European Policy Statement

The strategy, objectives and priorities pursued by the FUAS for all its measures aimed at promoting international relations have been developed over years of activity within the ERASMUS and LEONARDO framework of the European Union.

The main emphasis has been and will remain on promotion of mobility measures for students - with increased attention in future to mobility measures for academic staff in order to exploit the multiplication effect and research interests. It includes promoting incoming staff and student mobility even when there is little reciprocal outgoing activity because of the added value seen to accrue for the home institution. Bilateral cooperation agreements (and general framework agreements) have been concluded for years with a large number of institutions in most European countries – there has also been systematic expansion of such mobility measures from one academic department to another.

The main objective in the coming contractual period – in line with the change of academic degrees from a "Diplom" structure to a Bachelor/Master structure – is to consolidate exchange relationships with a select number of longstanding European partners by developing double/dual degree programmes at first and second cycle level. For this purpose, both faculties have identified their priority institutions from the existing canon of European partners, most of which will be retained as regular exchange partners, and negotiations with priority partners are in progress. In line with the FUAS's own geographical orientation, one major focus of activities will be on Scandinavian countries and the Baltic Sea region. However, activities in English-speaking countries will occupy an important position as English is clearly the major foreign language for students and staff. In these cases, parallel measures similar to those undertaken under ERASMUS and LLP are also in place (without EU funding) for UK institutions with restricted involvement in EU programmes. In addition the expansion of mobility activities to institutions in countries of Eastern Europe undertaken during the previous ERASMUS contractual period and to countries with languages not specifically promoted in Flensburg remains a central feature of future activities.

Plans have been made for the ERASMUS University Charter and the EPS to be published on the FUAS’s website. All outgoing staff and students are made aware of their responsibilities under this charter. All student applicants for mobility continue to be interviewed and successful students are provided with the ERASMUS Student Charter.

The FUAS will continue to combat any discriminatory activities or behaviour with every means at its disposal (supported by its student representative bodies).

The atmosphere or mutual trust and reliance developed over years between the FUAS and its partner institutions allows a regular exchange of information with respect to curriculum, assessment, recognition of studies and to extra-curricular issues prior to, during and following mobility activities. ECTS and ERASMUS documentation have been used to organise these measures before being officially implemented, thus ensuring such documentation meets ERASMUS quality standards.

All outgoing students are interviewed by the International Officer, the Representative for International Affairs and where appropriate by an academic subject tutor prior to being recommended as exchange students to ensure motivation, sufficient funding and language competence. Full counselling of all outgoings on the basis of the latest information supplied by partner institutions takes place in the International Office prior to and following interviews. As all outgoings expect recognition and accreditation for performance abroad, student records are scrutinised closely before leaving and on return. Special arrangements are initiated at faculty level to ensure simple recognition procedures. The FUAS has implemented an academic QA management system to monitor domestic degree courses in addition to the review conducted by national accreditation agencies; the system extends to all aspects of outgoing curricula recognition and to special arrangements made for assessing incoming student performance.

Outgoing staff are regularly informed of exchange possibilities; contact persons at their guest institution frequently also reciprocate as incoming teaching staff. Every effort is made to integrate the latter in departmental activities. Although the German higher education system does not allow for special recognition of mobility activities by outgoings, full support is given to those availing themselves of such opportunities at both faculty and institutional level.

The FUAS continues its involvement in the network of placement activities for students which proved so successful under Leonardo. Particular care is taken that the contents of training during placement are agreed and documented in an appendix to the standard contractual agreement concluded between student and firm. Due to the specifically practical focus of higher education at German universities of applied sciences, student placement activities abroad are afforded the same supervisory care as in Germany. The home institution remains in regular contact with students, checking the prospective success of placement activities with those responsible at an early stage and at regular intervals thereafter. On-site monitoring of the placement programme is undertaken by the student's supervisor in the firm concerned, with regular contact to the International Office and academic tutor at the home institution using modern means of communication (e-mail, video conference, etc.).

Recognition of placement periods, modes of assessment and content matter is agreed with academic tutors at the home institution in advance of a student's arrival in the host country. All degree courses in Flensburg incorporate a mandatory placement period of varying length to be assessed by the home institution as an integral part of academic performance. Assessment includes a report submitted by students detailing preparatory measures and their effectiveness, acclimatisation and supervision, integration with local employees, any changes in contents, financial and organisational questions and self-appraisal of student progress; students are also issued with a testimonial by the employer documenting their progress and success in the foreign country. Placements are frequently arranged for different students at selected undertakings from one year to the next.