Global Exchange Ambassadors 2014-2015

Become a university spokesperson

Exchange students are the programme’s best advocate. The Global Exchange Programme is built on reciprocity: for every student who comes to the UvA from a given partner university, one UvA student can go there to study. It is therefore important to raise students’ awareness of the programme and of the participating universities so that more students can take part. Become an ambassador and help promote this great programme!

Photo: René van den Burg

Award-winning programme

In 2015 the Global Exchange Ambassador Programme won the prestigious Orange Carpet Award for the sector Higher Education. The award was granted to highlight outstanding initiatives that promote the international character of Dutch higher education.

Contribute your talents, enhance your skills

As an ambassador, you will contribute according to your talents and interests. Working with other ambassadors in a mixed group of local and international students, you might get involved in advising students, organising events, writing articles or producing a newsletter, for example. In exchange, you will receive training to help develop or enhance your intercultural, networking, project planning and professional skills.

We appreciate our volunteers

Being an ambassador will require in total about 20 hours of your time spread out over the semester. Upon successfully completing the programme, you will receive a Global Exchange Ambassador Certificate of Appreciation and a LinkedIn recommendation from the Student Exchange Coordinator.

Plenary meetings

Each semester, there are four required plenary meetings. A training component will form part of each plenary meeting. 

• General introduction meeting / intercultural training
• Focus group meeting / mindfulness training
• International Staff Week or Study Abroad Fair (depending on semester) / presenting yourself and networking training
• Pre-departure event / conflict mediation training

Interest groups

In addition to the plenary meetings, you will have the opportunity to join a smaller interest group to work on two assignments under the supervision of a chosen student leader: 

• Promotion group: advise students and act as exchange reporters
• Creative group: coordinate the Exchange Express newsletter and the photo competition
• Events group: organise an ambassador team building event and the pre-departure event
• The three leaders of the interest groups are also trained in leadership and project management.

Additional activities

As an ambassador, you are a valued member of the UvA’s international student community. As such, you may get requests for interviews from across the UvA or be asked to help with various activities and events. Participation in these additional activities is optional and is sometimes rewarded with a book voucher.

Ambassador profile

To become a Global Exchange Programme ambassador, you must be:

• an international student currently taking part in the Global Exchange Programme at the UvA;
• or a UvA student who studied abroad, as part of the Global Exchange Programme, in the previous semester/academic year;
• available for the four plenary meetings;
• willing to participate in training sessions and motivated to work on group assignments.

Application

To apply to the Global Exchange Ambassador Programme, please fill in the online application form.

• Online application form