The Open University of Cyprus (OUC) successfully hosted its 9th Erasmus+ International Staff Week from May 27 to 31, 2024. Organized by OUC's Mobility Office, the event aimed to foster collaboration with international universities and facilitate the exchange of ideas, expertise, and best practices among OUC faculty, staff, and visiting participants. This year’s event welcomed twenty-four (24) academic and administrative staff members from nineteen (19) universities across sixteen (16) countries (Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Austria, Latvia, Spain, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, and China).
During the Training Week, OUC staff delivered insightful presentations on the university’s educational methodology, instructional design and gamification techniques for distance learning, student support services, and its cutting-edge eLearning platform. Key topics covered included marketing and recruiting international students, human resources management, research networking and dissemination, quality traineeships in Erasmus+ and links with the industry, student and alumni support and welfare, distance learning techniques, and international relations and cooperation. The event also featured presentations from the OUC’s Computational Cognition Lab and the Cyprus Center for Algorithmic Transparency, highlighting trends and recent projects on machine learning and artificial intelligence (e.g. ADMIT project). The Chair of the Board of CSR Cyprus discussed the role of corporate responsibility and sustainability in higher education, while university participants/representatives presented good practices for the digitization of Erasmus+ Programme processes and internationalization actions in higher education.
Complementing the professional development activities, the Staff Week included cultural activities to introduce participants to Cyprus’s rich history and culture. These activities featured visits to Lefkara village, Larnaca, the Holy Church of the Virgin Mary Angeloktisti at Kiti, and a guided tour of Nicosia.
OUC’s successful organization of Erasmus+ International Staff Weeks underscores its commitment to enhancing student and staff mobility, broadening the scope for international cooperation, and fostering global communication in higher education.
Photo album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oucyprus/albums/72177720317650710
