Peer Learning Seminar on the Quality of Staff Training Mobility in Higher Education

8. October 2019 Europäische ProgrammeHochschuleQualität
Stefan Jahnke holds his presentation in front of the audience
How can staff training mobility contribute towards both the internationalisation agenda as well as to HRD strategies of universities? (Report)

The Austrian National Agency Erasmus+ Education (as part of the OeAD-GmbH) hosted a Peer Learning Seminar on the Quality of cross-border mobility of university staff. The event, organised as an Erasmus+ Transnational Cooperation Activity (TCA), was the very first TCA which focused exclusively on staff training mobility. Almost 100 participants from 20 European countries discussed the links between internationalisation of universities and human resource development strategies.

After the welcome by Ernst Gesslbauer, Director of the National Agency, Stefan Jahnke, Higher Education policy expert from the European University Foundation (EUF) outlined in his keynote address the need of modernisation and internationalisation of higher education institutions in Europe. Digitalisation and internationalisation often go hand in hand which means that universities have to find their pathway into a more modern and digital way of administration and more international staff.

Johannes Gehringer explained the European Commission's plans for a more innovative and  inclusive new programme. His presentation was followed by the presentation of good practice examples from Poland and Austria.

During the workshops, participants discussed strategic approaches and quality assurance measures for staff mobility, quality indicators for staff weeks, the importance of language training and intercultural learning and ways to expand participation in the programme. Following the idea of a peer learning seminar many examples of good practice were presented during the workshops.

The programme was completed by the presentation of the two strategic partnership projects "Realise the potential of international mobility of staff in higher education" and "Systemic University Change Towards Internationalisation".

The seminar was organized as a Transnation Cooperation Activity together with the National Agencys from Estonia, Germany and Poland.