Örebro brings together educators from across Europe – providing new perspectives on education

“It’s very rewarding to see how others in higher education work, especially beyond Sweden’s borders. Meeting people with different experiences gives you a broader perspective, which is one of the big benefits of NEOLAiA,” says Stefan Karlsson, educational developer at the Centre for Academic Development and the course’s lead facilitator.

The challenge of cross-border collaboration 

Bringing together people from different countries presents challenges, including language barriers and unreliable internet connections during digital meetings.

“We have two Ukrainian participants from a war-torn area near the Russian border. That’s when you realise that not everyone has the same opportunity to participate as we do here in Örebro,” says Stefan Karlsson.

Opportunity for new perspectives 

The NEOLAiA education alliance is a consortium of nine European higher education institutions, including Örebro University. Last year, three universities within the alliance co-organised a joint course. This year, Örebro will host the initiative, with universities outside the alliance invited to participate. Five digital meetings will be held, during which participants from eleven higher education institutions will discuss pedagogy across a range of themes. The course concludes with a joint week in Örebro.

“With a course like this, participants have different aims and expectations, but we want to offer Örebro University’s teachers the opportunity to exchange experiences and encounter diverse perspectives,” says Stefan Karlsson.

The course will engage 55 participants, including eight from Örebro University.

More than just an educational exchange

The webinars are informative and focused on learning. During the in-person meetings, participants can network in a different way.

“You could say the course is also a social and cultural exchange. In part, it’s about experiencing how higher education works in other parts of Europe, and about travelling to another university town, meeting new colleagues and socialising,” explains Stefan Karlsson.

At the same time, it is emphasised that the main purpose is the exchange of knowledge between the universities.