On 19–23 May, Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution’s (HEI) administration staff, lecturers, and researchers from the Faculties of Business, Medicine, Arts and Education, Computing, Engineering and Technologies participated in the events of the international week ‘European University Alliances and Intercultural Challenges’ held at the UNINOVIS alliance partner institution – Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (USPN). The event brought together participants from Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (Germany), Universidad de Málaga (Spain), Hague University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands), and representatives of Portuguese partners.

‘For participants who were not involved in UNINOVIS activities or knew less about the alliance, this international week provided a great opportunity to engage in discussions about UNINOVIS cooperation. Thank you to USPN, as UNINOVIS coordinators, for this initiative, excellent programme, organisation and hospitality,’ shares Jolanta Valiaugienė, UNINOVIS project manager at Kauno kolegija HEI.

The Vice Dean for Science of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Technologies, Dr Dalė Šumskienė, notes that the main goal of this International Week is to promote cooperation and dialogue between university staff from various cultural and institutional backgrounds within the framework of European university alliances. It also aims to identify the main challenges and opportunities arising from intercultural interaction, promoting good practices in strengthening inclusion, communication and cooperation in the international academic environment.

‘Through seminars, discussions and practical sessions, participants gained valuable insights into how cultural diversity can contribute to strengthening alliances, enriching learning experiences and supporting the creation of a more interconnected, resilient and global higher education landscape,’ says Dr D. Šumskienė.

During the International Week, Kauno kolegija HEI representatives participated in different practical sessions of the Interculturality and European Alliances (MITRA), during which they discussed and shared good practices with other European university alliances.

‘During the practical work, different groups discussed the importance of communication, time management, learning, and project management from the perspective of interculturality, and decided what is being done well in different institutions and what should be changed or improved,’ adds Dr D. Šumskienė.

Dr. Marijana Prodanovič, Associate Professor at the Language Centre of the Faculty of Arts and Education, gave an introductory speech during the International Week, inviting participants to think about intercultural encounters and prepare for the week’s discussions and workshops. Her many years of scientific activity dedicated to research on the interaction of cultures became an excellent introduction to further cooperation and exchange of ideas.

‘Apart from the scheduled activities, we’ve attended a meeting led by Basudeb Chaudhuri, USPN head researcher within the UNINOVIS scope; not only did we find common ground to explore – but were also invited to come and do some research at the Paris Labsic. In addition to that – we spoke about organising an event gathering UNINOVIS researchers in person,’ shares Dr M. Prodanovič, Associate Professor at the Language Centre.