During the month of June 2026, the Department of English and American Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy and Science, Silesian University in Opava (Czechia), welcomed several academic colleagues from Aleksandër Moisiu University in Durrës (Albania).

The mobility brought together colleagues from the Institutes of Foreign Languages, creating valuable opportunities for professional exchange and future cooperation. The visiting academics represented a wide range of expertise, including English language teaching methodology, linguistics, sociolinguistics, English literature, culture and translation studies, classroom management, technology-enhanced learning, intercultural studies, and many more.

Good practices

Throughout their stay, they engaged in inspiring discussions with colleagues from the Department of English and American Studies, namely Michaela Weiss, Diana Adamová, Barbora Hamplová, and Veronika Nogolová, who are themselves experts in these fields, sharing good practices in language teaching, curriculum development, innovative pedagogical approaches, research, and the internationalization of higher education. The exchange of perspectives fostered meaningful academic dialogue and helped identify common areas of interest for future collaboration.

The meetings resulted in several concrete outcomes. The institutions agreed to organize mutual invited lectures for students and academic staff, explore opportunities for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) activities, and develop joint specialized projects, further strengthening cooperation within the STARS EU Alliance.

Cooperation in teaching

The Department of English and American Studies at Silesian University in Opava looks forward to continuing this successful cooperation with Aleksandër Moisiu University and implementing the initiatives discussed during the June mobility.

The visit strengthened the partnership between both institutions and laid the foundation for future cooperation in teaching, research, and academic mobility, further supporting the internationalization goals of the STARS EU Alliance.

The staff week will be held on June 1-3 in Bremen.

Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences (Germany) will host an in-person event bringing together professionals from across the STARS EU Alliance to reflect, exchange ideas, and advance the development of virtual mobility. The event will place particular emphasis on the student experience, digital processes, and organisational challenges.

Over three days the staff week in Bremen will focus on Understanding student needs and strengthening engagement in virtual mobility. Further more Digitalisation, application processes and recognition of mobility as well as Organisational challenges, implementation and structural anchoring will be main points of the face-to-face meeting between representatives of all the Alliance’s work packages.

Day 1 – Understanding, Connecting, Unlocking Potential

June 1 | 09:00 – 16:00

The first day is dedicated to building a shared understanding and establishing a common foundation for the rest of the event. Participants will explore the connections between mobility, teaching, and digitalisation, with a strong focus on the student perspective.

In addition, the sessions will examine how virtual mobility formats can be better designed and communicated to increase their reach and student engagement.

Day 2 – Strengthening Digital Access, Processes and Recognition

June 2 | 09:00 – 14:00

The second day focuses on the role of digitalisation in mobility, addressing key aspects such as the use of digital tools, application processes, and communication strategies. The aim is to identify structural barriers, improve usability, and strengthen recognition mechanisms across the alliance.

Day 3 – Concretising, Aligning and Embedding

June 3 | 09:00 – 15:30

The third day addresses the organisational and structural challenges affecting the implementation of virtual mobility. It also builds on the outcomes of the previous days to prioritise solutions, assess their feasibility, and define the steps needed for their implementation and long-term integration within the alliance.

For more information, visit: Hochschule Bremen

A delegation of deans from Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB) has visited the Cracow University of Technology on 16 and 17 April to meet their counterparts at the Polish institution. The purpose of the visit is to thoroughly examine the mutual offerings in the field of international partnership and to establish the details of further cooperation between the universities in the framework of STARS EU.

The intensive program has included meetings with the university authorities and visits to faculties such as Computer Science and Telecommunications, Environmental Engineering and Energy, Chemical Engineering and Technology

The Portuguese delegation of deans was composed by Nuno Ribeiro (School of Technology and Management), Adília Fernandes (School of Health), Sonia Nogueira (School of Public Management, Communication and Tourism), Pedro Bastos (School of Agriculture) and Carlos Teixeira (School of Education).

They were received, among others, by Andrzej Szarata, Rector of the Cracow University of Technology; Dariusz Bogdał, Vice-Rector for Science; Katarzyna Baron-Lisiakiewicz, head of the International Relations; Michał Bereta and Natalia Ryłko, Vice-Deans of the Faculty of Computer Science and Telecommunications; Stanisław Rybicki, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Power; and Piotr Michorczyk, Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology.