The International Staff Week within "Erasmus+" Programme was organized by the Department of International Relations at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra (Portugal) from 5th to 9th June 2017. Founded in 1290, it is the oldest university in the country and one of the oldest in the world. With its population around 25 000 students, nowadays the University is among the major educational and scientific research centres of Portugal.
Representatives of the departments of international relations and the coordination offices of "Erasmus+" Programme to the medical faculties of the universities of Bari and Siena (Italy), Würzburg (Germany), Ljubljana and Maribor (Slovenia), Swansea (United Kingdom), Prague (Czech republic), Semmelweis (Hungary), Vilnius (Lithuania), Madrid (Spain) and Copenhagen (Denmark) took part in the workshops.
The International Staff Week was opened by Prof. Duarte Nuno Vieira – Dean, Prof. Américo Figueiredo – Vice-Dean for International Relations and Prof. Marilia Dourado – Erasmus Coordinator of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Coimbra. The international guests visited the Faculty of Medicine, the Rectorate and the Students' Health Centre in the old city as well as the newly built faculties of medicine, dental medicine and pharmacy, the new library and the incubator for scientific research next to the University Hospital in Coimbra. The programme of the International Staff Week included the presentation of the institutions and their mobility for teachers, students and postgraduates. Meetings were also held with the Medicine Student Network and the "Erasmus" Student Network who shared their experience as incoming and outgoing students of the faculties of medicine. In the group discussions, the participants talked about the students' integration during their mobility periods, problems with the administration and signing of the learning agreements and traineeships, the organization and administration of clinical rotations, the awarding and recognition of ECTS credits, communication between the faculties and the university hospitals.
Medical University "Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov" – Varna was represented by Aneta Dokova, PhD – Head of the Department of International Relations and Silvana Dobreva – Administrative Coordinator for "Erasmus+" Programme who acquainted their colleagues with the history, traditions and the international partners of the Varna University as well as with the statistical data for the completed incoming and outgoing mobilities within Erasmus programme for the last 10 years. The audience was impressed both with the active international exchange and the teaching facilities, the study conditions and the students' life at the Medical University of Varna which were visualized in a short movie and a presentation.
Proposals were discussed for the academic cooperation and different types of mobility from all the participants in the international workshop. A decision was taken for the establishment of a network to facilitate the communication and the administration of the mobilities within "Erasmus+" Programme in which all the involved universities can participate.
