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LSU International Relations Officer Justė Knatauskaitė together with other 22 participants has attended the Blended Intensive Programme for staff at Charles University in Prague. It was an excellent opportunity to analyse and take good practices in the field of four Erasmus+ priorites: inclusion and diversity, environmental protection, digital transformation, and participation in democratic life.

Charles University hosted an intensive training focused on priorities of the Erasmus+ program and their integration into mobilities and international experiences. Specifically, the training addressed four key themes: inclusion and diversity, sustainability, digitalization, and participation, i.e. civic engagement. The training was coordinated by the European Office of the International Relations Department, with contributions to the program also made by staff from CU Point, Central Library and several faculties. A total of 23 participants from 13 countries and 19 universities across Europe took part. In most cases, these were strong Erasmus+ partners of Charles University and highly popular destinations for both students and staff.

“Erasmus+ priorities are key values for Charles University, and I am pleased that so many international colleagues are interested in these important topics together with us,” emphasized Tereza Pospíšilová, a member of the Rector’s Board responsible for social responsibility, at the opening of the program.

The week-long training took the form of a so-called Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), one of the fastest-developing innovations within Erasmus+. It enables the creation of innovative educational programs for students and staff that combine virtual and physical components. During the online component of this BIP, participants had the opportunity to share approaches to Erasmus+ priorities at their home institutions, and these perspectives were then further developed during an intensive week at Charles University, when each day was dedicated to an in-depth exploration of one Erasmus+ priority.

Within the topic of inclusion and diversity, international colleagues were introduced to the Carolina Centre, which serves as the central unit for supporting students with special needs and fewer opportunities at Charles University. The Resilience Centre, established in 2024, contributes to strengthening resilience as a complex and progressive competence. International participants were particularly impressed by the range of support services provided by both centers, as well as by preventive measures that significantly contribute to making mobility an overall positive experience for students. From Jana Kočí (Faculty of Education), participants learned how to take care of wellbeing during mobility periods, when the risk of psychological difficulties increases due to uprooting and entry into a new environment. Together with Klára Daďová and Ilona Pavlová (Faculty of Physical Education and Sport), international colleagues had the opportunity to try out specific activities offered within adapted physical education courses – handbike, tandem cycling for the visually impaired, curling, and boccia. They also received valuable advice on how to motivate students with physical disabilities to participate in mobility abroad.

Within the topic of sustainability, the activities of the Sustainable Development Office were presented, in which international Erasmus+ students are also actively involved, whether through building insect hotels, creating birdhouses, activities for Earth Day, or the “Do práce na kole!” (“Bike to Work!”) challenge. Following a presentation on how to engage as many Erasmus+ students as possible in sustainability, a pub quiz tested the newly acquired knowledge and sparked a competitive spirit among participants. The focus on green matters continued with a presentation of results of the international KA2 project, Sustainable Erasmus Travel (SET).

The project’s main coordinator at Charles University, Petra Šmídová (European Office of the International Relations Department), presented the steps taken during the project to increase students’ motivation to choose environmentally friendly modes of transport to their Erasmus+ destinations. These include train, bus, bicycle, or shared car travel. Thanks to its involvement in the project, Charles University was able to conduct a number of focus groups and subsequently develop a questionnaire on sustainable mobility, which was then distributed across Europe. Based on the outputs, the main barriers discouraging potential participants from choosing environmentally friendly transport modes were identified. So-called factsheets and connectivity reports mapping train connections between the most sought-after Erasmus+ destinations in Europe were also developed. In 2025, a competition for the most interesting experience with sustainable travel was announced as well, and three Charles University students excelled in the winter round!

Participants experienced the priority of digitalization in practice during a presentation by Lukáš Hejtmánek (Faculty of Humanities) on the use of virtual reality to support student wellbeing. This was followed by a contribution from Lucie Dorážková (Central Library), during which participants shared practices in the field of electronic information resources and the availability of digitized materials in university libraries. An introduction to working with the UKAŽ search tool, widely used by Erasmus students coming to Charles University, was also valuable for partners.

During the afternoon part of the program, Jelizaveta Getta (European Office, CU Rectorate) prepared an interactive workshop on organizing Blended Intensive Programs, with an emphasis on effectively linking their virtual and physical components. During the workshop, colleagues learned what to pay attention to when organizing a BIP, how to best incorporate these programs into internationalization strategies, and how to assess their quality and ensure their sustainability. As another digitalization initiative, participants were introduced to the project Digitising Academic Catalogues for Enhanced Mobility (DACEM), which aims to create a shared platform of courses offered to Erasmus+ students across participating universities.

The final day was dedicated to the priority of participation and civic engagement. Nikola Horáková (European Office of the International Relations Office) spoke about ways of involving international exchange students in student life activities so that their stay at Charles University would have not only academic but also cultural value. Tips and strategies on how to integrate extracurricular activities into the mobility of medical students were shared by Marika Bendová using the example of the Third Faculty of Medicine – among other things, she revealed how she manages to achieve 100% interest in the Buddy program. A student perspective on civic engagement was provided by Adéla Wagnerová, President of the university section of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN CU Prague), who focused in her presentation particularly on opportunities for cooperation between ESN and university international offices.

In addition to the educational component, international colleagues also had the opportunity to take part in a rich accompanying program, which included a visit to the Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Science, a guided tour of the Carolinum, a joint welcome dinner featuring traditional Czech cuisine, and a visit to Kampus Hybernská.

This training built on the tradition of staff BIPs organized annually by the European Office of the International Relations Office. Each of these initiatives represents an excellent opportunity for sharing know-how, exchanging practical examples, jointly discussing new ideas, and above all spending time together on developing key matters of the Erasmus+ program. In the past, BIPs on sustainable mobility and inclusion in Erasmus+ have taken place. Both programs were nominated for the Czech National Agency (DZS) Award and advanced to the final selection.

TEXT: Jelizaveta Getta
PHOTO: European Office of the International Relations Department