The FRIENDS project aims at strengthening the internationalisation capabilities of HEIs in Bhutan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand and at developing  students’ global competence through the integration of intercultural dimensions into Partner Country (PC) HEI’s formal and informal curriculum. To achieve this, the European HEIs from Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Turkey and the 12 PC HEIs will engage in a series of activities that contribute to the following five project specific objectives:

1) To outline PC HEIs’ internationalisation landscapes and to identify levels of integration of international and intercultural dimensions into PC HEIs’ formal and informal curriculum: by April 2019.

2) To improve PC HEIs’ capabilities for internationalisation through staff trainings and by translating general awareness of the Internationalisation at Home (IaH) concept into streamlined institutional policies and actions embedded in IaH Action Plans: by November 2019.

3) To build students’ intercultural knowledge and sensitivity to cultural diversity through the introduction of Intercultural Passport virtual module into PC HEIs’ elective formal curriculum: by 07.2020

4) To transform PC HEIs International Relations Offices (IROs) into vibrant multicultural focal points through the establishment of FRIENDS Teahouses and the induction of Home away from Home Programme for integrated international student care: by February 2021.

5) To promote virtual mobility and campus diversity across the 5 PCs as key tools for students’ global competence development: by November 2021.

The project primary target groups are:

1) PC HEIs students across campus to benefit first-hand from the Intercultural Passport virtual module and the FRIENDS Teahouse social spaces; in particular, PC HEIs international and inbound students will receive targeted support and assistance through Home away from Home Programme.

2) PC HEIs IROs’ staff, faculty
and senior management to improve their practical knowledge on IaH, as well as
their overall intercultural awareness.