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| Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Technology of Polymers Julius Vancso: `Internationalization should be done in harmony with traditional values and strengths.' |
Vancso, who was among one of the first foreign professors to be hired at the university 15 years ago, has always held an interest in discovering the latest advances in science - no matter where they are taking place. He favors increased international involvement to enrich mutual research efforts to advance science. `Everyone should put their hearts and minds behind the objectives in Route 14 and then we will succeed, but again, implementing things is where there will be a bottleneck. I think the proof of the pudding is in how we can execute these plans. You need to mobilize your people and appreciate their efforts to work - all the way from the top down to the last member of this community.'
Reminiscing about the milestones over past the 15 years, Vancso traces the roots of internationalization efforts back to the early 2000s, when he served as associate dean of the Chemical Technology Faculty. At that time, he and his colleague, Professor John Engbersen, set up the first international master's program in chemical engineering with a little less than 1,000 guilders, or the modern-day equivalent of 450 euros for each student per month. As Vancso recalls, `Bureaucracy was a lot more relaxed at that time. We could use funds from our projects to support students; obtaining a visa was easier; there were no high tuition fees for non-EU students; work permits were not required, and it was not a nightmare to find suitable accommodations for our foreign students.'
Since then the professor says, `Things have dramatically changed.' He has noticed a shift in the national government's policies. Heavy-handed restrictions on allowing foreigners into the country and the negative effects of bureaucracy have acted to slow down the responsiveness of willing partners at the university and could cause delays in the realization of many of the goals set in Route 14.
He points out the added value in providing a smooth parallel process at the university to accelerate efforts. A sequential process where, `B depends on A, and C depends on B and A' is a hindering progress. Vancso recommends restructuring logistical and structural support for students. International employment has been a `growing concern' of the central and faculty Human Resource departments (P&O). Vancso: `If we want to speed up the process then it should not happen that a permit for someone to enter the country takes three plus months. It should be possible, let's say, within a month. I would consider centralizing and streamlining this for the entire university and bundling the fragmented and sometimes ad-hoc efforts on campus.'
The polymer professor leads his life as a model example of a global thinker, making it mandatory for his foreign PhD students to take basic Dutch-language education courses, as part of their Training and Supervision Plan (OBP). `It's not mandatory to become a good or better chemist, but it's an essential part of becoming a more responsible, better-cultured member of human society,' he opined. At the same time, he believes the bachelor's curriculum could be `peppered' for Dutch students by gradually increasing the use of English from the second year on. He advocates offering `high quality, cheap and accessible English education for both groups of students.'
On one of his trips to the opening of the Fusionopolis complex in Singapore, Vancso heard the country's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong saying, `the commitment of the government by 2010 is to spend three percent of the GDP on science and technology,' giving further evidence of the growing global support for science. Though economically, the Netherlands commits far less funding than its Asian counterpart, he says the strategic goals planned in Route 14 to support an open international university are financially realistic.
He maintains despite the economic crisis, which might present a minor bump in the road, financing for both foreign and domestic students should not pose a real roadblock if done in an `integral fashion.' Vancso explains: `We should measure with the same scale, and should support everyone equally regardless of their country of origin. Foreign students are at a disadvantage in many areas when they go to a country far away from their home, and they should receive support that would make them equal and competitive with the Dutch students, nothing more, nothing less.'
Vancso argues the building of knowledge infrastructures in society hinges on making choices, setting priorities and reaching a societal consensus. `We need to maintain the strengths of our human capital. The preparedness of this society is declining and when you spend on public education, it is not just turning your money back to the economy to enhance the economic input.'
