Successfully implemented Seventh International Staff Training Week | Participation of representatives of 27 higher education institutions

The Seventh International Staff Training Week for International Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff was held at the University of Sarajevo from May 16 to 20, 2022, organized by the International Relations Office of the University of Sarajevo. It is a five-day event that includes seminars, workshops, presentations, the active participation of international partners in presenting their institutions, the study offers and work on implementing the Erasmus + program. This week was accompanied by social and cultural activities. The Staff Training Week was an opportunity to present and network partners, academics, students and officials of the International Relations Office, promote Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina and present the University of Sarajevo as a potential partner for many international projects.

On that occasion, the Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo hosted representatives of 27 higher education institutions coming from all over Europe:

Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
University of Zadar, Croatia
Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic
Palacky University of Olomouc, Czech Republic
Catholic University of Lille, France
University of Poitiers, France
Friedrich Alexander Erlangen-Nuremberg University, Germany
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
University of Saarland, Germany
University of Constanta, Germany
Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania
Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
University of Łód,, Poland
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland
New University of Lisbon, Portugal
Castelo Branco Polytechnic Institute, Portugal
Viseu Polytechnic Institute, Portugal
University of Evora, Portugal
Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Romania
University of Arts Belgrade, Serbia
University of Barcelona, ​​Spain
University of Seville, Spain
University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
University of Valladolid, Spain
University of Granada, Spain
Kütahya Dumlupınar University, Turkey

Following the example of many European universities, the University of Sarajevo organizes activities to promote mobility programs such as Erasmus + and increase international incoming and outgoing mobility of students, teaching / non-teaching and non-teaching staff for professional development and academic advancement.

On Monday, May 16, the first day was held dedicated to the presentation of the University of Sarajevo, the International Relations Office and the internationalization program. Then a tourist tour was organized where our guests were introduced to the city of Sarajevo and its richness in diversity.

The second day of the 7th International Staff Week was dedicated to the presentation of our guests - foreign partners. All 27 higher education institutions took the opportunity to present their institution, city and country of origin, educational offer, Erasmus statistics and unique information that may interest students and staff to spend one to two semesters for academic education and professional development. Also, this was an opportunity for the teaching / scientific, artistic and non-teaching staff of the University of Sarajevo to connect with colleagues from foreign institutions and agree on potential cooperation through projects and international mobility.

Participants of the Seventh International Staff Training Week and representatives of 27 higher education institutions visited Mostar on the third day of Staff Week, together with representatives of the International Relations Office of the University of Sarajevo. During their stay in Mostar, a visit was organized to the "Džemal Bijedić" University in Mostar, where the guests were welcomed by the Office for International Cooperation representatives. On that occasion, the "Džemal Bijedić" University was presented, and the university students shared their experiences during the realized mobilities. The trip to Mostar was organized by train, and the guests expressed their enthusiasm for the journey, which CNN declared one of the ten most beautiful train trips in Europe.

On the fourth day of the Seventh International Training Week, representatives of 27 higher education institutions visited the Olympic Museum in Sarajevo within this program, where in addition to visiting the museum's permanent exhibition, they had the opportunity to listen to a lecture by prof. dr. Slavenko Likić and mr. sci. Slobodan Klačar from the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education UNSA on the topic "Erasmus as a new Olympics" which referred to the 14th Olympic Games in Sarajevo and the Olympics and Erasmus as international links for connecting people and cooperation between institutions.

After visiting the museum, the participants visited two faculties of the University of Sarajevo: the Catholic Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Islamic Sciences. They enjoyed the beautiful interiors, presentation of study programs, and introduction to religious life in Sarajevo. Two presentations were held at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences: "How UNSA promotes Erasmus and affects the increase in the number of outgoing and outgoing students" (presented by Adnan Rahimić, MSc on behalf of the Service for International Cooperation), and "Organization of Internationalization for International Students" presented by professors from the Faculty of Economics, University of Barcelona.

The last day was left for summarizing the presented information, conclusions and impressions. Participants were awarded certificates for successful participation in the Seventh International Staff Training Week.

Given that the Seventh International Training Week participants come from 27 institutions across Europe, this five-day event had a broader impact. It enabled universally accepted human rights to be promoted through international cooperation and contributed to overcoming culturally defined borders on a global scale.