Interested in gaining experience abroad? You too can go on a staff exchange!
Working at an international university can offer new perspectives to use in your work. Practical information on how to arrange this is now available on a new staff webpage dedicated to internationalisation. Find out all you need to know about staff mobility and hear about lecturer Esther Kentin exchange experiences.
One key aim of the new website is to make staff aware that, like students, they too can choose to participate in an exchange. Staff exchange (also know as staff mobility) is a great way to share knowledge and an excellent opportunity to gain experience of other cultures and education systems. It's an opportunity to see how foreign colleagues have organised their work and the issues they are dealing with. What's more, it's a great way to develop your professional skills and build an international network with many different foreign colleagues. The staff exchange is available to all staff working at our faculty and the exchange period can be as little as two days.
Where can I go?
The faculty has around 80 partner faculties that welcome both students and staff. For instance, we have collaboration agreements with:
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Edinburgh University (Great Britain)
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Monash University (Australia)
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Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia)
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China University of Political Science and Law (China)
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Universidad Diego Portales (Chili)
What does it cost?
There are of course costs involved when you go abroad, but there are various options for funding, even if only partial. Sometimes, the host university provides a contribution and there are also a number of grants offered by Leiden University that you can make use of as an employee of Leiden Law School. For example, there are European grants available for international exchange, for educational innovation and for the development of international educational programmes. Grant opportunities are available from Leiden University, through the Leiden University Global Fund (LUGF), Virtueel Internationaal Samenwerkingsproject (VIS) and the Leids Universiteits Fonds (LUF). Additionally, the Grant Department of the Student and Educational Affairs (SOZ) can provide advice and guidance on applying for education grants.
Esther Kentin's experiences in Shanghai
One colleague who has participated in a staff exchange is Esther Kentin, a lecturer at the Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Law. She travelled to China several years ago to teach a two-week lecture series on the main International Court of Justice cases at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). Here, she was introduced to the Chinese culture, the academic customs and life in a metropolis with millions of people.
What struck you most about Shanghai?
It was a very special experience to be in such a mega-city. Shanghai has 26 million inhabitants, which is really gigantic. You suddenly realise just how small Leiden is. I'd been to New York and Nairobi before, but Shanghai was really impressive compared to those cities. So many people living in such a small area. I found it quite overwhelming, but fascinating at the same time.
Remarkably, a lot was actually the same in terms of education. The teaching staff were very much academics who were eager to share their knowledge and they experienced the same problems with students. They, too, struggled with the balance between teaching and publishing research. In the lecture halls, students reacted pretty much the same as here. You have quiet students and very assertive students, just like in the Netherlands. In that sense, it wasn't a big culture shock.
Any tips for colleagues who are considering an exchange?
The main thing I'd say to colleagues is that you should plan your exchange in a teaching-free period. Otherwise, you'll have to find a substitute. It's almost impossible to continue your regular teaching duties alongside the exchange. You just won't be able to get the most out of the exchange.
For me, it was really hard work. For a fortnight, I taught a two-hour class every day and checked papers submited by the students. On top of all this, my courses in Leiden continued as usual. So, it was a huge effort.
If you'd like to taste another culture, an exchange is great fun. In my case, it was also very rewarding. The students found it really interesting and lecturers from other universities came by to watch and get to know me. So it also contributes to building a network with lots of foreign colleagues.
Would you like to go on another exchange?
Yes, I'm thinking about it. Unfortunately, I'm usually very busy teaching throughout the year. I might join a Law Clinic in America. I did just coincidentally give a lecture at the University of Carthage in Tunisia about participating in the Jessup Moot Court Competition and how to write a Memorial, so that was a sort of online exchange. Other than that, I'm always open to being sent somewhere!
Would like more information about internationalisation and staff mobility?
Check out the updated webpage!