USN's International Education Cooperation Office (SIU) made our Campus Vestfold a global hub for the third annual "USN Partner Days", held June 3- 5, 2024.
This years event brought together 29 bright minds from 20 universities and colleges across 11 countries, all united by their shared passion for internationalization. Our nearest guests came from neighbouring Finland and the furthest travellers came all the way from the Bahamas.
Our guests, including representatives from our EDUC-alliance partners at the Université Paris Nanterre, Masaryk University, and the University of Cagliari, were welcomed by our rector Pia Bing-Jonsson at the picturesque coastal destination Verdens Ende (the End of the World).
Facilitating student exchange opportunities
The event kicked off with a captivating performance by our music students, setting the stage for insightful presentations about outbound mobility from the Rotterdam Business School, Cologne Business School, Haga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, and of course, USN.
Lunch was served at the Midgard Viking Center, where our guests were treated to a tour of the majestic burial mounds and an exclusive peek inside the towering Gildehallen.
The focus of the day was to facilitate student exchange opportunities, with our guests collaborating across institutional boundaries to share ideas and experiences, uncovering new ways to foster global collaboration.
Back in Tønsberg, our guests were taken on a richly historical city tour led by emeritus Stig Bjørshol, followed by a delightful dinner at the Haugar Art Museum.
EUI alliances extravaganza
The third day of Partner Days offered our guests a comprehensive campus tour, showcasing USN's state-of-the-art facilities from our libraries and cafeterias to classrooms and student housing.
The highlights of the day were inspiring presentations by Mary Anderson-Glenna on USN's research work, and insightful sessions on the European University Alliances (EUI).
Kine Korsmo presented the EDUC alliance (European Digital UniverCity), while Isabella Dufour-Baumgartner from IMT Mines Albi presented the EUNICE alliance (European University for Customised Education), while Lieselot Vandamme from Howest presented the U!REKA alliance (The Urban Research and Education Knowledge Alliance).
The event wrapped up with group work focusing on sharing experiences in Erasmus+ staff mobility, Blended Intensive Courses (BIP), and Erasmus+ Key Action 2: Cooperation among organizations and institutions.
Next stop: Campus Bø
USN Partner Days is a rotating event across our campuses. While Vestfold hosted the 2024 edition, previous editions have been held at Kongsberg (2019) and Porsgrunn (2023). The next stop on this global journey is the Bø campus from June 2-4, 2025. We can't wait to see you there!