FOCUS ON OUR INNOVATIVE JOINT STAFF TRAINING INITIATIVE: FIRST WEEK AT URCA

Home News Focus on our innovative joint staff training initiative: first week at URCA

From 31st March to 4th April 2025, the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne hosted the first week of the joint staff training initiative they designed with the University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB) and the Karelia University of Applied Sciences (KARELIA UAS).

 

An international week…

This week theme was “INVESTed in International Students Support: A pledge of quality for the attractiveness of our institutions”: a title announcing its international dimension, as well as its link to the INVEST alliance.

This week was open to administrative staff from all universities, either INVEST partner or not, to allow discussions with other universities that are part, or not, of other European universities alliances.

In total, 14 participants from 8 different nationalities were carefully selected to join this staff week, representing:

  • The University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy)
  • The Karelia University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
  • The Slovak University of Agriculture (Slovakia)
  • The University of Thessaly (Greece)
  • The University of Agribusiness and Rural Development (Bulgaria)
  • The University of Málaga (Spain)
  • The Bucharest University of Economic Studies (Romania)
  • The SMK College of Applied Sciences (Lithuania)

 

… With a comprehensive programme

After a welcome aperitif as an icebreaker on the 31st March, the staff week was officially opened by Christophe Clément, Rector of the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, joined by Essaid Ait Barka, Vice-Rector to the INVEST alliance and Christine Bouteiller, Vice-Rector in charge of International Relations to wish a warm welcome to everyone.

 

The programme of this week was built with workshops and conferences so that every university stakeholder could have a voice. Participants could then learn about what system was implemented at URCA to uphold the internationalisation strategy, such as support on how to teach in English as well as linguistic and intercultural training. They also had the opportunity to have two students testify on the Erasmus Student Network and the “Welcome to France” mentoring programme. The aim was then to discuss on what other systems were implemented in other universities, the challenges everyone was facing and thinking about solutions together.

Moreover, external stakeholders were also part of this programme, to give their vision of internationalisation and help everyone understand the dynamics between a university, its territory and the international. Dimitri Oudin, Deputy Mayor in charge of International Relations, could then explain how the internationalisation strategy from the city of Reims and URCA are linked together. On her side, Susanna Spreafico, International mobility and peer-to-peer support officer at the Grand-Est Regional Youth Information Centre, talked about the European Student Ambassadors network as well as the “Time to Move” forum, giving an overview of how dissemination could work with diverse stakeholders uniting together.

As this staff training initiative was developed with UNIMIB and KARELIA UAS, both hosted a session to share their expertise. On one hand, Agnese Cofler, Head of International Unit, and Alena Poilova, INVEST Project team member, could share their experience of the “Bicocca University Angels” of UNIMIB and how students participate in the internationalisation process. On the other hand, Riina Korhonen, Project Specialist, and Antonia Stavridou, International Officer, animated a workshop on how to popularise its goals and involve the university community.

Finally, the participants also had the opportunity to attend the International Students Day, another event organised by the Office of International Affairs of URCA. During this event, everyone represented their own country with a flag parade on one of the campuses and promote their university with a dedicated stand.

 

A new kind of format: innovating together

This first week in Reims launched a new kind of staff training initiative: a joint project between three universities of the INVEST alliance. Indeed, URCA, UNIMIB and KARELIA UAS joined their expertise to offer an innovative programme, composed of a first on-site week, then two online sessions and finally a second on-site week.

The first webinar will be hosted by the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne on Wednesday, 7th May 2025, and will tackle how to organise a small-size dissemination event.

The second webinar will be hosted by the Karelia University of Applied Sciences on Monday, 19th May 2025, and will focus on the art and science of pitching.

Participants will then join back in person for the second on-site week at UNIMIB, from 3rd to 6th June 2025. This week will focus on opportunities and challenges of the joint programmes, with joint enrolment, credit recognition, legal constraints, and student support. Registration are opened until Wednesday, 30th April 2025: https://forms.gle/cystJhSbQoeiSn3U7

 

The aim is to then see the results of this project in a year: will the participants implement new ways of working toward internationalisation? Will there be new stakeholder’s networks? Will they face new challenges? Let’s see together what the future of the European universities alliances brings, but before that let’s move on the following of the programme!