Sumheis

SumHEIs project addresses the following priorities:

1. Open educational and innovative practices in a digital area

2. Promoting internationalization

3. Tackling skills gaps and mismatches

One often ignored way in which universities or research institutions and associations can increase student recruitment is through summer schools. A key part of the university experience is the location and culture, and one of the things that many graduate students are actually quite keen to revisit places they may have spent time previously. Studying internationally, especially for an entire undergraduate or postgraduate degree, can be a tricky and challenging prospect. For many students it may be their first time away from family and friends, let alone away from their home country altogether. Short-term programmes allow prospective applicants to experience a new place and a new method of teaching in a comfortable, fixed-term setting, without the pressure of starting an entire degree. This is a fantastic way for them to get involved and exposed to university culture and to promote your university campus.

When running a Summer School programme universities need to make sure they are highlighting the real benefits of what a summer programme could offer prospective students. By finding out what students from different countries are looking for, they can target your courses and marketing.

Institutions could also focus on the cultural aspect, the adventure and any language skills they might be able to develop by studying in the city and country in which your institution is located for this length of time.