This year UCM International Staff Week attracted 46 participants, from 9 countries and 30 universities in Europe
This year's event was in the spirit of the motto BREATHE. BALANCE. BUILD., which symbolizes the balance between work and personal life, as well as the promotion of mental well-being and the building of international partnerships. Staff Week took place from 27 to 31 October 2025.
"The theme "Breathe. Balance. Build." was chosen because it captures very well the principles of sustainability that are at the core of the Baltic University Programme (BUP), the international network of which we are a member and with which we are also co-organising the event. This idea symbolises the need to slow down, find a balance and grow responsibly not only from an environmental point of view, but also in a personal and institutional dimension," explains Nikoleta Vanková, Head of International Relations.
The organizing team can owe the high and diverse participation to the BUP membership. "At the same time, this year's event brings together a number of events, such as the BIP Staff Week, the National Centre Directors (NCD) meeting and the IRO Network meeting.Each participant comes with a slightly different interest, but together this creates a truly international and multi-layered platform," says Vankova.
The programme focused on wellbeing and collaboration
On Monday, after an introduction by the UCM leadership and a tour of the university campus, a workshop on "The Art of Balance: Preventing Burnout in a Busy World" followed. The thematic focus was on the prevention of burnout syndrome. The evening continued with a tour of the historical centre of Trnava, which offered the foreign guests an authentic view of the beauty of the small city.
On Tuesday, the programme moved into the countryside. The participants took a trip to Smolenice, where they visited the Driny Cave and Smolenice Castle. The theme of the day - BREATHE emphasized the need to stop and recharge. During the day there was also a mead tasting in Medolandia.
Wednesday was marked by the motto BALANCE. The guests visited Piešt'any, where they visited the university departments focusing on physiotherapy and rehabilitation. In the afternoon they enjoyed relaxing in the Piešt'any spa. In parallel, a meeting of the directors of the BUP centres took place, which ended in the evening with a joint dinner.
Thursday's day - BUILD - belonged to the annual meeting of the BUP IRO Network. Discussions and workshops focused on building a network of international departments within the Baltic University Programme, exchanging experiences and developing an action plan for the coming period. The evening was held in a festive atmosphere of a closing dinner.
Friday brought joint reflections, planning for future cooperation and a symbolic closing of the whole week. The participants took away new knowledge, contacts and friendships in the spirit of the motto "BREATHE. BALANCE. BUILD."
International participation and cooperation
International Staff Week was attended by representatives of universities from countries such as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Germany, Ukraine, Estonia, Sweden and Slovakia. The participants appreciated not only the professionally prepared programme, but also the friendly atmosphere and openness of UCM towards new forms of cooperation. "We believe that we managed to prove that sustainability and balance can be achieved even in smaller institutions through creative cooperation, human dimension and common European values," concludes Vanková.
