A living laboratory of international education. What is the news from EAIE?

The 33rd edition of the international trade fair EAIE 2023 took place in Rotterdam, where 22 universities represented Czechia.

Last week, we participated in the largest event in the field of international education in Europe - the EAIE (European Association for International Education) trade fair and conference in Rotterdam under the banner of the Study in Czechia initiative at our national stand. 22 participating Czech universities used the premises of the stand with ten consulting places to establish partnerships with other universities, institutions and companies from Europe and beyond that are active in this field. "I believe that the participation of the universities at our innovative stand will help them in gaining new and better partnerships. Trade fairs like this are extremely important for Czech education - they allow to establish relationships and make contracts on the basis of which students can go abroad for internships or studies," summarized Michal Uhl, Director of the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research.   

Renata Tomášková, Vice-Rector for International Relations at the University of Ostrava, confirmed this: "Trade fairs are incredibly beneficial for personal growth and professional education. By attending, you gain a much greater understanding of current trends than by simply reading publications. It is a living laboratory of international education."  

EAIE has a long tradition that was only disrupted by a three-year hiatus during the pandemic. "A lot of detailed or contentious situations cannot be resolved except by meeting in person. We see the opportunity to meet our new and existing partners here in person as extremely beneficial," said Jana Ovsjanniková, Head of the International Office of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. 

Connecting currents and ideas  

This year's theme running throughout the event, "Connecting Currents", celebrates Rotterdam's maritime history, in which river and sea are connected, just as international education actively connects "currents" of thought, disciplines, expertise, and culture. The currents in which we move as international educators are fast, unpredictable, and significant - from virtual education, multilingualism to climate change and geopolitics. This theme was also reflected in the numerous lectures and workshops, which covered topics in digital marketing, social media, artificial intelligence and sustainability. Furthermore, under the guidance of experienced speakers from the industry, participants explored topics such as how to motivate young people and students to pursue international education or participate in ambassador programmes. 

Celebrating cooperation and cultural diversity  

EAIE is also traditionally marked by various receptions, which offer another opportunity for networking. The fair opened with a joint reception for all participants. We also held a reception together with the Austrian national agency OeAD. Michal Uhl opened the event: "Cultural diversity is an integral part of quality education. “An integral part of the quality of education is cultural diversity. The challenges of today's world are of a global character, and so we need to find global solutions to them. To do this, we need to see the world in a broader context. This is where international experience, understanding different cultures and social contexts step in. Every university should strive to create a diverse environment that encourages international exchange and collaboration,” he urged. 

Ivana Adamiková, Head of the Centre for International Cooperation at the University of Ostrava, praised the opportunities to make new contacts from all over the world that the fair offered. "We were able to establish new partnerships, for example, with a university in Brazil or South Africa." "This is a great opportunity for Czechia to showcase everything that we have and can offer, not only in education but also in science and research," said Diana Kocábková from the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. 

Representatives of the following 22 Czech universities are attending EAIE 2023: 

• Academy of Performing Arts in Prague  

• Anglo-American University  

• Brno University of Technology  

• Czech Technical University in Prague  

• Czech University of Life Sciences Prague  

• Charles University  

• Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice  

• Masaryk University  

• Mendel University in Brno  

• Palacký University Olomouc  

• Prague University of Economics and Business 

• Silesian University in Opava  

• Technical University of Liberec  

• Tomas Bata University in Zlín  

• University of Hradec Králové  

• University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague  

• University of Jan Evangelista Purkyně in Ústí nad Labem  

• University of Ostrava  

• University of Pardubice  

• University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice  

• University of West Bohemia  

• VSB – Technical University of Ostrava 

We would like to thank all the representatives of the 22 universities for the excellent representation of Czech higher education in Rotterdam and we look forward to the next edition of EAIE from 17 to 20 September 2024 in Toulouse, France. The theme will be "En route".  

See how this year's EAIE went in the gallery below: