The GUEST Week provides a platform for exchanging experience, sharing good practices and creating new ideas. This year’s program offers different formats, including information sessions, workshops and round table discussions. The staff training week will not only support the transfer of knowledge but also the strengthening of existing and creation of new cooperation links.

The participants are invited to contribute their own good practice examples related to the topics of the program.

Please note: We organize a staff training week every other year.

Anja Krobath, BA. BA. MA.
+43 316 380 1252
staffmobility(at)uni-graz.at

In 2023, the GUEST Week will take place from Monday, November 27 until Friday, December 1 2023. Attention: Friday, December 1, is for participants funded through Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (i. e. not necessary for other participants). 

The Guest Week will take place at the University of Graz, in Graz/Austria.

Our program addresses staff members from different administrative units. In 2023, the following administrative units at the University of Graz will open their doors to host colleagues, network, and exchange good practices:

• Office of International Relations (IRO)
• Department of Academic Services and the Competence Center for University Teaching
• Doctoral Academy and PostDoc Office
• Research Management Service
• treffpunkt sprachen - Centre for Language, Plurilingualism and Didactics
• Human Resources Department
• University of Graz Library

Regarding costs, there is no participation fee. Participants are encouraged to apply for Erasmus+ Staff Training grants at their home universities.

The application will open on July 14th 2023. Please complete the online application by September 01, 2023. 
Our Data Protection Declaration can be found here.

This year’s program includes different formats, such as information sessions, workshops and round table discussions. You can find a link to the preliminary program here.

The following topics will be addressed:

• Welcome initiatives and services (IRO track only)
• topical issues and the latest trends in the internationalization of higher education, such as green mobility, digitalization, inclusion support and Blended Intensive Programmes (IRO track only)
• European University Alliances such as Arqus
• sharing of good practice examples
• dedicated time for discussions and networking

All administrative units (except IRO):
On Tuesday and Wednesday, an individual program will be arranged by the hosting unit.

Office of International Relations

The general mission of the Office of International Relations is to promote a process of internationalization at the University of Graz. The Office develops and co-ordinates activities and programs to enhance the mobility of students and staff members. It serves as an information center for international relations matters and links the university to institutions of higher education world-wide.

This year’s GUEST Week will tackle topical issues and the latest trends in the internationalization of higher education, which have been introduced with the new Erasmus+ program period, such as green mobility, digitalization, inclusion support and Blended Intensive Programmes. Another focus lies on welcome initiatives and services as well as European University Alliances such as Arqus.

Department of Academic Services & Competence Center for University Teaching

The Department of Academic Services & Competence Center for University Teaching [unfortunately, there is no English website available yet] are related to the Vice Rector for Study and Teaching and deal with topics pertaining to the Bologna Process.

The department offers a wide range of support services for students and for university teachers: student information services, seminars and workshops on academic writing, curricula development and quality assurance in teaching. The Competence Center for University Teaching supports the teaching skills assessment during appointment procedures and provides training and coaching on teaching portfolio development and various aspects of university teaching. 

Doctoral Academy Graz and PostDoc Office of the University of Graz

The University of Graz is committed to the support, further education and training of its early career researchers (PhDs & PostDocs). The Doctoral Academy and the PostDoc Office offer a wide range of services, such as courses and events, as well as newsletters, networking opportunities and coaching.

Research Management

The Research Management Office is the contact point regarding research at the University of Graz. Research Management office provides a comprehensive range of services concerning research funding, project management and financial management of research projects, the preparation of contracts as well as technology and knowledge transfer. Furthermore, it offers support to University’s Fields of Excellence.

Treffpunkt Sprachen

treffpunkt sprachen – Centre for Language, Plurilingualism and Didactics makes it possible to bundle all the language-related activities and course offerings of the University of Graz and to optimize the resulting synergies. The cross-faculty centre acts as a meeting place for all those interested in languages and as a hub for language policy, language documentation and language didactic initiatives. The centre’s twin focus on teaching and research is a result of its close ties to the university. The wide range of courses includes language and specialized courses as well as the training and certification of language teachers. In the field of research, treffpunkt sprachen is responsible for initiating and developing research cooperation within the university as well as with external institutions and carrying out bilateral research projects, thus contributing significantly to increasing plurilingualism in Austria. The departments of teaching (language courses) and research (plurilingualism and didactics) will open their doors to interested incoming staff members.

HR Department

The HR department is the central point for all relevant information about staff members’ working contracts with the University of Graz. We regard it as our responsibility to accompany members of staff in all work-related questions. An extensive range of services is available to staff members; amongst others, a form catalogue containing the most important documents for downloading.

HR development and management also are part of the HR department. By targeted development of CEO programmes and training in different contexts, we make a major contribution to motivating our members of staff.

In addition to personnel administration, there are other areas in personnel and organizational development that support individual employees in their careers and accompany the organization as a whole in change processes (e.g.: onboarding, continuing education, leadership development, dual career service, new working models, counselling).

The University Library of Graz

The University of Graz and its library belong to Styria's most important cultural and educational institutions. It is a library with universal standards, scientific orientation, and a social function. Our mission and strategy as a modern library is to make knowledge publicly available. The library provides research support services and resources for the academic staff at the University of Graz. As a "hybrid library", we enable access to electronic resources as well as conserving and preserving printed literature and our special collections. Our main tasks for future development are preserving the cultural heritage of our region while maintaining sustainability and open access in a digital society.

The focus of the GUEST week’s library track lies on the following 3 areas:

• Publication Services:
  The library department Publication Services provide information and support on a wide range of topics pertaining to scholarly communication. Its portfolio of topics for personal consultations and regular workshops includes: open access, funding, visibility and bibliometrics as well as quality aspects in scholarly publishing, including Predatory Publishing.
   

• The Special Collections Department:
  The Special Collections Department is responsible for the preservation, access and scientific investigation of historic books and manuscripts in its holdings. With its quarter of a million items ranging from 3rd century BC papyri to 20th century rare books, it opens its readers to a remarkable font of historic sources and knowledge. The Special Collections Department promotes excellence and values motivation and drive in its staff and users. It is professional, productive and reliable by offering its holdings to all users and instilling a sense of curiosity and enthusiasm in others.

  The collection comprises about 2,200 manuscripts, 1,100 incunables (early printed books), 13,000 early 16th century printed books, 200,000 17th and 18th century books and several thousands of 20th century material including rare publishers’ bindings, prints, drawings and maps. The Special Collections also includes a large number of bequests that contain invaluable material including numerous glass plate negatives, photographs and archival material.

  The department operates with a staff of about twenty people and is divided into different units: a spacious state-of-the-art book conservation atelier; a well-established and highly equipped digitization studio, a cataloguing section and Vestigia (Lat. “traces”) – the Manuscript Research Centre dedicated to the study of our written heritage.

  The Special Collections Department strives to create a warm and friendly culture by being inspirational and leaving a positive impact on others. Our vision is ultimately to allow books to illuminate our lives and those of others.

• The Management of Electronic Resources: How the Kooperation E-Medien Österreich (Austrian Academic Library Consortium) manages Electronic Resources
  Electronic resource management (ERM) is the practices and techniques used by librarians to track the selection, acquisition, licensing, access, maintenance, usage, evaluation, retention, etc. of a library's electronic information resources. In Austria, scientific libraries negotiate and administrate the acquisition of large databases and extensive Read and Publish Deals together in consortia within the Austrian Academic Library Consortium (KEMÖ).