Through the Erasmus+ program, staff members visited different European universities

As a part of the Erasmus+ mobility project funded by the European Union (EU), eleven UM professors and staff members traveled to the Universities of Hertfordshire (England), Minho (Portugal), and Alexandru Ioan Cuza of Iași (Romania). The UM Global Department oversaw this internationalization initiative.

The officials that traveled were: the dean of the School of Law, Miguel Casanova; the dean of the School of Engineering, Martín Tanco; the International Development Manager, Virginia Whitelaw; the International Mobility Coordinator, Pilar Aznárez; the Film Studies coordinator Diego Sardi, the Translating Degree coordinator, Nicolás Manfredi, and professors Claudio Ruibal,  Cristina Chiusano and Juan Marra from UM's Schools of Engineering (FIUM), Humanities and Education (FHUMyE) and Communications (FCOM). Furthermore, Cecilia Gomeza, administrator of admissions for master's and postgraduate degrees courses in the Law School (FDER), and Pía Berruti, coordinator of the Erasmus program, attended the International Week organized by the university of Minho.

The Erasmus+ program supports credit mobility between European and Latin American universities. The UM has participated in these programs since 2014. Down below, some lecturers will recounter their experiences of internationalization.

Diego Sardi.

Diego Sardi, M.A in Cinema Production, visited the University of Minho, in Portugal, where he conducted a workshop on Worldbuilding Transmedia Storytelling, gave a class on Strategies in digital communication, met with students of the audio-visual orientation, and discussed with lecturers about different academic projects. The University's Centre for Communication and Societal Studies (CECS) interviewed him about his professional background, the activities he's undertaken, and his role at UM.

"The experience of traveling to Portugal to teach at the University of Minho was very enriching. It allowed me to share my academic experience at UM, such as the final audio-visual and applied investigation projects. The seminars were precious moments of encounter with students and professionals of different cultures who share many of the same interests and concerns as our students. During my stay in Portugal, I met other professors at the University of Minho with whom we shared experiences and knowledge of our respective fields of study. We encouraged ourselves to think of joint projects to develop at a distance. The trip to Portugal allowed me to strengthen the bridge that has been built with the University of Minho."

Virginia Whitelaw.

Vicky Whitelaw visited the University of Hertfordshire. She met with the deans of the School of Business, Humanities and Education, Psychology, and the International Business Degree coordinators. She also spoke to the spokespeople of Career Services and the director of International cooperation.

"After almost two years without the possibility of visiting our partner universities, being able to travel to England and get together with deans and course coordinators of the University of Hertfordshire was an excellent experience. This is the beginning of potential joint programs between the University of Hertfordshire and UM."

Pilar Aznárez

Pilar Aznárez also visited the University of Hertfordshire, where she met with coordinators of different areas of the institution to converse about varying themes and create new relationships for the future.

"I believe that the experience of traveling to the United Kingdom through the Erasmus+ Scholarship was an enriching experience for both universities, where dialogue and cultural exchange became the most important topic. Beyond the academic, it was a deep experience at a personal level, and we also had the opportunity to discover new destinations within the United Kingdom."

Nicolás Manfredi.

The coordinator of the translation degree visited the University of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi in Romania, where he met with the academic personnel of the School of Humanities. He exchanged opinions, methodological practices, and resources with several professors of the department of Applied Modern Languages. Among others, Dana Badulescu and Teodora Ghiviriga, Simona Modreanu, and the vice-rector of said faculty, Alin Călin. In turn, he met with Rodica Dimitriu, who visited UM in 2019 and lectured for undergraduates of the Translation degree.

"I would especially like to thank Roxana Vieru, Alina Malanciuc, and Norica Luminiṭa for the warm welcome the UAIC's department of Exterior Relations gave me from my arrival at Iasi, ensuring that the organization of the mobility was impeccable."

Miguel Casanova.

The dean of UM's School of Law also visited the University of Hertfordshire, where he met with several officials. Among these is the director of International Education, Michael Rosier; the associate dean of international recruitment, Elizabeth Kirk; and the director of the Justice Criminology program. He discussed programs, agreements for student exchanges, and concepts to implement at the University of Montevideo.

He also met with the dean of the School of Law, Thomas Dunk, who explained that teaching soft skills and supporting students from day one in preparation for going out into the job market is something in common with the Universidad de Montevideo.

He met the director of the School of Law's clinic, which deals with family matters and opens itself to other areas of Law and reaches out to NGOs and businesses to allow the students to have practice and social service in other areas of Law.

Casanova also traveled to London, where he met with other university professors, among which Rosa Lastra of the University of Queen Mary, to look for an agreement of short-term exchange opportunities for students.