For the eighth year, the Open University of Cyprus (OUC) organised an International Staff Week under the Erasmus+ Programme (Erasmus+ International Staff Week) with the main objectives, among others, to consolidate new partnerships and promote the internationalisation of higher education. The aim was also to exchange experiences and best practices between the APS staff and the participants of the working week. Seventeen (17) academic and administrative staff members of fourteen (14) universities from seven (7) countries (Greece, Poland, Bulgaria, Austria, Austria, China, Germany and Israel) participated in the Staff Week, which was organised by the Mobility Office on June 5-9, 2023. The mobilities from third countries (Israel and China) were funded by the OUC under the Erasmus+ International Mobility action.
Participants had the opportunity, through presentations and workshops, to see the important perspectives and benefits of distance learning. The specialisation of the Open University of Cyprus in distance education was the main point of reference. The training programme included, among other things, presentations on distance learning methodology and academic support for OUC students, marketing, human resource management, research, networking and dissemination of research results, the services provided by the OUC Library, as well as international partnerships and strategic development. The Educational Materials and Methodology Laboratory and the Department of Tele-education and Digital Content Management presented the Tele-education Platform and the modern digital teaching and learning tools used by the OUC, as well as best practices for the integration of online tools and pedagogical methods to enhance the learning experience. Research laboratories of the OUC in particular the Computational Cognition Laboratory and the Cyprus Center for Algorithmic Transparency (CyCAT) presented research activities on computational learning and artificial intelligence. A representative of the Lifelong Learning Institute organised a workshop on quality placements of students and graduates in organisations and enterprises for work experience, while a representative of the Human Resources Development Authority of the Republic of Cyprus presented the OVATE tool for identifying and monitoring labour market needs and skills acquired by participants in higher education. The 8th Erasmus+ International Training Week also included cultural activities to introduce participants to the history and culture of Cyprus.
Source: Open University of Cyprus I News (https://shorturl.at/fuyOP)