Autor: Magda Zajączkowska

This visit to the German university partner (HSW) was the second opportunity for networking between ENVISAGE partners, with the aim of bringing together BBU representatives (Dr. Gábor Andrási, International Director, Andrea Csathó, Education Development Officer and Attila Bősz, Moodle Support Officer, on behalf of the Training and Development Office, Norbert Süli, IT Specialist, Application Operations Office and Nikoletta Barka, Head of the Sports Office) to get to know each other’s potential and to contribute to the enrichment of their economic, social and societal environment by using the synergy of their intellectual capacities and the balanced development of knowledge spaces.

In the context of training development, the main lessons of the two-day exchange programme on teaching and student support methods were the following:

• Among the facilities visited on the HSW campus, the ICT studio was of particular interest, as the possibility for trainers to compile and record course material will be introduced in the coming years as part of the methodological innovation needed in the 21st century at BBU. During the meeting, Michael Schleicher, Vice Rector of HSW, presented in detail the teaching and methodological principles of HSW and assured BBU colleagues of their commitment to future collaborations that will support the implementation of BBU’s internationalisation strategy.
• A meeting was also held with some of the leading trainers of HSW’s outsourced training in Rostock, and BBU colleagues participated in seminars for international students, observing the methodology, the use of tools, and student behaviour and group dynamics.
• During the visit, the BBU participants also had the opportunity to visit the Maritime Simulation Centre in Warnemünde, which was built for the education and training of maritime personnel (ship officers) and provides an excellent base for research and development.
• In the field of IT applications, colleagues exchanged experiences on the infrastructure, difficulties and solutions in daily work. The German colleagues gave a briefing on the structure of the departments, teachers’ attitudes towards online education and the impact of the German federal data protection legislation. They described video production to support distance learning, which helps teachers to produce high-quality, up-to-date e-learning materials.
• To deepen the cooperation in the field of sport, two areas were focused on: people-centred innovation and dedicated services to society and support for development through mass and seamless mobility (physical, virtual or hybrid mobility) of students, faculty and staff. The BBU representative was able to gain a better insight into German university sport life during the visit, and to learn about the academic and competitive system at HSW.