The FRIENDS project is funded under the Erasmus+ Programme for Capacity Building in Higher Education. It combines the efforts of 12 Asian Partner Country Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and four Programme Country HEIs from Europe. FRIENDS is built around the concept of internationalization at home and aims to build capacities for it across the five Partner Countries involved, namely Bhutan, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.
The Home Away from Home Programme is designed to meet the needs of international students and students with diverse cultural background studying at the 12 Partner Country HEIs. The Programme offers an integrated model for student care and support, in order to co-create a study experience that is welcoming, friendly and supportive for international students, as detailed in this document. This model has been formulated following the discussions and brainstorming sessions organized during the Home Away From Home Virtual Tea Party held on 8 October 2020, which engaged 49 staff and executive members from across the FRIENDS consortium.
The guidelines for international student care and support outlined in this document are to be endorsed and further adjusted by each of the 12 Asian HEIs involved to reflect their local context and specific needs.