International Staff Week 2026

Internationalisation in higher education is often associated with mobility programmes, International Offices and bilateral partnerships. In the context of a European University alliance such as PIONEER, however, internationalisation concerns also the way international perspectives, mobility opportunities, global competences, staff engagement and alliance cooperation are embedded across the institution.

The workshop starts from the idea that internationalisation can be used strategically as an instrument for institutional development. Mobility, international cooperation and alliance-based formats can contribute to curriculum development, competence building, inclusion, institutional learning and a more internationally oriented university culture. The question is therefore not only how to organise international activities, but how to make them relevant for the institution as a whole.

We invite you to contribute your perspectives and practices related to:

• Internationalisation of the Curriculum
  How can international, intercultural and global perspectives be embedded in curricula, modules and learning outcomes? How can formats such as COILs, BIPs, virtual exchange, blended mobility or challenge-based learning contribute to curriculum internationalisation?

• Staff mobility and competence development
  How can mobility and international cooperation support the competence development of teaching staff and professional staff? What incentives, formats or support structures are needed to involve staff beyond International Offices and to make internationalisation relevant for their everyday work?
• Inclusive student mobility
  How can mobility opportunities be made more accessible to underrepresented student groups? What barriers exist, and which measures can help broaden participation in physical, blended or virtual mobility?
• Internationalisation as lived institutional culture
  How can internationalisation become part of everyday institutional practice and culture? How can leadership, services, communication, peer networks and alliance cooperation help embed internationalisation across the institution?

We are particularly interested in successful efforts, as well as initiatives that faced challenges or did not develop as expected, as these can provide valuable insights.

Across Europe and beyond, graduates are entering a labour market marked by uncertainty, rapid transformation, and rising expectations. Traditional career pathways are shifting, and students increasingly require structured guidance, practical experience, and strong professional networks to successfully transition from studies to employment.

This interactive workshop invites participants to explore how higher education institutions can strengthen career readiness, both embedded within curricula and through complementary services such as Career Centers.

BFH will contribute insights into:

• Career consulting: a cross-institutional collaboration between the universities in Bern
• The "Career Booster" program
• Student-organized career fairs

We invite you to contribute your perspectives and practices related to:

• Career Services (e.g. counselling, coaching, CV checks, workshops)
• Career fairs, job platforms, and digital tools
• Embedding employability in curricula and study programmes
• Collaboration with employers, alumni, and external partners
• Inter-university cooperation and shared services
• Novel formats addressing labour market uncertainty

In line with its strategy, BFH aims to position itself as a committed university deeply embedded in society, actively shaping social transformation. It seeks to do so particularly in three urgent social issues: sustainable development, humane digital transformation, and a caring society. For this to succeed, a corresponding corporate culture is needed. How do we foster such a culture and get everyone on board?

BFH will provide insights into three different perspectives:

• The "Nachhaltigkeit erleben" ("Experience Sustainability") initiative and the Climate Roadmap 2030 illustrate how BFH aims to foster a cultural shift toward a more sustainable mindset through small, incremental steps. For example in the area of commuter mobility or food there are several initiatives to inform and raise awareness, some involving students.
• Growing digital‑sovereignty requirements are prompting BFH to reduce reliance on major U.S. cloud and software vendors and to pilot open‑source alternatives. We will focus on the cultural shift required across three levels:
  • Technology & governance: data residency, vendor lock‑in, auditability.
  • Operations: IT architecture, security, procurement.
  • Workforce: new skills, role changes, retraining needs.
• As part of our engagement with the BFH as a Caring Institution, we explore meanings of and needs for care in the realms of research, teaching and university administration and services.

In the workshop, we seek concrete examples from other universities—whether implemented, ongoing, or planned—of initiatives that foster a meaningful cultural shift among staff and, where relevant, students. We are interested in both successful efforts and those that faced challenges or failed, as these often provide equally valuable insights.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Leadership & alignment
  What specific leadership actions or decisions were most effective in aligning departments—and where did you encounter resistance?
• Culture change in practice
  Which concrete intervention (policy, incentive, ritual, or communication practice) had the biggest impact on shifting everyday behavior?
• Measuring progress
  What indicators or evaluation practices proved genuinely meaningful (rather than performative) in tracking culture change?
• Administrative processes & trade-offs
  Which processes had to be redesigned to support sustainability, care, or digital transformation—and what trade-offs did you face?
• Learning from challenges
  What didn’t work as expected, and what would you do differently if you started again?