Erasmus University has a new strategy document. Although it is still a draft, it does clarify some of the main themes and visions about the university’s position in 2018.
Erasmus Magazine dug into the document and outlined some of the intentions you will probably notice. Internationalization seems to be the keyword. For example, in 2018 the EUR will be a bilingual university.
After ‘Nominaal = Normaal’ (N=N, obtaining all 60 credits in the first year), there will be no significant changes in education policies. To attract new international students the number of master programmes has to be expanded, and the university wants more international masters. The bachelor programmes will also become more internationalized. The Executive Board aims for English streams or English as the main language in the third year for every bachelor programme. 15 percent of Dutch students is expected to go abroad for a while, and the number of foreign students at the EUR will grow from 12 to 15 percent. Next year, the Executive Board will propose a restructuring of the minor programme to facilitate exchange. The Board would like to see a 30-credit minor, but did not succeed to implement this yet.
Full career university
To live up to the reputation of ‘full career university’ – and to attract more students – there will be more focus on career perspectives. Students at EUR are career-oriented and with a better connection to the labor market more students will choose for Rotterdam, is the argumentation.
Viability standards
More alarming, for some bachelor programmes, is the intention to ‘establish viability standards for education’ in order to reach ‘a consolidation’ of the bachelor programmes. What is meant exactly, is not clear yet, except that the board and faculties will create the standards together.
Science
The university wants less dependency on the Dutch government for its income. Therefore, there will be more focus on external research funding, like the European Horizon 2020. However, applying for research grants can be a time consuming bureaucratic jungle, so the EUR has the intention to give scientists more support in applying. The recently established Erasmus Valorization Centre will partly provide that.
Next to more focus on applying for research grants, citation impact scores will become more important. In 2018, 15 percent of the publications shall be part of the 10 percent most cited articles in its discipline.
The strategy document is waiting for approval by the University Council. After the Council consents, the faculties will take a closer look. TF
