduct a sustainable dissemination of the project. In December 2020, more than 65 540 persons have registered on the platform, with 15 active countries, 157 nationalities represented, 148 languages spoken, and 23 HEIs (campuses and faculties not included) and 85 student associations collaborating on the pairing of students. This project has reached a large number of students while favoring a quality welcoming since it allows international students to receive an unique guidance: personalised and customised to their needs. The Buddy System platform has settled as an essential tool within the international mobility practices, since the implementation of the BuddySystem has resulted from the cooperative work of universities and associations welcoming international students. Awaited by several structures welcoming international students, that project has quickly disseminated in Europe. To do so, ESN France was able to rely on its network which includes 525 pan-European associations andon its partners’ with their 700 universities network. Thereby, 20 dissemination activities have been organised (among which, 3 webinars), reaching directly 1976 students, associations representatives and HEIs personnels; newsletters were sent to 60 389 persons from the target groups, and a final communication campaign enabled the French National Education Minister to highlight the Buddy Systemwhile welcoming students back to school in September 2020. The BuddySystem is a federating project between structures supporting international mobility in Europe. It helps students seize intercultural opportunities surrounding them, allowing them to optimise their mobility and for others to internationalise their everyday life: two midpoints when Europe is currently inclined towards an identitarian closure. Facing that fundamental concern, the BuddySystem project has favored intercultural exchange and thus raised awareness among participants toward a sense of European citizenship and more links between communities.