Dr. Yuriy Kotsyuk, Ostroh Academy National University, Ukraine
1. Your personal data (teaching/training staff: name, surname/ position/ department/ home university)
Yuriy Kotsyuk (Yurii Kotsiuk)/ PhD in Psychology, Senior teacher/ Department of Economic-Mathematical Modeling and Information Technologies/ Ostroh Academy National University
2. Which activity did you participate in (student mobility for studies, staff mobility for teaching, staff mobility for training)?
Staff mobility for training
3. Why did you decide to apply in the Erasmus+ programme?
I was hoping to find a way of the joint research projects, get useful experience in the educational process and share my own, to consider joint scientific publications.
4. Your personal experience/what did you like about your mobility/what did you gain thanks to it?
I slightly changed in to positive my mind concerning the publication of scientific articles in European magazines and found potential partners for the joint scientific projects. I greatly improved my English and learned a little Polish, met with Polish culture. I practiced giving lectures to foreign students.
5. Why would you recommend it to others?
This is a good chance to expand their horizons, make new friends and colleagues to gain invaluable experience, meet new culture.
Prof. Dr. Schuyler S. Korban, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
1. Your personal data (teaching/training staff: name, surname/ position/ department/ home university)
Prof. Dr. Schuyler S. Korban, Vice Provost, Office of Global Programs, University of Massachusetts Boston
2. Which activity did you participate in (student mobility for studies, staff mobility for teaching, staff mobility for training)?
Staff mobility for training
3. Why did you decide to apply in the Erasmus+ programme?
This is a great program and it is a wonderful opportunity to learn first-hand about our partner institution, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, including their international relations operations and offices, academic programs, and appreciate the opportunities for interaction and engagement.
4. Your personal experience/what did you like about your mobility/what did you gain thanks to it?
This mobility program has been exceptional. Our partner institution, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, has exceptional staff that lead and run the Office of International Relations. The office is clearly highly engaged in planning, organizing, and executing various programmatic activities pertaining to international partnerships and relationships. The Erasmus+ Coordinator, Mr. Tomasz Kostecki, also Head of the International Exchange Section is superb. He has planned a great training program for me, and allowed me to meet and interact with relevant key individuals, including administrators, faculty, and staff, that provided me with an excellent overview of the history as well as aspirations of KUL, and to appreciate the goals and core values of the institution, and learn about efforts in promoting student mobility and student experiences, faculty exchanges and collaboration, as well as opportunities for building longer-lasting relationships and interactions. Meetings with the Head of the Office of International Relations, Mr. Zdzisław Cieszkowski, was extremely valuable, as he is highly supportive of this this exchange and mobility program, as well as my interactions and meetings with all other members of this office as well as other staff in the Internaitonal Exchange section were important and valuable. I was truly impressed by all the staff of these offices. Moreover, I was highly impressed with our partner institution, and with all
the administrators and faculty that I engaged with as our conversations were very informative and promsied to serve as a prelude to further productive engagement and interaction.
5. Why would you recommend it to others?
Absolutely! This is a terrific program, and our partner institution, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, is engaged in strong academic and research programs, and I am highly supportive of building a strong relationship with KUL. I am also very grateful and thankful for my hosts, and in particular the Coordinator of the ERASMUS+ and Head of the International Exchange Office for an exceptional program. Congratulations on offering a first-rate program!
Shorena Parunashvili, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani Teaching University (Georgia)
- Your personal data (teaching/training staff: name, surname/ position/ department/ home university)
Shorena Parunashvili, Public relations office, responsible for public and international relations at Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani Teaching University (Tbilisi, Georgia)
- Which activity did you participate in (staff mobility for teaching, staff mobility for training)?
I have participated in staff mobility for training
- Why did you decide to apply in the Erasmus+ programme?
The main reason I took part in the Erasmus+ programme was to acquire knowledge and gain practical skills relevant for my current job, which will be helpful for my home University. Erasmus+ program is very good opportunity to build up new contacts and reinforce the cooperation with Partner University.
- Your personal experience/what did you like about your mobility/what did you gain thanks to it?
I have visited KUL for first time and it was full of impressions for me. First all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the team of International Relations Office of KUL, especially main coordinator of the Erasmus+ programme, Mr. Tomasz Kostecki and Mrs. Katarzyna Stępień. The week I spent there was very interesting and fruitful. Thanks to well organized program, I met a lot of people from different offices, who were open and very friendly to share their experience to me. I have learned from them good practices and gained practical skills relevant for my current job and professional development, which will be very useful for me and for my sending university as well.
- Why would you recommend it to others?
I strongly recommend to others to participate in Erasmus+ program and if it is possible, to cooperate with KUL, they really will get lot of new good practice/experience from professional’s team and spend time in very friendly environment.
Valentina Ciumacenco, Free International University of Moldova (Moldova)
1.Your personal data (teaching/training staff: name, surname/ position/ department/ home university)
Valentina Ciumacenco, Head of the Centre for International Cooperation, Free International University of Moldova (ULIM)
2.Which activity did you participate in (staff mobility for teaching, staff mobility for training)?
Staff mobility for training
3.Why did you decide to apply in the Erasmus+ programme?
Erasmus has been and remains a key factor in the internationalisation and "Europeanisation" of higher education in the EU. The Erasmus programme stands out as one of the most concrete and popular examples of the progress achieved during over fifty years of European integration.
I was happy to find out that I have the privilege to visit our partner institution, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, under Erasmus + programme, thus, being given the opportunity to interact with Polish colleagues from the International Office, to obtain international experience, and to contribute to the strengthening of academic and cultural collaboration between the EU and Eastern European partners.
4.Your personal experience/what did you like about your mobility/what did you gain thanks to it?
I have gained quite a lot of insight into the simarities and differences between the higher education systems from Poland and the Republic of Moldova.
At John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, I gain valuable experience about administration and management of the international mobility programs. Based on the experience acquired under this program, I am convinced that some improvements in my home university could be made in the future in terms of management, organization and implementation of the mobility scheme.
I have enjoyed also a rich cultural programme of acquaintance with Lublin thanks to the generous hospitality granted by the KUL colleagues.
I am convinced that this experience of fruitful cooperation between our universities will inspire us to continue an efficient dialogue on all issues of concern and that our collaborative relations will be further enriched with new academic ideas and initiatives.
- Why would you recommend it to others?
Erasmus has developed beyond just being an educational programme. It gives many European university students, lecturerers and staff members the chance of living for the first time in a foreign country, and it has reached the status of a social and cultural phenomenon. It is an excellent example of what coordinated European action in the field of education can achieve and it embodies the belief that concerted European action has a larger added value than the sum of excellent independent initiatives.
It was an immense pleasure for me to visit KUL thanks to Erasmus + programme and I am convinced that the recipients of the mobility scholarships attending this institution had the most intellectually, socially and personally rewarding experience that would otherwise have not have occurred.
Working, teaching or conducting research in a different environment represents new and rewarding challenges. Interacting with new professional contacts, it offers a perspective on your standing as a scholar, teacher or administrator in a global community.
Prof. Yaroslav Redkva, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University (Ukraine)
1. Your personal data (teaching/training staff: name, surname/ position/ department/ home university)
Yaroslav Redkva, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Vice Dean, Research and International Relations; Head, Center for Slavic Studies, Philology Faculty; Polish Programmes and Erasmus+ Senior Coordinator at International Relations Office, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University (Ukraine).
2. Which activity did you participate in (staff mobility for teaching, staff mobility for training)?
Staff mobility for training
3. Why did you decide to apply in the Erasmus+ programme?
As Polish Programmes and Erasmus+ Senior Coordinator at International Relations Office at my home university, I had to take part in one of the European Union Universities that take part in Erasmus+ programme to implement the same measures in my home university so that our students and professors could take part in the programme.
4. Your personal experience/what did you like about your mobility/what did you gain thanks to it?
At John Paul II Catholic University of Liublin, I gain positive experience about all programmes of Erasmus+ both for professors’ and students’ mobilities. I really liked a wonderful work of International Office at KUL, and specifically I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Tomasz Kostecki, Head of International Exchange Section of International Relations Office at university and his colleague Katarzyna Stępień.
I had a number of meetings at the Institute of Slavic Philology (Dr. Albert Nowacki), Director of Office of University Development and Research Support (Dr. Tomasz Sieniow), Section for Foreign Students Services, (Dr. Witalij Rosowski), Department of Polish (Dr. hab. Henryk Duda, Department Head), Director of School of Polish Language and Culture (Director Cezary Ruta), Coordinator of Eastern European Universities Network (Professor Marcin Szewczak), and others for which I am very grateful. These people are very qualified professionals and it was my pleasure to speak to them.
5. Why would you recommend it to others?
Erasmus+ is a wonderful opportunity for both students and professors from EU and non-EU countries to visit and exchange their experiences, their syllabi, and do joint research, and, of course, learn about the culture and language of the country they visit. In my opinion KUL is the university that can integrate and implement the European programmes, including Erasmus+, and that is why it is duly called “Gate to the East”. This positive experience I shall implement in my university.
