Between October 28 and November 1, 2024, the "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iași hosted the International Staff Week event, "Effective university's strategy for a sustainable internationalisation", organized by the University Marketing Department and the International Relations Department-Erasmus+, within the Vice-Rectorate for International Relations.
Over the course of 5 days, TUIASI became a center of cultural and linguistic diversity, where 23 representatives of academic communities and support staff from universities from 12 countries participated in workshops, presentations, and socializing activities.
The event was designed to strengthen ties between universities in EU countries and those outside the European Union, to identify and explore the fundamental pillars of an effective strategy for sustainable internationalization, but also to exchange good practices regarding programs taught in English.
The event was opened by Professor Irina Lungu, Vice-Rector for International Relations, who emphasized in her speech the importance of cooperation between universities and the strengthening of international relations, the promotion of innovation and creativity in the development of study programs taught in English, and the role of TUIASI as a member of the INGENIUM Alliance of European Universities.
Afterwards, for a better cultural understanding, the guests made a brief foray into language elements, by participating in a Romanian language and culture course, followed by university presentations and socializing activities.
The presentations on the second day of ISW were particularly attractive and were followed by an interactive workshop, during which the participants, supported by facilitators from TUIASI, identified the most important pillars of the internationalization of higher education and analyzed the relevant aspects of each, challenges, KPIs, etc.
The city tour offered guests a unique experience that took them from the Rectorate of the "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iași to the Palace of Culture, on Stefan cel Mare and to the National Theater, on Cuza Voda and then to Piata Unirii, allowing them to immerse themselves in the historical atmosphere of Iași.
The following day's debates focused on key aspects of university internationalization, such as Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) mobilities, good practices and obstacles in developing sustainable English-taught programmes. We enjoyed the presence of Erasmus+ coordinators from the faculties, who shared their experiences and created a space for dialogue and exchange of good practices.
A special focus was placed in the following workshop on the INGENIUM Alliance, on which occasion one of the key representatives of the INGENIUM consortium, Mr. Jesus Daniel Santos, Institutional Coordinator of the INGENIUM Project at the University of Oviedo, Coordinator of the Alliance presented the success story and the pillars of the INGENIUM University's cooperation model with stakeholders.
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® formed the basis of the next day's workshop, based on this methodology of facilitating effective interactions between team members and adapted to the issues of international students. Increased participation and involvement in meaningful discussions on issues specific to the internationalization of higher education were noted, as was the increased motivation of each participant to work in a team, supporting problem solving by encouraging creativity.
As a natural continuation, the next workshop, "Student needs come first", focused on identifying emotional needs, with applicability in identifying student needs and creating a climate of trust and encouragement within the academic environment.
The day that concluded the series of events within the International Week was one of remembering the good practices identified and continuing the steps to initiate new collaborations, thus ensuring the continuity of our internationalization efforts.
