Making it easier for international staff and PhD students to be part of life at RU
Roskilde University wishes to build on its status as an internationally recognised university. For this purpose, the university has set up International Faculty Services. The purpose of this service function is to make it easier for international staff and PhD students to join and be part of life at RU
On 31 January 2012, an opening reception was held to celebrate the opening of International Faculty Services, the buffet featuring international foods and adorned with flags from different countries. Spirits were high, toasts were made and Pro-rector Hanne Leth Andersen and Professor Ian Manners gave speeches to mark the opening of Roskilde University's new service function, International Faculty Services.
The new service function is to support internationalisation among researchers and PhD students and ensure the sharing of knowledge about relevant rules and arrange for social and practical support for international staff and PhD students.
“For example, we can help them sort out their banking and tax arrangements when they arrive in Denmark. We can answer questions such as: When will I receive my pay slip?, or how do I get a national health insurance card?” explains Project Manager for IFS, Sofie Larsen, pointing out that IFS is a way for international staff to build a social life in Denmark.
“Many of the international staff feel lonely in Denmark, but one of our functions at IFS is to arrange events where they have the opportunity to meet their Danish colleagues in the university environment. We will also introduce them to the social and professional networks found in and around Roskilde”, adds Sofie Larsen.
Excellent collaboration
Setting up the service function has been done in collaboration between the offices of: Human Resources and Communication, Education and Internationalisation and the departments at RU. At the same time, a reference group has been set up whose purpose is to support the service function by bringing into play academic and practical knowledge. The reference group is to work as a sounding board for the IFS staff.
“The reference group held its first start-up meeting in January 2012 and there was great enthusiasm among the members of the reference group. At the meeting, a project plan was presented, containing targets and milestones for the work of IFS. The targets were met with qualified and academic input from the members of the reference group,” says Sofie Larsen.
The service function, International Faculty Services, is located in building 04.2. No opening hours. Drop by, or send an e-mail to ifs-ru@ruc.dk.
International Faculty Services is staffed by:
Head of the unit: Head of Human Resources and Communication, Christian Nielsen
Project Manager: Sofie Larsen - HR Consultant
Project Assistant: Michael Bech – Information Officer
The reference group providing advice to IFS consists of:
Head of Human Resources and Communication, Hans Christian Nielsen
Head of Secretariat, Anya Strøm,
CUID Professor Ian Manners, ISG
Teaching Associate Professor, Susanne Hvidtfeldt, PAES
Teaching Associate Professor, Therese Hauge, LICS
Associate Professor, Anne Fabricius, CUID, CALPIU
Human Resources and Communication (secretariat) Sofie Larsen