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Global Minds
Last updated on 5 August 2026

Have you been selected for an exchange semester abroad? Then you will take part in our Global Minds programme, which will prepare you and guide you through your exchange.

After you have been selected, you will be added to our Global Minds canvas page, which is the heart of our exchange programme. On this page, you cannot only find practical information regarding the next steps, but also in-depth exercises that prepare you mentally and culturally for your exchange.  Within our Global Minds exchange programme, we also offer online Q&A calls, as well as organise our in-person Exchange Event, where you can meet other outgoing exchange students, as well as students who are currently on exchange at VU or who have returned form their exchange. 

The Global Minds Journal will guide you through your exchange - before, during and after - and will help you to adjust to your new environment and to reflect on what you are experiencing and learning:

  1. Before exchange: Who is this person starting this journey? Who does this person want to become at the end of this journey?
  2. During exchange: The stories that moved my thoughts and feelings
  3. After exchange: Who have I become? The new routes for broader seas

By completing the Global Minds exchange programme, you will not only gain valuable personal, professional and academic development and meet fellow students, but also add value to your future career.

Unpack Your Study Abroad - Phases and Events

  • Before exchange

    The assignments of the ‘before exchange’ phase will help prepare you to adapt to a new culture. Because what is culture actually? And how does culture influence your own perspective of the world? The first four assignments of this trajectory will help you reflect on your own intercultural competences, as well as prepare yourself for the culture of your host country with help of the cultural iceberg. Furthermore, you will contemplate on three goals that you want to achieve during your exchange to make the most out of your time there.   

  • Exchange event (live)

    VU International Office will organize the Exchange Event on campus around April/May to help prepare you further for your exchange semester. There will be an interactive presentation by an expert who will give you more insight into the intercultural competences you will develop abroad and what kind of culture shock and rollercoaster of emotions you can expect and how to prepare for this. This is followed by a Meet & Greet: you can meet outgoing exchange students who have just returned from your exchange region, fellow outgoing exchange students going to the same country/university as you and incoming exchange students from our partner universities.  

  • During exchange

    The wait is finally over, it is time to go on exchange! You will meet a lot of new people from various cultures, live in a new environment and study at another university. It will probably be a lot of fun but can also be quite challenging at times. During the three assignments that you will make during your exchange you will reflect on the differences in the academic styles between VU Amsterdam and your host university. As an optional assignment, you can send in a video of your time during your exchange for our video contest. As a first prize you can win a 250-euro interrail ticket, which will help you visit some of the friends you made during your exchange after you have returned! 

  • After exchange

    Welcome back to the Netherlands! Returning home from an exchange semester can be a challenging and difficult time. For some, readjusting to life at home can be as difficult as adjusting to life in your host country and you might experience a reverse culture shock. These assignments will help you readjust and reflect on the intercultural skills you have learned during your exchange and on the goals, you set out for yourself before your exchange. You will also write your student experience report to help make future VU outgoing exchange students an informed choice about where they want to go on an exchange.  

Outgoing Student Exchange Team

+31 (0)20 59 85745 (between 12:00 - 13:00, Monday, Wednesday and Friday).

Do you have a question? Fill out this form.

Consultation hour (walk-in without appointment)
Tuesdays 12:30-13:30 Global Room (HG-1A36)
No consultation hours from 14 July until 18 August (incl.)

Emergency number for VU exchange students abroad: +31 (0) 20 6444117. Emergencies could include natural disasters, assault and (mental) health issues. 

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