Główna nawigacja
mgr Katarzyna Ochnio, mgr Gabriela Dróbkowska, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences
Training trip to Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
Thanks to the possibilities provided by the Erasmus+ programme for administrative staff, together with a colleague from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences we had the opportunity to take part in a five-day language course entitled ‘STP Language and IT Trainings for University Staff’ at Universitat Politècnica de València.
The English language course was perfectly planned, organized and conducted.The hosts shared their knowledge, provided help and support. On the first day we got a lot of information about the Spanish higher education system. People from different countries including Czech Republic, Sweden, Germany and Lithuania participated in training sessions, which took place every day in the groups of 16.
We encourage the administrative staff to submit applications within Erasmus+ in order to increase professional qualifications, develop soft skills and improve language competencies. This kind of training is a perfect opportunity for growth and making numerous professional contacts.
dr inż Leszek Czechowski, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Lodz University of Technology
Training trip to University of Luxembourg
The training trip within Erasmus+ to University of Luxembourg, the Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) allowed to broaden the knowledge in the field of printing techniques, make contacts and establish cooperation between research units. The University of Luxembourg was founded in 2003 and then employed 268 professors, 1061 academic staff, including 579 doctoral candidates, and 482 PhD employees. Studies are conducted in three languages: English, French and German. The University reunites many cultures from different parts of the world because students studying there and academic staff are from 129 and 94 countries respectively.
My first stage of training was based on acquiring the knowledge in the field of files preparation, control and support of 3D metal and plastic printers. The next steps involved teamwork activities, which led to creation of a printing filament from biodegradable PLA dedicated for printing (either pure or with addition of graphene nanopowder). The appropriate preparation of PLA foundation with graphene nanofillers with a specified weight fraction and the right choice of extruding parameters with a purpose of filament creation with addition of graphene in academic conditions was a challenge. Basic knowledge obtained during the training was the foundation for completing more advanced tasks, which I had to manage, such as defining print trajectory and initial parameters, the proper choice of parameters for print and printing samples with nanofillers.
The training and joint work conducted in an international team helped to gain experience and positive feelings, which in the future will certainly be an incentive for starting new directions of research and maintaining cooperation between the units. On the other hand, I could personally observe the ways and methodology of conducting lectures and laboratory classes.
To sum up, the training trip I made within Erasmus+ not only contributed to increasing my competencies but also provided many unforgettable moments.
mgr Paulina Danieluk, International Cooperation Centre
Training trip to Université de Caen-Normandie (UNICAEN), France
A trip to Normandy was a fulfillment of my dreams. Thanks to the Erasmus + program, I had the opportunity to represent Lodz University of Technology during the 1st International Staff Week in Caen entitled “Understanding International Attractivity”. The aim of the staff week was to integrate participants from different parts of the world and familiarize them with the topic of interculturality.
I decided to choose the staff week from among numerous offers available at the IMOTION website. The training was organized by Universite de Caen Normandié (UNICAEN) for administrative staff and it was related to internationalization. I work in the International Cooperation Center of Lodz University of Technology (TUL) and I deal with the visits of foreign guests and delegations. Having the opportunity of using funds within the Erasmus + program I wanted to expand my knowledge and competences. In addition, I have always wanted to visit Normandy and learn about its beauty, culture and historical heritage.
The University of Caen is the third, after Oxford and Cambridge, university founded by the English. It was founded in 1432 by King Henry VI Lancaster to educate the future English elite to manage the territories in France. The painful memories of the Second World War, as well as the literal rise of the university from the ashes, became the basis for the adoption of the Phoenix as a symbol of the University. The sculpture by Louis Leygue, representing a mythical bird, is located at the entrance to the University.
The staff week was focused on: Understanding international attractivity.
There were four different workshops during the week: Defining attractivity: academic, cultural, etc. Intercultural: an attractivity asset. International communication and visibility of institutions. Supporting international students. Additional area that I was interested in was the staff mobility. I had the opportunity to talk with representatives of various universities about the procedures concerning staff mobility at their institutions that could be implemented at our university.
Aside from the workshops, there were also sessions of presentations of each participant's institution. I began my presentation about TUL with a few words in French, to honour my hosts, and then I switched to English which was the language to be employed during the staff week. In my speech, I highlighted our university's successes related to the implementation of internationalization strategy, expressed by the presence in the prestigious Times Higher Education University Rankings and the accreditation of EAQUALS for the Language Center of the University of Lodz. The organizers were interested in the cooperation with Lodz University of Technology with regard to science and research and in particular in the field of molecular and nuclear physics. Not without reason, because in 2016 Lodz University of Technology signed a cooperation agreement with the European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN. They were also interested in cooperation in the field of summer schools concerning French language courses. This exchange of students takes place between UNICAEN and the University of Warsaw.
During my mobility adventure I met a lot of interesting people doing a job similar to mine at international cooperation offices. I learned procedures and systems to handle mobility. In social media, I established contacts with representatives of a number of universities: the University of Zurich, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Uniwersytet w Würzburgu, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa , Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.
Staff Week at Cean was exceptional not only for me as I heard similar opinions from other participants. The most important effect for me is the personal experience of the entire mobility process. As an employee of the Staff Mobility Division of International Cooperation Centre at TUL, I have significantly expanded my knowledge and can now help other employees.
The training was perfectly planned and organized. An additional attraction was an excursion to the world-famous Mont Saint-Michel - a rocky island in a bay connected to the mainland France with a 1,800 m long causeway.
I sincerely hope that my mobility experience will inspire other employees of TUL, which will in turn result in more applications submitted for staff trips abroad