Going the extra mile for internationalisation

Institutional Award

Brand new to 2012, the Institutional Award recognises and rewards higher education institutions which are actively engaged in the practice of internationalisation. The first Institutional Award goes to Masaryk University, Czech Republic, which has shown a truly international vision and mission, and a clear and measurable international strategy. Masaryk University has built an enormous and impressive list of international partnerships, being actively involved in numerous networks and in coordinating or partnering in Erasmus Mundus Action 2. The university has implemented its strategy through a concise and clever planning with impact on staff development, international student integration and international teacher support. The Committee believes that Masaryk University sets an excellent example of how to implement an international strategy for many institutions in Europe and beyond.

Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership

This award, which recognises inspiring leaders, goes to Bernd Wächter from Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), Belgium. Bernd constantly adds new issues to the internationalisation agenda of higher education and is always one or two steps ahead of the other players in the field. He is the initiator of numerous research studies, innovative projects and publications, with a focus on mobility. He is always willing to share his ideas, knowledge and experience at numerous events and he does this in his own remarkable style with humour and passion.

Transatlantic Leadership Award

Designed to reward active EAIE members who have provided significant leadership to educational exchange between Europe and North America, the 2012 Transatlantic Leadership Award goes to Anders Uhrskov from the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, Denmark and John Yopp, from the University of Kentucky, USA.

Anders Uhrskov has been active in the field of higher education for more than 30 years. He is a strong believer in transatlantic cooperation and his work for the Danish Institute for Study Abroad is an excellent example for many of us. He does not only talk about transatlantic ideas and potentials but masterfully realises them on a regular basis.

John Yopp is a champion of transatlantic cooperation, having dedicated his work to this field for more than 10 years. He is a well known reference on transatlantic cooperation with facts, statistics and in-depth studies. His numerous presentations are mainly focused on the road map for effective cooperation between the USA and Europe.

Rising Star Award

Honouring those who are new to the EAIE (membership of less than five years) who have already made a notable contribution to international education, the 2012 Rising Star Award goes to Ramon Ellenbroek from the VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Ramon is a great example of an enthusiastic and highly active professional. He is involved in initiatives such as the set up of the EAIE mentorship programme – a platform for individuals new to their positions in international higher education and experienced professionals to develop supportive relationships – as well as the EAIE outreach projects for the wider region around Turkey, aimed at internationalising the higher education in the area.

President’s Award

Recognised for her remarkable contribution and dedication to the EAIE, Laura Ripoll receives the 2012 Presidents’ Award. An active member of the EAIE since 1994, Laura has shared her skills and experience through deep involvement with the Professional Development Committee, the Publications Committee, and through sitting on the boards of the former EAIE Professional Section European Educational Programme Coordinators (EEPC) and the current EAIE Professional Section Management of Programmes in Lifelong Learning Education (MOPILE).

The EAIE would like to congratulate all 2012 Award winners and looks forward to presenting their awards in Dublin this September at the 24th Annual EAIE Conference.

Award winner biographies

Masaryk University (MU), located in Brno, the Czech Republic, was established in 1919, and with its nine faculties and almost 45 000 students is currently the second largest Czech university. Masaryk University offers degrees in a wide range of both traditional and newly-emerging disciplines. In recent years it has consistently attracted record numbers of applicants and has come to be recognised as one of the major Central European universities. MU was awarded the DS Label in 2009 and the ECTS Label in 2010.

Bernd Wächter is Director of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), Belgium. He worked for the University of Kassel, the British Council, and the Fachhochschule Darmstadt, before joining DAAD as the head of their EU division. He subsequently became the Director for Higher Education (Erasmus) in the Brussels Socrates Office. In 1998, he took up his present post as ACA Director. Bernd Wächter is the editor of the ACA Papers on International Cooperation in Education and has published and lectured widely on international higher education.

Anders Uhrskov has been with the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) as Academic Director since 1978 and as Director since 1987. He published The Concept of Work, Historically and Current in 1997 as well as numerous essays and articles. With Anders as leader, DIS has developed to be one of the largest and most innovative study abroad programmes in Europe for US undergraduate students.

John H. Yopp is Immediate Past Associate Provost for Educational Partnerships and International Affairs at the University of Kentucky. He serves on the Directors’, Trustees’, and Advisory Boards of CIEE, Goldwater Foundation (US Senate), and Lumina’s Tuning USA, respectively. A long-time presenter for EAIE’s NAFSA workshops, his research on ‘Bologna’s influence on US higher education and university internationalisation’ has been presented in conferences of US-European Fulbright Commissions, EAIE, NAFSA, AACRAO, AIEA, and CGS.

Ramon Ellenbroek is Coordinator for the International Office of the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences of the VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Presently, his focus is on the development of double/joint degree programmes (MSc/PhD), Erasmus Mundus and increasing mobility in Bachelor’s programmes. Ramon will be a trainer at the EAIE Academy in Porto this November, is member of the Board of the EAIE International Relations Managers (IRM) Professional Section and will be Vice-Chair of IRM as of September 2012.

Laura Ripoll is Head of the Office for International Affairs at the Universitat de Girona and Managing Director of Prime Networking. Born in Barcelona, she gained degrees in Teaching (UAB, 1980), Catalan Philology (UAB, 1983) and Librarian studies (UB, 1986). Prior to her current position, Laura worked as a librarian and as a manager of a one of the UdG research Institutes. Laura has been deeply involved in the edition of several publications, ranging from book to magazines.