A training week for Northumbria’s international university partners has
attracted its highest attendance since the event was launched three years ago.
More than 25 partners from Europe and America made the journey to
Northumbria recently, underscoring the University’s global reputation for
collaboration and student and staff exchange opportunities.
Colleagues from Austria, Finland,
France Germany, Poland and Sweden among many other countries took part in a
week of training activities designed to showcase the University, city and
region to our partner network as well as promote their own universities to
Northumbria students at the Study Abroad Fair.
The week-long programme included a
welcome talk from Prof. Peter Francis, a city tour, tours of the University
faculties, an interactive staff training session and a trip to Beamish Open-Air
Museum where colleagues took part in a murder mystery activity and enjoyed the
famous Fish and Chips from Davy’s.
The week finished with a
celebration dinner at the Northern Counties Club in Newcastle where
participants heard first-hand the experiences of Northumbria students who had
studied abroad through our large portfolio of Erasmus + and Exchange partners.
Despite the uncertainties
surrounding Brexit, the week was proof that Northumbria continues to have a
strong relationship with universities in Europe and around the world.
Rob Carthy, Director of
International Development, said: “We were absolutely delighted to welcome so
many of our exchange and Erasmus + partners to Northumbria for the Training
Week in November. It was an action-packed week for attendees who given an
overview of the University and its place in the city and region. It seemed
particularly poignant that as the UK prepares to leave the European Union, the
largest number of people ever attended the week, the overwhelming majority of
whom were from our EU partners through the Erasmus + scheme. Our international
partners clearly value continued collaboration with the UK and Northumbria.
“The University will continue to
prioritise a close relationship with Europe post-Brexit and strong engagement
with our partner network through the Erasmus + programme is a crucial means of
us being able to do this.”
Northumbria currently has more than
100 Erasmus+ partnerships across Europe spanning all four faculties and most
subject areas. In 2017-18, 149 students and 35 staff from Northumbria were able
to take advantage of the funding available through the scheme to undertake
mobility at one of the partner organisations.
