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Testimonials from Administrative Staff
Over the past year, the multilateral collaboration in the EUPeace consortium has fostered a vibrant exchange of ideas and cultures, already enhancing potential for mobility among partner institutions that empower students, faculty, and administrative staff alike.
Three reasons to become mobile:
- Get out of your comfort zone to make new experiences
- Meet nice people and enhance your network
- Experience a different culture and learn that things can be done in a different wa
Why did you choose to take a virtual course at a partner university?
I wanted to improve my English while broadening my horizons by taking a course unrelated to my degree at my home university.
Three reasons why other students should also do a virtual exchange?
1) Get to know a new university with different structures and teaching methods.
2) Improve language skills in English or another European language.
3) Experience multinational exchange with students and lecturers.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
How well or poorly the Spanish Navy dealt with accidents.
Something interesting that you learned about the host country or institution?
How crucial effective crisis communication is in avoiding further damage to your company or organization.
Three reasons to become mobile:
- Professional Growth: Develop new skills, enhance your resume, and expand your international network.
- Cultural Enrichment: Broaden your perspective, build resilience, and enjoy unique experiences in a new environment.
- Institutional Impact: Share innovative ideas and strengthen partnerships between universities.
Being a member of EUPeace’s Governing Board has proven a great intercultural and human experience.
What was your favourite place during your mobility?
The old part of Adana and, of course, Cappadocia.
What did you enjoy most about your mobility experience?
Getting to know colleagues from all over the world.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
The warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Any advice for colleagues considering a mobility opportunity?
It’s a wonderful chance to take part in a Staff Week – don’t hesitate!
What was your favourite place during your mobility?
My favourite place was the Zoo du Reynou!
What did you enjoy most about your mobility experience?
Our work paying off with a magnificent event where students from all EUPeace universities produce together.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
I was surprised with the zoo being huge and encountering with the various animals such as polar bear, red panda…
Any advice for colleagues considering a mobility opportunity?
It is truly amazing to see the positive outcomes of our work while collaborating with colleagues from different countries, sharing experiences, and having a great time together along the way.
What was your favourite place during your mobility?
Walking through Baščaršija and absorbing the impressions. The team at the University of Sarajevo also organized a city tour for us, which provided very interesting information and historical context.
What did you enjoy most about your mobility experience?
Networking with other international colleagues, expanding my knowledge, and gaining new impressions and ideas.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
I felt very welcome, and it was deeply meaningful for me to experience the EUPeace alliance and its significance through active participation in the program.
Any advice for colleagues considering a mobility opportunity?
I highly recommend taking part in a mobility program: it is a valuable experience that impacts your professional work, expands your international network, and fosters personal growth by broadening your horizons.
Learnings from the WP2 Meeting in Mostar
- Online Course Incentives Strategies to promote online courses within the European Track.
- VEEP Integration Adapting existing structures (e.g., MO:VE, VIP) for VEEP purposes.
- Micro-Credentials Universities to review existing micro-credentials.
Three reasons to become mobile
- To develop intercultural skills
- To know better our home university
- To exchange best practices
What was your favourite place during your mobility?
My favorite place during my stay in Madrid was the Plaza de la Armería next to the Royal Palace of Madrid. We ended our walking tour of Madrid there. The sun was setting, there was music playing, families with kids who were running around and playing catch, friends hanging out. I loved this place and returned to it a couple of times during my evening walks.
What did you enjoy most about your mobility experience?
I truly appreciate the chance I had to exchange ideas and best-practices with alliance colleagues who work in similar projects and/or areas.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
It wasn’t a surprise because I was anticipating it already. Everyone we met was very hospitable and warm.
What was your favourite place during your mobility?
The Yellow Fortress in Sarajevo: A beautiful view over the city, very picturesque, and a man proposed to his future wife right next to us (she said “yes”).
What did you enjoy most about your mobility experience?
Meeting our colleagues in person, discussing and clarifying our topics together, learning about BiH history and culture, especially in Sarajevo and Mostar.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
I was not surprised, but the hospitality and friendliness of every single person we have met during our stay was extraordinary and very welcoming.
Any advice for future mobility students?
If you have a personal contact in BiH, let them show you their country! Our former exchange student showed us her Sarajevo, it was the best day!
Lecturer’s perspective
Teaching online classes in the frame of the EUPeace programs was a unique experience. Discussing topics of global migration, health, and transnational development with students from different countries, studying at different partner universities was inspiring and enriching. Each student brought a different spatial and social perspective into the seminar, which evolved in fascinating high-quality presentations and discussions. In some cases, they even led to great research ideas and became the basis for a later Master’s or PhD thesis. I really hope I can teach again in this framework, and would recommend it to anyone interested in international and interdisciplinary teaching!
Three reasons to become mobile:
- Getting to know a new culture
- Networking with colleagues from the host university and with other participants to the International Staff Week
- Develop skills in the field of internationalization
and intercultural communication
What was your favourite place during your mobility?
My favourite place during the mobility was the hills and nature around Pilsen that we saw during our hike. It was part of our programme to do a “hike and talk”. The trail was really varied, and we had a great teambuilding experience wandering through nature while discussing the buddy system.
What did you enjoy most about your mobility experience?
I truly enjoyed the connections I made with my colleagues from the partner universities. We now share a strong bond and can take our work on the buddy system to the next level. Working face-to-face on the project brought up new ideas that we can now try to implement on various scales.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
The campus is incredibly welcoming and vibrant. There are lounge areas all around, communal kitchens to use, and student pubs. It’s really a “lived-in” campus, and I love that!
Any advice for colleagues considering a mobility opportunity?
Don’t hesitate to do it! Find a programme that suits you and go for it. This was already my second mobility within the alliance, and I can truly say that I feel more connected to my colleagues with every encounter!
What was your favourite place during your mobility?
Since the days were quite hot, I thoroughly enjoyed taking walks in the early morning, giving myself time to reflect on the previous day’s experiences.
What did you enjoy most about your mobility experience?
I was so happy to connect with colleagues from other universities. Even more wonderful was seeing how the students formed friendships that crossed borders.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
In Germany, academic titles and status still play a significant role. Here, however, I felt they were entirely irrelevant. Until the very end, I couldn’t tell who was a professor, a junior researcher, or a staff member. Everyone felt equally responsible for our collective success.
Any advice for colleagues considering a mobility opportunity?
There is nothing more valuable than personal contact if we want to experience Europe and work together toward building a shared Europe.
Lecturer’s perspective
As the instructor of the “Teaching Culture in the FL Classrooms” course within the EUPeace Virtual European Exchange Programme, I had the privilege of welcoming a student from the University of Giessen into my class, which included a diverse group of students from various cultural backgrounds in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
One of the most rewarding aspects I observed was how the addition of the VEEP student enriched the teaching environment. […]
By the end of the course, the students demonstrated increased confidence in creating inclusive, culturally sensitive learning environments and applying strategies that celebrate and respect diversity. […]
Teaching this course reaffirmed my belief in the transformative power of cultural education, and I am confident that the skills and insights the students gained will enable them to further foster curiosity, awareness, and empathy in their own classrooms.
Based on my experience, I strongly recommend to all instructors to consider offering their courses to international students within the VEEP scheme.
What was your favourite place during your mobility?
The campus and the lake at Cukurova University were beautiful! I also loved Adana’s streets, restaurants (I highly recommend trying Adana Kebap and Cezerye!) and shops.
What did you enjoy most about your mobility experience?
I truly appreciated the positive and open-minded working atmosphere, which allowed us to learn more about our partners and work together effectively.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
Nothing, as I am already quite familiar with Türkiye.
Any advice for colleagues considering a mobility opportunity?
Enjoy this precious time together! It is a great opportunity to learn many new things, while others will surely learn from you as well.
What was your favourite place during your mobility?
Stari Most
What did you enjoy most about your mobility experience?
Meeting faculty, staff, students, and partners from around Europe.
What surprised you about your host country or university?
Most striking for me was the campus in Mostar: a city with historical layers and cultural diversity. Mostar offers a vibrant student culture, impressive historical landmarks, and a central location in the region. This combination creates an inspiring environment for research and exchange.
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