The Next Train the Trainers will be held from 29 November to 3 December 2021 in Tarragona

Ten years ago, in May 2011, the URV organised its first training in internationalisation for administrative staff. This was to be the beginning of SUCTI, Systemic University Change Towards Internationalisation, a training methodology to transform the mind-set of administrative and support staff and convert them into active promotors of internationalisation at their home institutions. Over this 10-year period, SUCTI has earned worldwide recognition.

After the initial years at the URV, SUCTI was further developed in an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project (2016-2019). In April 2018, 18 non-academic staff members from six European universities followed a weeklong training programme (Train the Trainers or TTT course) that enabled them to implement SUCTI at their home institutions: the first generation of ‘SUCTI Trainers’ was born. By the time the project ended, SUCTI had become so successful that the project partners decided to continue offering this course through the URV Foundation. Since then, three more TTT courses have taken place in Tarragona, the last one – after a yearlong break due to the pandemic – just this past month of May. And since, another TTT for Swiss institutions has taken place in Zurich in June. It has been great to be back in a real classroom and train motivated groups of professionals who have now joined the ever-expanding SUCTI family, organisers say.

Created during the 2016-2019 Erasmus+ project, the SUCTI Trainers Network connects the participants of all four TTT courses. It is a platform for SUCTI trainers to meet, exchange experiences and share training materials. Originally, a yearly network meeting was going to take place during an International Staff week at one of the SUCTI project partner universities, but since the SUCTI trainers that form the network come from all over the world and for many of them travelling is still not an option, we decided to organise an online gathering instead. It took place on April 22^nd and 24 of the trainers joined to meet their fellow-trainers, share experiences of their in-house SUCTI courses and talk about the future of the Trainers Network. It was a very positive and fruitful event, which will repeat yearly from now on.

Train the Trainers, from 29 November to 3 December 2021 in Tarragona

Staff interested in becoming a SUCTI trainer themselves can join the next edition of the Train the Trainers course in Tarragona this fall. The preliminary programme can be downloaded at the website of the event. The registration will open soon.

For more information on SUCTI in general visit the website www.suctiproject.com.