Community Feeling @ Pangaea International Staff Week 13/05/2019 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Community Feeling @ Pangaea International Staff Week 13/05/2019

Pangaea 2 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

KU Leuven Student Services Department Religion and Cell International Student Career Study Support Philosophical Disability Office Health Centre Social Service Housing Service Students Centre Diversity = Pangaea Intercultural Meeting Centre in Leuven 3 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

Where? Student Services KU Leuven operates on all KU Leuven campuses, spread all over Flanders • In own management • In subcontracting, by a student service of another higher education institution

What do we offer international students? 1. Welcome 2. Social Integration 3. Support on living and studying 5 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

Student Services Department Mission • To guarantee equal opportunities and participation in higher education for all students by improving basic conditions and raise the well-being of students • Special attention is paid to less-favoured groups Main goals • Sufficient and accessible services • Improving influx, study progress and outflow of students • Connected-ness • Global citizenship education

Campus Leuven + International Students = International Students Cell Policy on Support Welcome & Social Integration • Information, welcoming, • Horizontal view on student social network, intercultural services and needs of target learning group • Connecting needs with • Before, upon arrival + services, optimizing during stay in Leuven • Bridge between student • Special focus on services and other actors scholarship and PhD internationalisation students = Pangaea. Where worlds meet. 7 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

Mission of Pangaea = Community Building Support international students in regard to: • Welcoming • Information • Feeling at home @ KU Leuven • Social network for integration within Leuven university community AND • Platform for international and intercultural competences for all students: international and local How: • Initiatives/activities • Meeting centre/Living Campus • Communication 8 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

2. Social Integration 1. Welcome 1. Orientation Days 1. Socio-cultural activities throughout semester 2. Living in Leuven 2. Meeting Centre (& Living 3. Buddy Programme Campus) 3. Intercultural platform 4. Loko International and associations 5. Volunteers 6. Jobstudents 9 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

1. Orientation Days • Week before start academic year in September and February: 400 & 1800 participants • Indicated as a + in ranking Times Higher Education • Info sessions • Living in Leuven – information session + compulsory enrolment @ KU Leuven for students • Studying@KU Leuven • Dutch Crash Course • Intercultural Awareness • Info Fairs • Student Fair (unions and associations) • General Info Fair (KU Leuven services, city, culture, police, health insurance etc.) • Guided City Tours through Leuven • Social activities on evenings and weekends • Unions and LOKO • Local and international students • Leuven and surroundings 10 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

Orientation Days • Orientation Days helped me to understand how things work in Leuven • It was useful, especially for meeting people. • For us international students was a great way to start life in Leuven • It was very useful to get assigned to a buddy • Orientation Days made me feel welcome in Leuven • I am grateful to be part of this great University that takes time and effort to welcome incoming international students. • The orientation Days covers everything that is important…all people involved were really nice and friendly • I felt like I am in my home University. Thanks for everything • Orientation Days were the best week I have ever had • I have no suggestions. Thanks for your kind attention • The best start I have ever had • It was definitely useful. We all come from different countries… and we know absolutely nothing about Belgian life… • You have done an incredible job for us 11 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

2. Living in Leuven Information Thematical + for multiple target groups Info Brochure Website session 12 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

3. Buddy Programme • Matching international students with local buddy • Welcome and help • Social network • Per semester: • Sem 1 ca. 1000 duo’s • Sem 2 ca. 300 duo’s • Buddy Kick-Off • Sem 1 ca. 500 participants • Sem 2 ca. 200 participants • Happy Hour • Buddy Workshops • Cooking, beer tasting, Flemish, chocolate, intercultural awareness 13 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

"I made my best friends of Leuven during the Buddy Kick-Off. It helped my integration. I met people my age and interest. I am still in contact with them after three years .“ (Claudia, Mexico) “ The buddy program gives you the opportunity to make friends all over the world. But what I like most is that it gives you the opportunity to extend your look to other unknown parts of the world across nations across cultures, to hear other people’s views on all kind of subjects and are not locked up in your own small world. I think that is the real power of this initiative” (Daan, Iosif’s buddy in 2016, 2 nd Wai Kei’s buddy in 2018) 14 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

2. Social Integration 1. Welcome 1. Orientation Days 1. Socio-cultural activities 2. Living in Leuven 2. Meeting Centre (& Living Campus) 3. Buddy Programme 3. Intercultural platform 4. Loko International and associations 5. Volunteers 15 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

1. Activities • Language • Conversation groups • Language chain • Language tables • Discover Belgium/Leuven • About Belgium Lectures • Daytrips • Traditions (X- mas,…) • Beat The Sunday Blues cycling tours • Culture: film, workshops, debates, performances etc. • Well-being: Mindfulness, yoga, meditation… • Farewell Party 16 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

2. Meeting Centre (& Living Campus) • Open to university community with extra advantages for students + home away from home • Welcome desk = low thershold open door policy • Questions, registration etc. • Open every working day from 12-17.30, thu. van 13-18.30u • Bar • Coffee/Tea/Beers/ Soda’s (discount for students) • Games, newspapers etc. • Open Mon-Thu from 12-20, Fri-Sat from 12-24 • Volunteers on weekdays van 12-17, job students on evenings and weekends • Rooms for rent/use: • 4 rooms with projection – 2 kitchens • For students (and staff/others under certain conditions) • Open activites = free use • Private activites = rent • Daily activities by students in our rooms • Membership: Ca. 2000 members/academic year (use of CRM-system) • mug = free coffee and tea for an academic year • Students: discounts on paying activities. 17 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

3. Intercultural Platform • Initiatives to stimulate intercultural learning and dialogue: • Debates, round tables , workshops,… • Combining academic insight with (personal) experiences from students themselves • In close cooperation with student associations, faculties, other organisations • Based on an active network with and knowledge of the different cultural student communities and backgrounds • Initiatives: • Speakers’ corner • The OtherStory 18 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

4. LOKO International & International Student Associations Far reaching cooperation with LOKO International • Goal: to reinforce the network between (Flemish) student unions and International Student Associations • Meeting Hub for student unions and associations = location & platform • Networking • Co-working • Private meetings • Locker & storage 19 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

ISA events & Activities • Diwali – Holi Festival • Ethiopean Nights • Undivided – Pride Week • Feminist Society • Indonesian Cultural Day • Polish Night • Cameroonian Meet & Greet • Amnesty International letter writing 20 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

5. Volunteers • More than 100 active volunteers per academic year • Orientation Days • Bar • Steward • Activities • Home Vesalius • Buddy Programme = volunteers • Purpose of Community Building • Volunteer bonding activities • Volunteer ‘savings’ card • KU Leuven i-portfolio 21 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

Individual volunteers’ initiatives • Drink & Draw • Taste of Africa • Pub Quiz • Bar Folk • Vegan Potluck • Liar’s Club Game Night • Origami • Game of Thrones 22 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen

6. Jobstudents • Bartenders • Orientation Days support team • Resident-advisors • Beat the Sunday Blues 23 Cel Internationale Studenten - Studentenvoorzieningen