From December 2 to 6, 2024, Halyna Herasymchuk, Dean of the Faculty of Digital, Educational, and Social Technologies, and Olha Hulai, Professor of the Department of Digital Educational Technologies at Lutsk National Technical University, along with other representatives of the Ukrainian academic community (National Technical University "Dnipro Polytechnic" and Sumy State University), participated in the Digital Staff Week international academic mobility program organised by the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, Germany, under the Erasmus+ program. This program provided an excellent opportunity for professional development, experience exchange, and deepening international cooperation
The week began with an introduction to the Erasmus coordinators at TUBAF's International Center and other program participants. The mobility program was vibrant:
• Training sessions on designing and implementing microcredits – a relevant topic for modern education. We discussed how to adapt microcredits to the needs of students from different specialties, shared ideas on digital platforms that facilitate their effective implementation, and studied examples of successful microcredit implementation in various European universities, including Aalto University in Finland.
• Individual meetings with university colleagues to discuss opportunities and prospects for joint research and Twinning processes.
• A visit to Terra Mineralia – a unique museum with the broadest collection of minerals in Europe, left an unforgettable impression and amazed me with its unique exhibits and modern approach to presenting scientific material.
• A tour of the Reiche Zeche mine provided a closer look at the Freiberg mining history. We descended into one of the region's historic mines to a depth of 147 meters.
The last day was dedicated to a meeting with the university's Digital Team, where we summarised the week. Participants provided feedback on the program and shared ideas for future initiatives.
Besides the official program, the informal moments were especially valuable, where a pre-Christmas atmosphere prevailed: shared meals, campus tours, and idea exchanges with colleagues from different universities. Even the festive mood was enhanced by the university administration, led by the rector, offering meals to everyone during one of these lunch breaks.
TUBAF impressed us with its infrastructure, high level of event organisation, and hospitality. This visit became a source of professional inspiration and opened new horizons for developing cooperation between our universities.
We sincerely thank the organisers for the high level of organisation, hospitality, and warm atmosphere. We look forward to further cooperation with TUBAF!
Halyna Herasymchuk and Olga Gulai
