Basic information

Practice setup

Newly arrived international PhD. students and academics/researchers are in need of provided information and assistance, especially about 1. Registration duties at official authorities, 2. Accommodation, 3. Family settlement - seeking schools/pre-school facilities, job for a spouse, free-time activities, clubs, 4. Health care - finding general practitioners, specialists, paediatricians, dentists; 5. Efficient local travel/parking policies, 6. Local language understanding/speaking, 6. Socialising - building the local network of peers (colleagues, friends, diaspora community), 7. Other after-arrival administrative issues, 8. Further career and professional growth.

To facilitate the speed and scale of integration into everyday life, it is worthy to cooperate with local partners to create synergies and cost-effective approaches. As a result, a broad mix of services enabling both fast and long-term settlement might be designed. Although other practices go into detail of providing hints on the particular assistance (esp. Customised assistance: visa & residence permit, Customised assistance: work-related issues, Customised assistance in offering accommodation, Customised assistance: social integration and daily life issues,  Networking events for international PhD students and academics/researchers, Networking events for family members), this practice shall provide an overview of various possibilities of collaborations and suggest basic steps for their establishment.

When you plan to establish strategic partnerships and effective collaborations consider the following steps

• First of all - a strong support by the top management of the HEI is needed for building of any type of strategic partnerships. Clear benefits and possible outputs of such collaborations have been stated here.


• Design survey/collect and analyze data on the target group (incoming Ph.D. students and academics), especially regarding the information on the length of mobility, country of origin, whether they are coming with their family members, what services they need most, and even their ideas (incl. e.g. recommendations for types of social networking events they would appreciate)


• Explore your local conditions and services for international PhD. students and academics offered by various units within your organization (faculty IROs/Welcome offices, ESN, Research offices, HR departments, etc.). Ensure exchange of information (regular meetings, updated website information)


• In general - explore potential partner organizations and get in contact with their representatives (see the list above), further
  
  
  
  • introduce goals, benefits for both parties, outcomes, possible impact
  
  
  • suggest practical steps and activities on both sides, especially in case of cooperation with other HEIs/unversities and research organisations in the city/region - define the set of jointly offered services,
  
  
  • agree on the framework (including funding of services by the partners, time frame), operational rules and details (information flow, responsibilities and cooperating units/departments on both sides, contact details, steps and their timing)
  
  
  • define joint visibility/communication efforts
  
  
  
  


• In case of collaboration with various national/local authorities - create a pool of experts (immigration, health insurance, social security, taxation, the law of tenancy, labour law, family issues, etc) - regular workshops/seminars with external actors are very effective in building mutual trust and subsequent effective cooperation.


• For any events directly aimed at PhDs/academics and their family members - plan content, timing (periodicity, duration, time of the day) and structure 


• Define the best way to communicate the activities (e.g., mailing list, social media, newsletter) - one of the survey questions can be dedicated to the most optimal communication channel, however different services/activities might require different channels.


• Integrate the advanced/updated services based on collaborations into the daily routine of respective departments/units - in case of need define specific internal procedures and guildelines how to collaborate with different stakeholders, for what purposes, when, how, by whom.

Challenges to consider:

Securing social integration of international PhD students/researchers/academics may be quite demanding for the resources of one single institution, therefore it is important to seek local synergies and establish strategic partnerships and effective collaborations (within respective local contexts - institutions/cities/regions) and thus saving budget and working power, creating critical mass in terms of the number of international PhD students and academics on a local/regional level for effective activities and buddy system, and last but not least creating new ideas/develop activities together. 

Due to current pandemic developments, preventive measures, and possible future trends, more and more events and activities will have to be pursued in an online or at least hybrid format. There will be a higher need for trainings of HEIs support staff to efficiently deliver activities and services in online formats.

Cost of practice setup
Time required for practice setup
Personnel effort required for practice setup
Actors involved in practice setup	HR Department IRO/welcome centre PR department Language department Students association Researchers association Career development centre Centre of continuous/adult education Dormitory/accommodation facility Rector's office / Vice-Rector for International Affairs Study department Research office Doctoral school Library Project management office Leisure activities centre (sport centre, museum, garden) Legal department Incubator Centre of language/studies preparation Science park IT support department Quality assurance office Campus health center Communications and Marketing Day-care centre
Partners involved in practice setup	Municipality Language centre Tax office IOM migration information centre EURAXESS centre Other HEI/research organisation in city/region Tourist information centre/board Career advisor Real estate agent Immigration office Medical centre Eures office Job platform Museum Employer (with high demand of international staff) Employers association Local NGOs or charities Local healthcare professionals Local school/pre-school facility
Indicators for evaluating progress/quality of practice setup	Process organization developed Procedures or bylaws are defined or updated Number of collaboration agreements with external partners Strategic document in place New policy designed A visibility/promotion plan designed Number of processes designed Database filled-in with data Peer learning activity (s) set up

Description of collaboration

Internal Actors

@Rector's Office/ Vice-Rector for international relations, especially in decentralized universities with numerous faculties, the top management bodies may initiate/support setting up a dedicated office/welcome centre at the central level that could provide comprehensive support services and personal assistance to incoming academics, including organizing various social events. The office may provide support to individual faculty IROs, keep in touch with external partners and manage external collaborations. The top management representatives are also crucial for buiding up new partnerships and negotiating official collaborations.

@IRO/welcome centre - central role in coordinating/managing the collaborations with external partners.

@Erasmus Student Network (ESN)/ buddy programme  - in coordination with IRO offices, the local Erasmus Student Network, besides supporting international Bc/Master degree students, can provide a basis/inspiration for support also to incoming international PhD students and academics to adjust to the new environment and facilitate smooth social integration. 

@HEI Career Centre can establish collaborations with companies, and local chambers of commerce which can be also relevant for internationals spouses (dual-career service). They can set up a networking programme matching PhD. students and company employees, enabling PhD. students to join site visits to the participating companies, get introduced to the companies, and have opportunities to network with companies.

@all other internal units/departments - they might be involved based on the specific area of collaboration developed. However, it is essential to think of respective internal departments/units that could be counterparts/experts at the side of the HEI for any developed collaboration.

External collaborators - only selected major ones

@Other HEIs/research organizations in city/region/interregional consortium of universities - local networking is essential for the support of international PhD students and academics. They may join their forces and use the resources more efficiently to create a so-called " one-stop-shop" and plan and offer a joint " Welcome Service", especially, if also smaller institutions are involved. Apart from providing relocation-related information and assistance to incoming internationals, they can also organise joint welcome and other social networking events or even create one mixing place leading to effective networking between local and international PhD students and academics. Locally organized activities have proved to facilitate the integration into a new social community.

@Municipality/City Council - many municipalities have set up a welcome centre providing information, assistance and counselling to all foreigners coming to study, work and live in the area. They run council housing or their own databases of accommodation offers. Negotiations and a partnership with a municipality might secure some accommodation within the council housing. It can be also involved in social networking events, and provide the city/region promotion-related materials in English (e.g, brochures, city/local travel (discount) cards, and a website with various cultural events held in the city/region). City council representatives (ideally, the mayor) could have a welcome speech at the Welcome event. The City council can also promote various events for families (Christmas markets, cultural programmes, summer cultural events, voluntary activities for better social integration of spouses, cultural events where internationals from different countries can present their culture, sports activities (runs), etc). The municipality can also provide a venue/premises for cultural events or talks where also international PhD students and academics could be invited and actively involved in programme (talks, public discussion forum).

See also the actors in delivery for further inspiration.

Practice delivery

Turn the collaborations into practical activities for international PhDs/academics and their family members: 

• customised assistance provided,


• welcome package updated,


• databases filled in with relevant information,


• information on the website/FAQs with clearer procedures specified,


• specialised events with experts organised,


• networking events organised,


• career training provided,


• contacts with labour-market representatives enabled,


• activities for family members organised,


• language training organised, etc.

In practical delivery of those services Buddy/guide system (voluntary university students/staff members helping internationals get into the social life of the institution, city, or region) might be helpful (see also the practice Welcome buddy/guide for international PhD students, academics and researchers)

Cost of practice delivery
Time required for practice delivery
Personnel effort required for practice delivery
Actors involved in practice delivery	IRO/welcome centre PR department Language department Doctoral school Students association Career development centre
Partners involved in practice delivery	Municipality Language centre IOM migration information centre EURAXESS centre Other HEI/research organisation in city/region Tourist information centre/board Museum Employer (with high demand of international staff) Local expat centre Local NGOs or charities
Indicators for evaluating progress/quality of practice delivery	Number of buddies recruited Average satisfaction rate Number of events organized annually Number of researchers involved in events annually Number of events participants annually Number of trainings implemented annually Number of researchers assisted annually Number of collaborative assistances carried out annually

Description of collaboration

@EURAXESS centre typically provides a wide portfolio of integration services, organises some kind of social events for incoming PhD students/academics/researchers. EURAXESS members also have expertise in mobility-related as well as career development topics and can be invited as guest speakers at various events. It can also promote various events via the national EURAXESS portal and dedicated social media.

@Tourist information office/board in cooperation with IROs can provide materials and professional guides for the guided city tour, during pandemic many of them have prepared virtual city tours, and videos (also in English, or at least with English subtitles) that can be recommended to incoming international students and academics.

@Local ex-pat centre - in several cities ex-pat centres organise welcome events for all internationals on a regular basis, they also organise lectures, seminars on various topics of interest relevant to internationals, inviting internationals to speak and share their experience, or run domestic language cources. 

@IOM Migration information office organises regular webinars on various migration-related topics, and relevant legislation changes offers free language courses for third-country nationals. IOM representatives can be also invited as experts to various events. The IOM legal team can be consulted regarding complicated visa/residence permit issues.

@Local NGOs that are assisting foreigners with an integration process through various volunteering programmes, and educational and networking activities (e.g., Mareena in Slovakia).