Large student conference in France
Around 200 participants from all over Europe, the majority of whom were students, recently took part in a conference in Douai, France. The conference was organised by the EULiST alliance with a focus on building a new generation of sustainable areas within European higher education. Around 20 people from Jönköping University (JU) took part.
JU staff led two workshops at the conference in France. One by Kerstin Johansen, Associate Dean of Research JTH, and one by Linn Tapper and Josefine Andersson from the International Office.
The aim of the conference, ‘Navigating the crossroads between Academia and Industry’, was to strengthen cooperation between students in Europe and create networks useful for future working life, to promote discussions on European values and to give students the opportunity to provide feedback on projects within EULiST. Participants had the opportunity to take part in workshops, lectures and cultural activities.
Increased interest among students
Alise Vikele is studying Sustainable Supply Chain Management at JTH and has been involved in organising the conference. She noticed an increased interest from students compared to last year.
Most of the participants from JU were students. One of them was Alise Vikele, who is studying Sustainable Supply Chain Management at the School of Engineering (JTH). Last year, she participated in the conference in Vienna, Austria, which inspired her to help organise the event this year. Alise sees the commitment to the conference as valuable, mainly thanks to the network she gets to be part of and all the people she gets to know.
"Last year there were around 800 applications to participate, and this year there were over 1000 applications, which is great. I hope that the students have gained a better understanding of what EULiST is and are motivated to get involved," says Alise.
Damjan Todorchevski is studying International Management at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) and chose to go to France out of pure curiosity, to find out how EULiST can benefit him as a student.
"My expectations for the conference were to meet new people, gain new insights and learn more about the opportunities that EULiST can offer me as a student. And also, to see how these experiences can add value to my future career," says Damjan.
Damjan Todorchevski was curious about EULiST and how the alliance can benefit him as a student at JIBS.
‘A good opportunity to gather feedback’
Linn Tapper and Josefine Andersson from the International Office led a workshop on student engagement. They see the time spent at the conference in France as an excellent opportunity for students to gain further international experience, but also to discuss current student issues with peers from other countries.
"Personally, I think this conference is a good alternative for our students who may not have the opportunity to go abroad for a whole semester, to gain some international perspective. It is also an excellent opportunity for us as staff to hear directly from the students what they hope to gain from this alliance," says Linn.
