A decade of experience: advances and reflections in the management of international groups at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University CEU Cardenal Herrera

Abstract

The internationalization journey of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at CEU Cardenal Herrera University (CEU-UCH) started a decade ago with the creation of the French bilingual group, followed two years later by the initiation of the English bilingual group. This initiative resulted in a substantial rise in the enrolment of international students, constituting nowadays approximately 50% of the total student population in the faculty. Consequently, the Coordinator of Bilingual Groups position was established to address the unique needs and intricacies of the international student management. Over the past 10 years, this role has undergone continuous evolution. Initially, the Coordinator played a pivotal role in various tasks, including the recruitment and admission of new students, their orientation, providing ongoing support to international students, and helping in their professional integration, always in collaboration with other services. With the success of the bilingual groups and the substantial influx of international students, specific responsibilities were delegated to specialized services while others underwent refinement. Noteworthy examples include the management of new student admissions to the French group and the validation processes for international students, the digitalization of which commenced in 2020. This, in turn, has led to a reduction in file evaluation times, enhanced the precision of collected information, and improved the overall student experience by minimizing response times. Ultimately, this innovative international management model serves as a blueprint that can be adapted and extrapolated to other domains, as well as to other Faculties and Universities.