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Workshops 1-3

 

Based on the needs identified during the proposal preparation and the results of the situational analysis in regards of the training programme, the Training of Trainers 1 (including Workshop 1 to 3) took place from March 3rd to March 7th of 2025. 

The training was delivered by different EU experts: Bettina Jochum (USAAR), Lisa Nicolay (USAAR), Carolina Madeleine (UA) and Roberto Escarré (EU HEI Consultant). 

The agenda of the meeting included the implementation of the following workshops:

Training of Trainers 1 - topics

Workshop 1: Foundations & Strategic Planning 

Session 1: The Strategic Role of an International Relations Office

Session 2: Roles and functions of an International Relations Office

Session 3: Different forms of mobility and how to react to them

Workshop 2: Implementation & best practices of IROs

Session 4: International Partnerships and Collaborations 

Session 5: Supporting Inbound and Outbound Mobility

Session 6: Building your hypothetical IRO

Workshop 3: Fundraising in Cambodian HEIs

Session 7: Introduction to Fundraising

Session 8: Fundraising in Practice

Session 9: KA171 – prepare an application 

Some of the lessons learned by the participants included the following: 

Workshop 1: Foundations & Strategic Planning

Main barriers/ challenges in your institution

Lessons learned

 

  • Human resource & financial constraint

  • Language and culture

  • Need for structured policies on internationalisation & mobility programmes

  • Curriculum design 

  • Not having international training programme (difficulty for international students to select that university)

  • International network is still limited -  

  • Lack of collaboration from faculties 

  • Lack of communication and engagement of external stakeholders

  • Lack of equipment & technical skills

     

  • Activities of Internationalisation at Home (IaH) bring about great opportunities to advance in internationalisation 

  • Importance of knowing your university's context and prioritised key areas for internationalisation

  • Learned about strategic roles of IRO, Roles and Responsibilities of IRO and Mobility 

  • Building Strategic Partnerships for Capacity Building, understanding the Strategic Role of International Offices (IROs)

  • Strategies for attracting International Talent

  • Tips for engaging different stakeholders from the university to deal with lack of IRO staff

  • Cooperate with the alumni to support the junior, when facing shortage of IRO staff

The participants particularly highlighted as valuable learning outcomes, to face their main barriers and challenges in their institutions: 

  • Leverage partnerships and collaborations.
  • Use student interns and cross-train staff.
  • Automate processes with digital tools.
  • Seek external funding and revenue sources.

  • Focus on high-impact, strategic initiatives.

    Workshop 2: Implementation & best practices of IROs

Main barriers/ challenges in your institution

Lessons learned

 

  • Lack of capacity, staff and financing

  • Mostly rely on external funding for mobility

  • Low number of international students

  • Resource constraint based on organisational structure of IRO

  • Goals of the IRO not well-established

  • Lack of experience in IRO topics

  • Language barriers

  • Funding outbound mobility (particularly for far-away countries)

     

  • To recognise the partner landscape (diversity) and to select the ones that align to the HEI’s vision and mission. 

  • To determine the main tasks and role of incoming and outgoing service office (IRO)

  • To create an IRO website to communicate all the services and important information

  • Understand the importance of welcoming inbound and outbound students (best practice from USAAR: Welcome Centre & Welcoming Event)

  • Seeking accommodation partnerships to get accommodation discounts for incoming students/staff

The participants particularly valued the case studies and best practices shared by USAAR. For example, how the Welcome Centre operates, its organisational logic, and what functions it accomplishes. It was also important the session on communication, and the establishment of a user-friendly and operational website. 

Workshop 3: Fundraising in Cambodian HEIs

Main barriers/ challenges in your institution

Lessons learned

 

  • Limited capacity of staff

  • Lack of expertise or know how 

  • Human resources limited

  • Overloaded tasks 

  • Project application dependent on top management decision

  • Lack of contacts (e.g. EU partners for establishing a consortium)

  • Lack of widespread support within the institution 

     

  • To analyse the impact of the university in the society brings about opportunities to prove and find a proper donor for support

  • Establishment of a series of indicators to measure the impact of the university

  • Importance of prioritising what is more and least important for fundraising 

  • Understanding what the donor landscape is and how to link it with the HEIs interests

  • Relevance of establishing a Fundraising strategy

  • When doing a proposal aligning with partner and INZ strategies 

In general, this training course served the participants to reflect on their current performance to advance internationalisation, to identify their weaknesses and to take the necessary steps to improve their International Offices and their current practices, as well as to develop some of the required skills to ensure that internationalisation in their institutions is successful. After the first and second part of the Training of Trainers, the Cambodian participants will have to replicate the training workshops to 480 Cambodian HEI staff including internal staff from the partner institutions, but also other institutions not involved in the project, what will in turn contribute to improving skills for internationalisation in the Cambodian HEI landscape.