TU/e international doctoral candidates can count on a buddy

Young Talent Best Practice – Eindhoven University of Technology

So, you’ve landed safely at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as a new doctoral candidate ready to pursue a doctorate at a Dutch university. But just how do you make contact with people in a new country, far removed from your own trusted environment? Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) paves the way for international staff by linking them to a buddy.

What does this involve?

Sometimes international staff, including doctoral candidates and postdocs, find it difficult to feel at home in the Netherlands. Often far away from family and friends, in the midst of a new culture, homesickness is around the corner. The initial response to ignoring a feeling of loneliness is to work more and longer hours. This goes hand in hand with the risk of becoming stressed and more vulnerable to illness, with the prospect of dropping out in the longer term.

To avoid this, TU/e has set up a buddy system which links a university staff member as a buddy to an international doctoral candidate or postdoc. The buddy welcomes the doctoral candidate or postdoc by arranging practical matters and familiarising them with their new environment and helping them with all kinds of queries. Buddies point the new candidates in the right direction until they have become accustomed to their new environment and built up their own social network on which to fall back.

To ensure things run as smoothly as possible, the doctoral candidate or postdoc receives a buddy of the same nationality, where possible. The university has disposal of a database of international staff who have volunteered to become buddies. But Dutch colleagues, who have gained ample experience in the relevant country, are welcome to become buddies too.

Support is already provided prior to arrival in the Netherlands, with acquaintance made and any questions answered by e-mail. As soon as doctoral candidates or postdocs arrive in the Netherlands, their buddy can elect to pick them up at the airport or welcome them at a later point in time in Eindhoven. Buddies and doctoral candidates themselves (or other international staff) ultimately decide on the type of assistance needed.

In any case each buddy has a buddy handbook containing practical information about cultural differences, a list of frequently asked questions and details of the main contact persons at the TU/e.

The assistance provided by a buddy is not always time-bound. Buddies generally pair up with doctoral candidates/postdocs for an average of six months. This is the period of time usually required to allow international staff to ‘land’ safely in their new work and living environment. For some it ends earlier, while others become good friends.

What makes this career development policy successful?

The policy is successful because in the country where the doctorate is pursued, a person holding the same nationality literally awaits the researcher, making it easier for researchers to become accustomed to all new impressions and environments. The doctoral candidate has a low-threshold point of contact for a variety of questions. Thanks to the good start, chances are that a doctoral candidate will feel at home more quickly and perform in a healthy manner without becoming overworked. The increased tenability of international doctoral candidates increases the likelihood of successfully completely the doctorate programme.

Who and what do you need for the programme?

Linking buddies and doctoral candidates with the same nationality has proved to work extremely well. A database containing the international staff available makes it easier to link buddies to doctoral candidates in good time.

A clear handbook offers buddies support and enables them to help international doctoral candidates or postdocs on their way.

It is advisable to link up buddies and doctoral candidates or postdocs at the same faculty. This ensures that communication lines remain short.

A social website, such as www.tuemeetingplace.nl facilitates communication between international staff. Meanwhile, around 800 staff have joined tuemeetingplace.nl, the majority of whom are TU/e expats.

What are the future plans?

The aim is to launch the buddy system across the whole of the TU/e from September 2010. Currently, the university has around thirty ‘buddy’ pairs, now distributed across three faculties: chemistry, physics and electrical engineering.

The TU/e is talking to the City of Eindhoven about making a modest, cultural tour package available to enable doctoral candidates to get to know the city as well as the university.

Why is it important to invest in young talent?

Universities have a duty to handle talent who wish to join the university with care. Furthermore, talented individuals who are happy often are active talents. By creating a welcoming environment from the start, talent will have the opportunity to flourish. Good collaboration will ensue as a result and all parties involved will long look back on this as a positive experience.