Volda University College - a piece of Vestlandet

Having participated at the International EAIE Conference for the last six years under the umbrella of “Study in Norway” – the national stand for all the Norwegian higher education institutions, Volda University College presented and promoted the idea of an own stand. Under the UH-Nett Vest (University Network in Western Norway) supervision and approval, Volda University College was offered the role of project leader. Volda University College, together with Sogn og Fjordane University College, the University of Bergen and Stord/Haugesund University College, impressed at EAIE in Copenhagen (the largest educational fair of its kind in Europe) with Vestlandet booth.

The stand was impossible to ignore

Our booth was very visible, and attracted several thousand visitors during the three days of conference. There was a steady flow of participants who took pictures of the stand. It was built using a mixture of modern technology and traditional motifs. The design of the stand was Lasse Bryggman’s (former student at VUC). He also joined the VUC delegation to Copenhagen, and helped build up and take down the stand. Thomas Lewe, international coordinator and assoc. professor at the Faculty of Media and Journalism at VUC was the project leader. The stand designed and built by Lasse and Thomas in Volda was driven by the same two men in a rented truck from Volda, via Oslo, to Copenhagen. At Bella Center in Copenhagen, the venue for the EAIE fair, the booth was set up, work which took almost 14 hours to complete!

The winner booth at EAIE 2011

Anyone who visited the stand agreed it was the best booth at the conference, and if it had been possible to vote for the best stand, UH-Net West would have went home with a trophy. The stand was a combination of new and old, and combined modern technologies with traditional material, such as wood. It was obvious people felt welcome on the stand, as it was both inviting and open, easing up for dialogue. The floor (made entirely of wood), was painted with the map of western Norway, and showed the visitors where the four institutions were places geographically.

Assistant professor Thomas Lewe had come up with very special hand-outs for the participants. Perhaps the greatest attraction were the “Vestlandet-tattoos” and badges with images of mountains, fjords, personalities – all from Edvard Grieg to pictures of sheep. On the four large screens (connected to the four participating institutions), visitors could see images from the maritime industry, nature, Geiranger Fjord and the active outdoor life. - Together we were able to mark the Western Norway’s coasts’ unique and complex attractions and its’ amazing higher education institutions, says Head of International Office at VUC, Cecilie Wilhelmsen, which together with Iulia Beleuta and Thomas Lewe represented the VUC during the conference.

Priceless marketing

It was obvious, without any doubt, the Vestlandet booth has highlighted Volda University College and the other institutions on the Western coast of Norway in an outstanding manner. The stand has contributed to strengthening VUC’s position internationally, among old and new partners. Participating at the conference as part of a higher education institution network gave the visitors the added bonus of new partners, new areas of education, science and nature experiences - typical for western Norway. Through modern touches, such as iPad presentations, discussions and traditional Norwegian finger food and drinks, the visitors got an accurate impression of “Vestlandet”. Cecilie Wilhelmsen thinks this way of promoting is the future and will become more popular in the years to come.

New and old partner universities

Volda University College came well prepared at the conference. The schedule was fully packed with meetings with current and potential new partner universities. VUC appears to be a very attractive destination for students all over Europe. EAIE was the prefect ground for strengthening existing partnerships and developing them, as well and opening doors to new and interesting cooperation. Considering the internal discussion at VUC, student preferred destinations and advices from the various departments on campus, VUC decided to expand the partner portfolio with institutions within Scandinavia, as well as France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK, Eastern Europe, USA, Australia and Japan.

Ready for the next conference

UH-Nett Vest coordinator, Lene Bakke, visited the stand in Copenhagen and gave clear feedback that the it must be re-used, at for example next year’s EAIE conference in Dublin. The stand was designed thinking at future exhibitions and will be used as an unique way to promote UH-Net West cooperation.

Photos: Sverre Ole Drønen

Text: Cecilie Wilhelmsen

For a complete picture album from Copenhagen: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2maslewe/ (Photos: Thomas Lewe)