How are you doing?

Since the 9th of March, I started to have 1:1 meetings with members and co-operating institutions. So far I’ve met 36 IAESTE members and co-operating institutions (out of 90!). As the Exchange Quality Manager, I am working on the implementation of the Exchange Quality Standards (EQS), which were approved in the last General Conference during the AC in Slovakia. This happens in alignment with the board and the support team of course.

One hour and a half is not enough to go through all the details about the whole and complex functionality of a Committee. However, it is enough time to make you reflect on how you are handling your processes. Luckily, I must say, you realised the standards are not coming from nowhere but from our own rules and our way of working with employers and students. Nevertheless, as you could also realise, some details need to be analysed or checked or improved.

This first approach is basically to create awareness about the relevance of fulfilling the IAESTE EQS and to assess in a qualitative way the current status of its implementation. One of the reasons we are doing this is that as part of the implementation plan, the document is going to be published on our website. Therefore, not only IAESTE members will know about how to handle expectations, but people from outside will get to know us in a deeper way and what we stand for, considering the three different parties involved in the process of IAESTE exchanges: Students, Employers and IAESTE Committees.

How did we organise the data?

In order to create the charts and percentages you will see below, we gave values to the statuses:

Fulfilled = 1, In implementation = 0,5 and To be analysed = 0. Then as I met so far with 36 countries we filtered the data according to all of them.

For example: The standard 1.1.4 Remuneration is "fulfilled" by 32 countries and 4 other have it as "in implementation" and 0 as "to be analysed" which means that out of 36 countries I've reviewed with the standards, 94.44% of them "fulfilled" this particular one.

Generally speaking, the IAESTE EQS most difficult to fulfill are:

  • 1.2.1 Application process from Student perspective, 78.57% of countries have this standard fulfilled

  • 1.3.3 Debriefing after Internship from the student perspective, only 47,22% of countries have this standard fulfilled

  • 2.2.1 Communication from the Employer perspective only 80.56% of countries have this standard fulfilled

  • 2.3.3 Debriefing after Internship from the employer perspective, only 44,44% of countries have this standard fulfilled

  • 3.2.1 Communication from IAESTE Committees perspective 85.71% of countries have this standard fulfilled

Which means that we need to improve the way and strategies to collect feedback from employers and students. In addition, regarding the application process, Committees should seek to set up a strategy that will allow them to implement the whole year registration and application process.

I also want to highlight another point which is not new at all: we have to improve communication between Committees and also with our employers. Numbers look good, but members have mentioned communication as one of the big issues, particularly time of response.

Last but not least, I want to thank the countries which I had the chance to meet, because this process is not only helping you, but also helping us to understand your needs and the way you work. To those countries which still haven't found the time to arrange a meeting, I want to invite you to check my availability here, and to book a slot.

Valentina