Due to the long wine-growing history, the Caucasus region and the Western Balkans have been selected as a priority region in Hochschule Geisenheim University’s internationalization strategy. Besides collaborating in the field of wine business, viticulture and enology, the university has also established cooperation projects with a number of universities in the fields of cultural heritage, nature conservation and landscape development.
The International Staff Week is funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union. Since 2015, the university has been successfully raising Erasmus funds for student, faculty and staff exchanges with countries outside the EU. Almost 200 stays abroad have already been organized with the 14 Erasmus partner universities in Eastern Europe.
The 5-day training week provided a perfect setting for personal encounters, sharing experiences in workshops, discussing further cooperation opportunities and getting to know the study and research priorities of the university.
The International Staff Week was opened by University President Prof. Hans Reiner Schultz, followed by a “speed dating” to get to know each other. At the beginning of the week, the group visited Kloster Eberbach, the former Cistercian abbey near Eltville. In the following days, the participants took part in interactive workshops on international topics, attended lectures and wine tastings, and learned more about Hochschule Geisenheim University’s different research projects. In the evenings, the unique atmosphere of the University Cellar provided the perfect setting to reflect on the day and socialize. A trip to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage Site rounded off the program. The week ended with a wrap-up session where participants were able to reflect and take stock of the week's events. “We received very positive feedback“, says Sonja Thielemann, Head of the International Office. “After three years of travel restrictions due to the pandemic, the participants finally had the opportunity to get to know the university, to intensify contacts with the faculty and to discuss further cooperation possibilities. Overall, the Staff Week has contributed significantly to strengthening the cooperation with our eastern partner universities in the long term. Mutual visits are the best way to achieve this.”
