Towards a coherent integration program for professorial staff
Active recruitment of international professorial and postdoctoral staff was identified as one of the priorities in Ghent University’s policy on internationalization for the coming years. Obtaining the Dutch language is an important requirement, but the integration program offers much more.
Low Countries Studies
The Low Countries Studies program at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy is a program for students and researchers on a wide range of topics such as language, art and culture, history, the media, the Flemish landscape, urban planning and daily customs in Flanders. It has the aim to give international students and staff a better understanding of our society from an academic perspective. In addition to the lectures, a number of extra-curricular activities are offered, such as a guided city walk, a visit to the Ghent City Museum and an excursion to the Flemish countryside.
Details can be found on: https://www.ugent.be/lw/lcs/en
International professorial staff members are encouraged to obtain the certificate of successful completion of the program.
Integration into the work environment
Ghent University offers a number of additional supporting measures to help international professors adapt to the Ghent University workplace and its research and teaching environment in a faster and more efficient way.
Information before arrival
Internationals moving to Gent will receive onboarding information through personal one- to-one conversations, brochures, personal advice and the Ghent University website. This combination of information package contains all practical information that international staff may need, before and upon arrival at Ghent University, during their stay and before departure.
Welcome
Integration into the work environment starts with an intake and introduction.
Mentoring of professorial staff
The Career Office at the Department of Personnel and Organization offers several mentoring programs for professorial staff members like peer-to-peer (professor-to-professor) support with regard to the career development and the personal performance in a (new) professorial role at Ghent University, in particular in the role as manager and leader.
Basic teacher training
The Department of Educational Policy (DOWA) offers the existing basic teacher training in English to non-Dutch-speaking staff members.
Integration into the broader social context
In order to achieve a fully successful integration, it is important that the employee feels included in the wider Ghent University community outside of the immediate work environment. Ghent University regularly organizes institution-wide activities to bring international staff together. The university thus tries to establish an international community.
In addition, Ghent University strives to fully involve international staff in its social activities by communicating bilingually (in Dutch and English) as much as possible. The ‘let’s talk initiatives are an successful example of this.
The role of the family in the integration process must also be recognized. Ghent University offers a broad range of facilities and services for the families of its staff, and reduced training courses for partners of professorial staff members.
Ghent University and the city of Ghent are close partners in the establishment of a broader international community in Ghent. Through 'Expat Community Ghent, joint activities are organized for expats.
More information can be found on this page.