This year’s Staff Week is once again one of the largest and most internationally diverse in Europe, with participants coming to Berlin from all corners of the world. Attendees have even traveled from regions and countries where political conflicts are not uncommon, such as Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. In fact, twenty university employees from Ukraine are participating this year; some of whom had to take circuitous routes to travel to Germany from, for example, Kharkiv.

The International Staff Training Week offers more than just an opportunity for professional growth and exchange; it also gives people the chance to meet colleagues from different countries, to hear their stories, and make real connections.

The week consists primarily of eleven workshop tracks that address a range of current challenges and topics within the context of international higher education and research. From alumni networks, career services, and equity, to Open Science, student mobility, and community-building, participants deal with important issues in their areas of expertise.

At the opening event, Herbert Grieshop, director of International Affairs, presented the many facets of Freie Universität Berlin. Economist and new university vice president Professor Barbara Fritz emphasized the importance of these types of events in her welcome address, noting how they help to build international understanding and foster cooperation.

One special feature of Freie Universität’s International Staff Training Week is the broad scope of university employees who help make it happen. This year there were eight different units who were responsible for putting together the program, including the Career Service, the Alumni Office, the Staff Development and Welcome Service, the University Library, the Department of Law, the Margherita von Brentano Center, the international Liaison Offices, and many different units from the Division of International Affairs. The breadth and diversity here show just how important international collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches are to Freie Universität Berlin.

In addition to the professional content in the workshops, the week is also full of social activities. After the opening event, participants took part in a campus scavenger hunt, which is a fun way for them to explore Freie Universität. 126 international guests have signed up to participate in this year’s Campus Run on Thursday.

Finally, on Friday everyone is invited for a special closing event at the historic Domäne Dahlem, where they can take part in hands-on workshops to learn about beekeeping, local seasonal agriculture, or plant-based proteins and sustainable nutrition.