Experience story on Erasmus+ staff training mobility
Aktualizēts 04.03.2020 12:01
During the autumn semester of the academic year 2019 – 2020 we, Ilze Oļehnoviča and Jeļena Semeņeca, senior lecturers at the Department of English Philology and Translatology of Faculty of Humanities at Daugavpils University (Latvia), were proposed to take up the training mobility to University of Mindanao (the Philipines). After contacting the representatives of the receiving educational establishment, it was decided that our visit could be beneficial to both universities involved in order to establish contacts between the departments (faculties) related to language and literary studies.
The activities at the receiving institution involved but were not limited to administration and faculty meetings, constructive discussion with the academic staff and the students of Institute of Languages at University of Mindanao, Forum on internationalization of education, cultural and socializing events, etc. The outcomes of our mobility to University of Mindanao will be the further consideration and implementation of joint projects in respect of publications, research paper reviewing and supervision, as well the possibilities of conducting classes in e-environment.
What concerns our professional and personal gains from our Erasmus+ staff training mobility, it should be noted that for us it was a great opportunity to experience non-European approach to English Philology and higher education in general. We learned a lot and shared our experience in dealing with different issues related to studies at undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels, research and administration.
The greatest challenge was the long and tiring journey, due to which we spent more than two days to travel there and back (our mobility period was 18.02.2020 – 26.02.2020). Nevertheless we really appreciate the activities offered and attitudes displayed to us in all respects, be it our joint work or leisure activities. We are very grateful to the representatives of UM International Affairs Office for their warmest welcome, planning of our stay and readiness to continue our cooperation.