To promote the sustainable integration of international students into the labour market, the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e. V. supports the “MINTconnect2OWL” initiative, which helps prepare skilled workers in the fields of Mathematics, Computer Science, natural sciences and technology – known as MINT for short – are trained to meet the needs of the local economy. Through this project at Paderborn University, East Westphalia-Lippe (OWL) is becoming a model region. This is because, through the ‘Leuchttürme MINTernational’ programme, the Stifterverband promotes, connects and supports regions that develop synergies and exemplary models of cross-sectoral cooperation. To kick off the initiative, partners and sponsors, including Dr Volker Meyer-Guckel, Secretary-General of the Stifterverband, jointly examined the current state of affairs and future prospects for the collaboration. The core team of ‘MINTconnect2OWL’ includes, alongside Paderborn University with its Software Innovation Lab (SI-Lab) at the SICP – Software Innovation Campus Paderborn, the International Office and other departments, OstWestfalenLippe GmbH, the Paderborn Job Centre, the Ostwestfalen Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Bielefeld, Techniker Krankenkasse, it’s OWL Clustermanagement GmbH, as well as the district, city and Paderborn’s economic development agency.
Sustainable engagement through tried-and-tested measures
Well-trained skilled workers are essential for Germany’s future viability. International STEM students are regarded as key sources of hope in this regard. However, even in East Westphalia-Lippe – one of the state’s strongest economic regions – efforts to retain this talent often fall short. To change this, the cooperation partners are developing targeted measures to facilitate early networking with regional employers. A wide-ranging network supports this effort. This is because ‘MINTconnect2OWL’ is based on an established collaboration between Paderborn University and regional partner institutions from business, administration, professional associations and social security providers. “Through tried-and-tested measures, we can achieve a sustainable link to the local labour market. In doing so, we focus on the specific regional requirements and circumstances in order to optimally prepare international talent for their entry into the local world of work,” explains Stefan Schwan, Head of the International Office at Paderborn University.
Dr Meyer-Guckel notes: “Paderborn University has impressed with its outstanding networking and the close integration of the university, advisory services and regional partners. Particularly impressive is the consistent support provided to international STEM students from the start of their studies right through to their entry into the workforce. That is why the university has been elected as a model region for the ‘Leuchttürme MINTernational’ funding programme. The competition is part of the Stifterverband’s ‘Future Mission: Education’. The aim is to shape the education system for a changing world in such a way that more people can be trained and further educated in the necessary skills as quickly as possible.”
“The model creates a sustainable infrastructure that not only attracts international experts but also retains them in OWL in the long term. In this way, we are helping to secure the future of our region,” says University President Prof. Dr Matthias Bauer.
Strategic networking across the entire ‘student lifecycle’
Those in charge want to use “MINTconnect2OWL” to tailor future counselling and onboarding processes even more closely to students’ future careers. In implementing the initiative, the partners are following a systematic approach throughout the “student lifecycle”, i.e. from the start of studies through to integration into the regional labour market. “One of the key elements of implementation is engaging international students at an early stage through, for example, webinars, practical events and company presentations,” explains Prof. Dr Stefan Sauer, Managing Director of SI-Lab. In study programmes in Computer Science and engineering in particular, there is a high proportion of international students who offer great potential for companies in the region. “In addition, advisory and communication services are being brought together on a multilingual digital platform, the ‘Talent Hub OWL’,” adds Schwan. The Techniker Krankenkasse health insurance provider is integrated via the ‘sayHELLO’ chatbot to support the digital onboarding of international students with regard to health and insurance matters.
STEM in the context of social responsibility
Paderborn University effectively bridges the gap between academia and industry. A strong profile in the subjects of Mathematics, Computer Science, natural sciences and engineering not only helps to secure the next generation of STEM talent, but also combines excellent basic research with applied science, thereby building a bridge between the traditional STEM disciplines and interdisciplinary issues. Certain events, such as the ‘Autumn University’, also aim to inspire school pupils to pursue STEM study programmes at an early stage. Another defining feature is the integration of sustainability into STEM research, in which STEM is not viewed in isolation but within the context of social responsibility and sustainable development.
This text was translated automatically.
