'The University of Twente has the reputation of an internationally oriented university, but we are planning to even expand our foreign partnerships. And events like this one are essential for these efforts,' said the Rector Magnificus, Ed Brinksma, who officially opened the student mobility fair.
Intercultural understanding
'Our students are the hope of the nation. That’s because they are the future leaders. And it’s no surprise that our future leaders need to work in an increasingly international environment,' continued Brinksma. 'Also with regards to the recent events in Paris, I see that intercultural sensitivity and understanding are vital and we want to promote them here.'
'Those are big words, but those start with little things, such as the tools and possibilities you can learn about here today,' stated Brinksma as he thanked all the foreign partners from countries such as Russia, Norway, France or Portugal.
Henk Zijm Award
Let’s GO! Fair also traditionally serves as the occasion for announcing the winner of the year’s Henk Zijm Award, which goes to the person or organization nominated for their special contributions to the internationalization of the University of Twente.
The Henk Zijm Award for 2015 went to IrNUT, Iranian Network at University of Twente. As Ed Brinksma explained, this association deserved the victory due to its long-term efforts in bringing the rich Persian culture to the UT.
Student experiences
After the official start of the event, UT students could visit individual stands in the Bastille atrium and the Global Lounge and talk to the representatives of the partner institutions from many countries all over the world. For the first time, this year’s fair also included talks by students, who had already spent some of their study time abroad and wanted to share their experience with others. And to top it all, there were free poffertjes for everyone.
