Academic QM with a Focus on International Students

Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences is one of the most international universities in Germany. With international students making up over half of its student body, it aims both to integrate and enculturate more than 3,500 students into the German higher education system each year. The recruitment of international students marks the starting point of a multi-year integration process, which results in complex challenges as well as new opportunities for study and teaching.

The main objective of the subproject is to establish a long-term focus on academic quality improvement for international students. “Internationality” as a hallmark of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences will be illuminated more intensively in the context of teaching and learning, and valuable insights will be collected from student data that has been collected over the years. The goal is to clearly identify the definining aspects of Rhine-Waal University’s model character.

The analysis of data from various surveys across the student life cycle (student, graduate and drop-out surveys) is intended to paint a picture of the current state of integration among international students. The focus is particularly on the challenges facing international students at the beginning of their studies, as this initial phase is the cornerstone for success in their degree programme.

The full breadth of practical measures and structures with which Rhine-Waal University has been combating the challenges of international students for over 10 years now will be connected to current survey results. The resulting possibilities and solutions for the University’s structure, studies and teaching will then be documented and made available to other universities.

In the spring, Thordis Neger designed, conducted and optimised the first survey for first-semester students (“freshers”) at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.

The objectives of the subproject:

• Contribute long-term to improving academic quality for international students.
• Identify hurdles and success factors.
• Evaluate and further develop existing surveys.
• Develop new surveys.
• Collect best practice offers for international students in place at Rhine-Waal University.

With Thordis Neger’s support, the project will be incorporated into the contribution for the Turn Conference 2022 on 4 November 2022:

Studying and Teaching at Germany's Most International University – Opportunities and Challenges for the University as an Agent of International Change