Abstract:
The Tufts in Hong Kong Ambassador Program is a year-long peer mentorship initiative that supports exchange students before, during, and after their time abroad. Past participants serve as ambassadors to guide new students through academic, cultural, and practical transitions.

Before departure, ambassadors share personal insights on course selection, cultural adjustment, and life in Hong Kong.

During the 10-day on-site orientation, they return to Hong Kong as peer leaders—helping plan activities, lead tours, and build community. After orientation, ambassadors continue to advise students remotely, offering ongoing academic and personal support throughout the semester.

The program fosters student leadership, cross-cultural understanding, and lasting peer networks. Many current students, inspired by their ambassadors, take on leadership roles themselves and often return as future ambassadors. This model enhances student belonging and is a scalable approach to peer-led engagement in international education.

Learning objectives:
The Tufts in Hong Kong Ambassador Program is a flexible, peer-led model that can be adapted to a variety of international exchange programs. Its three-phase structure—pre-departure mentoring, on-site orientation leadership, andsemester-long peer advising—can be tailored to different program lengths and contexts. Cost-effective and studentdriven, the model fosters continuity by connecting cohorts and building institutional memory. Ambassadors developleadership and intercultural skills, while incoming students benefit from relatable, peer-based support that boostsconfidence, promotes inclusion, and eases academic and cultural transitions.

Target audience:
This session will benefit international program directors, study abroad advisors, and staff involved in student support, peer mentorship, and orientation programming—especially those seeking scalable, student-led models to enhance engagement, leadership, and cross-cultural integration

Abstract:
As Southeast Asia accelerates its investment in rail infrastructure, the demand for skilled professionals with international exposure is increasing. Akademi Rel Pahang a collaborative initiative between UCYP University, Malaysia Rail Link and China Communication Construction Company addresses this gap through a dual-mode training program that combineslocal foundation learning with immersive technical training in China.

This poster highlights the design and outcomes of this cross-border education model, which trains future railway engineers and service personel. Students begin their studies in Malaysia, focussing on core technical and service competencies, before participating in a structured training stint in China, offering them valuable international experience earli in their careers.

The presentation outlines the academic framework, mobility mechanism and industry alignment strategies used to ensure relevance employability and global readiness. It also explores how this program empowers rural and first generation students with opportunities previously out of reach.

By illustrating a real-world, Asia-Pacific partnership in technical and vocational education, this poster provides a scalable example of how regional collaboration can support global competency development, sustainable infrastructure growth, and inclusive educational access.

Learning objectives:
– Understand how transnational partnerships can internationalise vocational education.
– Learn strategies for designing bilateral training pathways that include student mobility
– Explore methods to integrate global competencies into technical and service curricula.
– Identify common implementation challenges and solutions in multi-country TVET program.

Target audience:
– Internationalisation directors and curriculum developers
– Higher education leaders in TVET and applied science
– Goverment and industry partners in infrastructure education
– Insitutions exploring transnational education model

Abstract:
Hainan Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences (BiUH) is the first international university in China that was established from abroad without a Chinese university partner and constitutes an independent legal entity in China. This poster outlines the successful collaboration between Hochschule Bielefeld – University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI) in Germany and the Chinese government in establishing this groundbreaking institution, emphasizing the concept of work integrated studies as an innovative educational model. The audience will gain insights into the project’s development, including essential considerations for establishing independent universities abroad, strategies for implementing dual degree programs, and tips for navigating legal requirements as well as cultural and operational differences. The poster will serve as an inspiration for universities seeking to develop similar projects by showcasing challenges that are likely to be experienced when establishing a foreign university abroad as well as good practices of introducing work-integrated study programs and laying fertile ground for comprehensive international cooperation between an established and a freshly founded university.

Learning objectives:
– Identify key considerations of the complex legal and cultural frameworks for establishing independent universities abroad and learn about potential problems and approaches to solve them
– Gain insights into good practices for international work-integrated study programs
– Learn about the potentials for collaborative projects for student and staff mobility and exchange of independent universities abroad
– Explore the model of university governance and operational independence at the example of an independent university abroad

Target audience:
This session will benefit university administrators, academic leaders, and educators interested or working in international partnerships, transnational education, and innovative teaching methodologies that foster global collaboration, particularly with Germany or China.

Abstract:
As competition for international students intensifies, various initiatives are being implemented in Japan. Since 2014, subcontracted Japanese universitreis from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has established offices in countries with a high potential demand for studying abroad in Japan. These offices provide information on study abroad opportunities, hold study abroad fairs in Japan, and conduct mock classes. However, a significant challenge has been identified: it is extremely difficult to obtain admission-related information from Japanese university websites.

To address this challenge, this study compared the websites of foreign universities with a high proportion of international students with those of Japanese universities. It analysed the reasons why information is difficult to find. As a research method, the study investigated the number of clicks required to display the language requirements necessary for study abroad applications.

The results showed no significant difference in the number of clicks. However, it was found that at many Japanese universities, applicants must carefully read multiple pages of application guidelines to understand the admission requirements. Furthermore, it became clear that the website structure of Japanese universities, which is divided into vertical organisational structures between the international office and each faculty or graduate school, was particularly confusing.

Learning objectives:
1. Identify the characteristics of university websites that attract many international students.
2. Clarify the characteristics of university websites that deter international students from applying.
3. Propose university websites and recruitment methods that attract international students.

Target audience:
This report provides useful information for university faculty members involved in recruiting international students