The Cross-WPs 2-3-4 Staff Week at Çukurova University unfolded as a rather impressive display of collaboration in action. As colleagues arrived from nine universities, the atmosphere was one of genuine curiosity and shared purpose. The week – designed as a Blended Intensive Programme – combined two online preparatory sessions with five full days of workshops, presentations and practical exercises, all centred on the simple but vital aim of understanding each other’s work more deeply and motivating one another for the road ahead.
Shared Tools, Shared Questions, Shared Progress
The week addressed a wide spectrum of Alliance work. WP2 colleagues led substantial discussions on transforming curricula, developing joint teaching elements and shaping the evolving European Track. They also guided participants through the evaluation of the first version of the Course Repository – a tool developed jointly by WP2, WP3, WP4 and IT Taskforce. During this session, participants explored the platform from a student’s perspective, identifying minor issues. This hands-on review and later feedback provided valuable direction for the next development phase and the planned launch in late 2025.
WP3, meanwhile, focused on internationalising teacher education and addressing the challenges and opportunities surrounding internships across different national systems. WP4 presented ongoing work on the Mobility Portal, now in its second developmental phase, and colleagues examined how the platform can serve not only mobility but also curricular coordination and teacher education needs across the Alliance. The mobility counting mechanism and good practice in promoting mobilities were mentioned during the Convincing students and staff to participate in Alliance mobilities session.
Contact
Working Across Boundaries
One of the week’s most invigorating elements was the cross-WP group work. Participants were asked to map processes, discuss obstacles, and identify how their respective tasks intersect, whether in curriculum design, recognition practices, digital infrastructure, student support, or new learning formats such as summer/winter schools. These sessions underscored a simple truth: the Alliance functions best when its WPs act not as isolated units, but as interconnected contributors to one shared educational ecosystem.
© Klára FrausováA Community Strengthened
The word cloud generated at the end of the week said it elegantly: “motivating”, “collaboration”, “enriching”, “safe spaces”. The gathering in Adana did more than review tools and compare workflows – it strengthened the human network that sustains the Alliance. Conversations were frank, supportive, and full of the sort of constructive sincerity that only arises when people genuinely care about the outcome. Participants returned home not merely with notes and action points, but with the sense of camaraderie and resolve that makes long-term cooperation possible. The week affirmed that while the tools and processes matter greatly, it is the community itself – committed, principled, and engaged – that will carry EUPeace forward.
