Margit Koivumaa, a project manager for staff development project UNISEE, joined the program to gain insights into her new role. Part of an unusual three way exchange, she visited Elisa in Bologna and hosted Alexia from Paris.
Live My Life is Una Europa’s job shadowing program for professional staff across its member universities. The program provides an opportunity for administrative staff to engage in the Una Europa network and exchange experiences with a professional counterpart at another partner university.
How did you first learn about Una Europa and the Live my Life programme? What inspired you to participate?
In 2019, I took part in the Erasmus exchange week for staff in Valencia, which sparked my interest in international collaboration. Later, when I began my new role as a project manager for the staff development project, I came across the Live my Life program on Flamma. Since I was new to the field of staff development, I saw this as a great opportunity deepen my understanding of the field and expand my professional network.
What drew me to the program was the chance to learn more about different working cultures and how they operate. Through Una Europa, we already collaborate with other Universities across Europe, but this program offered a great opportunity to build personal connections, get to know colleagues from other institutions and establish an initial contact point for future collaborations. Plus, it was a great opportunity to improve my language skills!
You took part in the Live My Life mobility programme. Could you share your experience? Where did you go, and what did you learn?
My experience with the Live My Life mobility program was slightly different from the traditional tandem format, as there were three of us involved in the exchange. This had both pros and cons: while I didn’t have the opportunity to show Elisa what my work in Helsinki entails, I gained two valuable connections across Europe instead!
In February, I spent four days in Bologna, where Elisa and I had a packed schedule of meetings and activities. Despite our busy agenda, we made time to enjoy relaxed lunches, chat, and explore the city center in the evenings. Then, in March, Alexia from Paris visited me in Helsinki.
One key takeaway from the exchange was learning about how staff training courses in Moodle are designed and implemented at the University of Bologna. Many of the aspects and challenges were familiar. The exchange helped me to appreciate the advanced digital systems at our own university. I also gained a better understanding of the administrative differences between MOOCs (massive open online courses) at different universities.
This news item was written by Paula Modrego Castaño