Faculty of Arts hosted the prestigious Erasmus+ International Mobility: two African universities, new partnerships and bridges between cultures

Published: 18.6.2025

As part of the Erasmus+ 2022-1-SK01-KA171-HED-000069533 project, the Faculty welcomed academic staff from two partner institutions - Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) from Tanzania and Mount Kenya University (MKU) from Kenya. The aim of the mobility was to establish and deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of higher education, research and exchange of experiences.

Expert and strategic meetings: opening the door to cooperation

On 15 May, two initial working meetings were held - with delegations from DUCE and MKU. The DUCE delegation comprised eminent academics Dr Mabula Nkuba, Dr Joel Jonathan Kayombo, Dr Christina Raphael, Dr Joseph Njiku and Dr Cecilia Swai. On behalf of the UCM Faculty of Arts, the meeting was attended by the Dean of the Faculty, Assoc. Mgr. Mariana Sirotová, PhD., Vice-Dean for International Relations doc. PaedDr. Monika Hornáček Banášová, PhD., and the Head of the Department of Pedagogy Mgr. Veronika Michvocíková, PhD.

The representatives of the Faculty of Arts of UCM presented in detail the structure of the faculty, study programmes, the organisational framework of pedagogical training and the possibilities of student and staff mobility. The partners agreed on future scientific and research cooperation, joint publications and exchanges within the framework of doctoral studies.

The MKU delegation was officially welcomed by the Rector of UCM prof. Katarína Slobodová Nováková, PhD., together with Mgr. Pavel Miškařík, PhD., and Mgr. Lukáš Kurajd, PhD. The schedule of the following days, logistics and expectations of the stakeholders were discussed.

Culture as a bridge between continents

The programme was complemented by rich cultural and cognitive activities. Already on 16 May, the delegations visited Beckov Castle, Kláštor pod Skalkou and Čičmany, where they were introduced to Slovak history, architecture and folklore. The next stop was Červený Kamen Castle (19 May), where guests from Tanzania and Kenya could compare cultural differences and parallels between the regions.

At the end of the week, on 23 May, a gastroworkshop was held, offering a tasting of traditional Slovak food and drinks - from bryndza gnocchi, to pirohy, to homemade cakes. Guests appreciated not only the variety of flavours but also the hospitality of the Slovak organisers.

Visits to educational institutions: sharing practice
and experience

In the following days, the partners took part in expert visits to school facilities:

• On May 21, they visited the elementary school with kindergarten Námestie Slov. uč. Tovarišstva, where they got acquainted with the functioning of Slovak primary education. They also took part in an English language lesson, where there was a lively discussion with pupils about life in Africa.

• On 22 May, a visit was made to the Secondary Industrial Technical School in Trnava, where the guests saw the technical equipment of the school and the outputs of practical teaching. Students of the school presented their own technological projects, which was inspiring for the partners.

Summer School: Veda as a universal language

On 22-23 May, the International Summer School of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities - Summer School took place, whose main organizer was Mgr. Pavel Miškařík, PhD., with the support of colleagues from the Faculty of Arts, UCM. The programme featured more than 10 lectures by experts from UCM, MKU, DUCE and Goethe University Frankfurt.

The lectures covered a variety of research methodologies - from challenges in oral history, to political and religious research in Africa, to questions of research ethics. The summer school was attended by colleagues from UCM Faculty of Arts, Charles University, as well as from Kenya and Tanzania.

Expanding collaboration: more faculties, more opportunities

The end of the mobility was in the spirit of connecting other UCM faculties:

• Faculty of Health Sciences - discussions on possible collaboration in physiotherapy and practical teaching.

• Faculty of Mass Media Communication - visit to specialised classrooms, discussion of joint projects in the field of media.

• Faculty of Social Sciences - preliminary agreements to intensify exchange of experts and joint research.

• Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, UCM - planning joint projects in the field of mental health, research on psychological well-being of students and professional staff.

Erasmus+ as a tool for global academic integration

On 28 May, the final meeting with the UCM management took place. Present was the Rector of the University prof. Katarína Slobodová Nováková, PhD., Vice-Rector for Science and Research prof. Ildikó Matušíková, PhD., and representatives of individual departments. Together they evaluated the course of mobility and agreed that the project not only met but exceeded expectations - it brought new partnerships, stimulated the formation of research teams and opened the way for further exchange programmes.

The Erasmus+ project is not only about travel, but above all about the exchange of knowledge, mutual respect and building lasting relationships between academic communities of different countries and continents. UCM Trnava is proud to have been part of this important international dialogue - and is already looking forward to the next steps together.