Capacity building for higher education institutions
Attention to learning and teaching (L&T) has increased in recent years, both at European higher education institutions (HEIs) and in European policy making. To enhance L&T, adequate staff development practices and approaches are needed, as well as recognition for teachers to continuously improve, through academic assessment and career paths. Across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the responsibility for organising staff development mostly lies with the institutions themselves.
Against this background, the ‘Staff development for learning and teaching at European universities’ (STAFF-DEV) project was launched in 2024. STAFF-DEV aims to analyse how staff development and academic assessment are conducted at European HEIs and to strengthen institutional capacity and strategies in this regard. Led by EUA in consortium with four universities from across Europe, the project is funded under the Erasmus+ programme of the European Commission.
As part of its activities, STAFF-DEV offers a series of four masterclasses in 2025 and 2026, aimed at building and reinforcing HEIs’ capacity to offer insightful staff development opportunities, as well as embed it into a broader institutional framework for learning and teaching. Applications for the first masterclass closed on 7 March 2025.