An open, welcoming culture at universities: Erasmus+ Staff Week at the TH Lübeck
How can universities create an open, welcoming culture for new students, employees, teachers and researchers? What special needs do international university members have, and how can we ensure that all areas of a university are actively involved in this process? An international group of participants addressed these questions during the Erasmus+ Staff Week at the Lübeck University of Applied Sciences from May 4th to 8th, 2026.
International cooperation in the new BIP format
For the first time, the Staff Week was designed as an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program (BIP) – in cooperation with the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Stettin (Poland) and the EIGSI La Rochelle Engineering School (France). Colleagues from several countries came together to exchange experiences, discuss challenges and jointly develop new perspectives on a modern welcoming culture.
Technical input and practical insights
The program offered a varied mix of lectures, workshops and excursions. The human resources department and international office at TH Lübeck provided insights into their work and presented strategies on how universities can best support new members. Support offers such as the Euraxess Initiative were presented and shown how France is doing so Bienvenue en France-Label has set quality standards for universities. A design thinking workshop at Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA enabled participants to develop creative solutions to real-world challenges. In addition, a tour of the Welcome Center Hamburg showed what professional support for international specialists looks like in practice.
Exchange in the Hanseatic city
Informal exchange was also not neglected. During a city tour of Lübeck and a boat trip to Travemünde, the participants had the opportunity to deepen conversations, expand networks and initiate new collaborations. These encounters in particular made it clear how important personal connections are for a lively welcoming culture.