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Capacity building for higher education institutions
Attention to learning and teaching (L&T) has increased in recent years, both at European higher education institutions (HEIs) and in European policy making. To enhance L&T, adequate staff development practices and approaches are needed, as well as recognition for teachers to continuously improve, through academic assessment and career paths. Across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the responsibility for organising staff development mostly lies with the institutions themselves.
Against this background, the ‘Staff development for learning and teaching at European universities’ (STAFF-DEV) project was launched in 2024. STAFF-DEV aims to analyse how staff development and academic assessment are conducted at European HEIs and to strengthen institutional capacity and strategies in this regard. Led by EUA in consortium with four universities from across Europe, the project is funded under the Erasmus+ programme of the European Commission.
As part of its activities, STAFF-DEV offers a series of four masterclasses in 2025 and 2026, aimed at building and reinforcing HEIs’ capacity to offer insightful staff development opportunities, as well as embed it into a broader institutional framework for learning and teaching. Applications for the second masterclass are now open.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
STAFF-DEV masterclasses will invite the participants to disconnect from their daily work and usual environment, in a retreat-like activity. Each masterclass will bring together a group of approx. 20 participants from different HEIs for a 2.5 day in-person event, hosted at one of the partner institutions.
The event will offer a mix of lectures by keynote speakers (researchers and highly recognised practitioners), and small group work with peers. Self-reflection will be encouraged throughout the event. As an outcome, each participating institution will be asked to design a possible action plan for their institution, to be discussed and tested back home – building on takeaways from the masterclass.
In addition to the on-site event, the project partners will offer a follow-up online workshop, to be held about two months after each masterclass (dates will be coordinated with and communicated to the participants of each masterclass separately).
The second masterclass will explore current knowledge on expertise development in educational leadership and educational scholarship, as well as how universities can support this growth.
Educational leadership and educational scholarship are advanced teaching responsibilities, pivotal to driving quality enhancement and innovation in university education. Both require additional competencies that extend beyond basic university teaching competencies in the areas of delivery, design, and assessment of student learning.
Drawing on practical examples, the masterclass will examine leadership and scholarship as mutually reinforcing and pivotal pursuits for those aspiring to an academic career with a focus on education. Participants will be guided to articulate an evidence-informed vision and create a concrete action plan to promote educational leadership and scholarship within their own institutions.
This masterclass is particularly relevant for institutions with an established culture of learning and teaching enhancement who aspire to further advance the capacity of their staff for educational leadership and scholarship.
Applications for the second masterclass are open from 21 March 2025 to 16 May 2025.
Provisional programme
Day 1 – 8/10/2025
9:00 Welcome and introductions
11:00 Keynote: Expertise development for university teachers in educational leadership and educational scholarship
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Getting to know the host institution
14:30 Group work
15:45 Coffee break
16:00 Individual reflection
17:00 Free time
19:00 Dinner
Day 2 – 9/10/2025
9:00 Keynote: How to foster educational leadership: support programmes and institutional culture
10:00 Group work
14:00 Keynote: How to foster educational scholarship: support programmes and institutional culture
15:00 Coffee break
15:20 Interim summary with peers
16:30 Individual reflection
Day 3 – 10/10/2025
9:00 Panel discussion
10:30 Group discussion
11:30 Coffee break
11:50 Individual reflection
12:40 Closing
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Cultural event (optional)
To ensure high quality interactions and in-depth reflections, each masterclass will gather up to 20 participants. The target audience is senior institutional representatives with responsibilities in developing and organising staff development and enhancing learning and teaching at the institutions (e.g. institutional leadership, directors of learning and teaching centres) from across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). This call is open only for institutions that are EUA members.
The selection will be made according to the following criteria:
If there is high demand, priority will be given to institutions that have not previously participated in another masterclass. There can be only one participant selected per institution per masterclass.
Selected participants must commit to actively taking part in the relevant masterclass and the follow-up online workshop (including writing of the action plan, its implementation or preliminary outcomes).
There is no participation fee for the events. Selected participants will take part on a self-funded basis and will be responsible for organising and covering their own travel and accommodation expenses. STAFF-DEV will cover the costs of joint meals (lunches, coffee breaks, and dinner) during the events. If relevant, participants should liaise with their home university’s international office to enquire about potential support, for instance via staff mobility schemes under the Erasmus+ programme.
To apply, please fill in this application form by 16 May 2025. Applicants will be informed by 30 May 2025 whether their application has been successful.
If you have any questions, please contact gohar.hovhannisyan@eua.eu.
