Euregio | Saxion

Saxion’s location close to the borders of Germany in the ‘Euregio’ provides us with many opportunities for international cooperation. We have good relationships with educational institutions, companies and government organisations on the other side of the border. The good thing about the Euregio is the fact that it offers you the best of two worlds. As neighbouring countries, you learn from each other and make each other stronger while having a foreign experience close to home. Learn more about Saxion’s cross border collaborations and projects here.

Collaboration

Saxion regularly collaborates with German partners in the Euregio. For example, we have exchange programmes with partner universities, students work on projects for companies in the border region and we collaborate on developing educational programmes.

Every year, there are exchanges between teacher training students at Saxion and the University of Münster. During the International Project Week, German high-school students spend a week carrying out an assignment in teams with Saxion students. Our students also work on interdisciplinary projects for German companies in the border region.

The Interreg VI project Euregionale doorlopende leerlijn (EDL) has combined various initiatives to encourage school children and students to learn more about their neighbouring country during their school or university career.

Saxion is responsible for the EDL Expertise Centre and conducting research into euregional competences. The Expertise Centre provides students and lecturers with teaching materials, advice and workshops on education in their neighbouring country. The Employability Transition Research Group is conducting research into what skills are required by the euregional labour market.

The research groups "Innovative & Effective Education" and "Innovative Education" are conducting joint research into how educational curricula in the Euregio can be improved to increase student mobility.

Photo: EDL Expertise Centre (Rick Mellink)

Read more about the EDL-project

Saxion students worked on innovation challenges from companies in the border region together with students from the applied universities FH Münster and WHS Bocholt in the Interreg VI project Smart Solution Labs. Each interdisciplinary team completed assignments for both a Dutch and a German company.

The project gave students insights into the cross-border labour market. It demonstrated that attractive assignments and career opportunities, rather than national borders, are the key factor influencing students' choices. In total, 112 students and 28 companies collaborated on 30 projects in the fields of AI, process optimisation, digitalisation, automation, sustainability and market development.