Staff Training

A comprehensive training program has been developed under the UniWeLiS project to assist higher education institutions in Central-Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in enhancing the integration of incoming PhD students and academics, as well as improving overall internationalization management. This program is specifically designed for higher education managers and professionals involved in internationalization efforts.

The program is structured into six training modules, each addressing critical areas identified through in-depth interviews with higher education managers and support staff in the region, reflecting their most pressing training needs. It is a practical, skill-focused initiative aimed at equipping participants with the tools necessary to manage and support the mid- to long-term mobility of international PhD students and academic staff.

For higher education managers, the program provides a deeper understanding of the challenges associated with internationalization and offers strategies to address them effectively. For support staff, it focuses on building the practical skills required to implement these strategies. Together, these efforts aim to create more welcoming and supportive environments for international PhD students and academics, helping institutions attract and retain global talent.

The training program was pilot-tested by managers and administrative staff from five consortium institutions during an international training event. All resources, including presentations, a detailed training manual, and supplementary materials, are available to other interested institutions, enabling them to replicate the program. This initiative supports the professional development of managers and support staff across the target region, empowering institutions to strengthen their internationalization strategies.

The UniWeliS Training Manual is a comprehensive resource designed for higher education managers and support staff to enhance institutional internationalization and support services for mobile academic staff. It consists of six training modules, each addressing different aspects of internationalization, such as establishing institutional welcome centers, digital welcome centers, and global talent attraction strategies. The manual includes training scenarios, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, and references, allowing trainers to deliver the modules either as a complete program or individually. It also integrates the UniWeliS Explorer App, a repository of good practices from European universities, providing practical examples and solutions for improving support services.

The UniWeliS Training Manual consists of six modules, each focusing on different aspects of supporting internationalization and mobile academic staff in higher education institutions.

Module 1: Institutional Welcome Centre – Practical and Strategic Considerations

This module introduces the concept of institutional welcome centers, focusing on their strategic importance and practical implementation. It is designed for higher education managers and support staff to understand how to establish and manage these centers effectively

Module 2: Digital Welcome Centre

This module emphasizes the digitalization of welcome center operations, including data collection and management. It provides tools and strategies for using digital platforms to enhance support services for mobile academics

Module 3: Comprehensive Approach to Support Services

This module presents a structured, five-step process for delivering support services, from pre-arrival to post-departure stages. It includes checklists and practical tools to streamline day-to-day operations.

Module 4: Local Partnerships

Focused on building and maintaining relationships with external organizations, this module highlights the importance of local partnerships in supporting academic mobility and internationalization efforts.

Module 5: Intercultural Communication – Responding to Cultural Specifics and Universals

This module addresses intercultural communication challenges, aiming to shift attitudes and improve interactions between staff and international academics. It provides strategies for navigating cultural differences.

Module 6: Global Profile, Visibility, and Talent Attraction

This module focuses on enhancing the global visibility of higher education institutions and attracting international talent. It includes strategies for marketing and branding to appeal to a global audience.

Guide on integration of refugee researchers

The guide provides essential information for staff on how to facilitate comprehensive career planning for early-stage refugee researchers. Its purpose is to empower these researchers to forge their own unique career trajectories and pursue sustainable employment in the host country, whether within or outside of academia, while mitigating the risk of dequalification.

Additionally, the guide offers an overview of resources related to language courses, support services for academic recognition, funding programs for research and higher education, as well as academic mentoring and training initiatives specifically designed for refugee researchers.

Furthermore, it includes country specific information on available career development services and potential career opportunities in both the academic and non-academic sectors within participating countries, which may be particularly pertinent for researchers facing risk.

Do you encounter difficulties when integrating foreign researchers?

The Intercultural Assistant for EURAXESS Staff is designed to enhance the awareness of the complexities inherent in intercultural interactions that institution are likely to encounter as a member of the EURAXESS team working with researchers in transition. This tool is intended to assist institutions in gaining a deeper understanding of institutions´ culture in relation to others. It also aims to assess and enhance the intercultural competence, thereby improving institutions´ ability to effectively integrate researchers from diverse backgrounds.

The resource is organized into four sections.

The first section, What Is Culture?, explores some basic notions about culture.

The second section, What Is Intercultural Communication?, introduces the notion of intercultural communication and intercultural competence with a view to the intercultural experiences institutions are likely to have.

The third section, Compare Cultures, explores one of the many approaches to describing cultural differences. 

The fourth section, Intercultural Integration, contains links to the IMPACT Guide and practical tips about supporting your incoming researchers to adapt to the new cultural environment.