The 2^nd DUTH International Staff Week was held with physical presence from 3 to 7 October 2022, in Thrace, in the cities of Alexandroupolis, Komotini and Xanthi.

The event, organised as part of the implementation of Erasmus+ programme, in collaboration with Europe Direct Eastern Macedonia Thrace, hosted administrative and faculty staff from 12 Universities of 9 countries (Egypt, Albania, Bulgaria, France, Estonia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Uzbekistan). 

The 2^nd DUTH International Staff Week aimed to offer training to administrative and academic staff from partner Universities or potential partners of DUTH as well as to offer opportunities for networking and international collaborations.

During the week, participants had the opportunity to visit the facilities/campuses of Democritus University of Thrace in the cities of Alexandroupolis, Komotini and Xanthi where representatives of each Faculty presented the academic curricula and research profiles of their Departments; the participants had also the opportunity to introduce themselves and showcase the Universities they represent.

Interactive workshops, namely “Motivation, emotions & performance” for the administrative staff and “Working with digital tools in the hybrid era” and “Advancing Inclusion and Diversity in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education” for academic staff were organized. Mr. Filippos Koumpounis and Ms. Elina Mavrogiorgou, representatives of the Erasmus+ Hellenic National Agency / IKY, presented the novel international cooperation opportunities between HEIs under the new Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027 as well as the implementation guidelines for inclusion and diversity strategy. Participants were able to interact and set out queries that were put up for discussion.

In the cultural context of the 2^nd DUTH International Staff Week, participants attended a crash course in Greek language and a lesson of Greek – Thracian traditional dancing. They got acquainted with the local history through guided tours in four cities and museums (Ethnological Museum of Thrace in Alexandroupolis, Karatheodori museum in Komotini, Folklore and History Museum of Xanthi, The Silk Μuseum in Soufli,) and tasted local food delicacies. 

Through the event the participants gained valuable knowledge and enhancement of their skills, whilst Democritus University of Thrace has increased its visibility at an international level. At the same time, the event was an excellent opportunity to build and develop trust and understanding with its partners, strengthen existing partnerships and to establish new ones. 

Follow the link https://duthstaffweek.enaevents.gr/index.php to visit the webpage of the event and https://www.facebook.com/erasmus.duth where you can gain access to photos.