Interview with Ilaria Juon, about her Staff Training Week at Radboud University, Nijmegen (NL)

Please tell us something about yourself and your current position at USI

“At the moment I “wear two different hats”: the International Relations and Study Abroad Service one, where I collaborate with my colleagues Arianna and Maurizia on new projects and initiatives, and the Master of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Logistics and Managament hat, where I act as program manager substituting a colleague during her maternity leave. It is a very exciting and busy period, full of new opportunities and possibilities to see new areas of the university.”

Why did you decide to participate in the staff mobility programme at Radboud University Nijmegen?

“In Autumn 2017, my colleagues and I decided it was about time to write the strategy for the Service, covering the period 2018-2021. As part of it, we have created proposals for new programs and initiatives to be presented to the Faculty. When I saw the invitation for the Staff Training Week, I thought this would be a great opportunity to hear not only about the best practices of Radboud University, but also to share and discuss ideas, concerns and issues with fellow colleagues from around the world, and get inspired by what other people do! This training week therefore came at the perfect time: since we were setting the stage for a change, it was the right moment to go and explore what is happening outside of USI.”

What are the main take-aways of this week?

“Successful initiatives come with strong collaboration with your colleagues. This, for me, was the most important take-away of the week, and that was perfectly reflected in how the training week was set up. An awesome bunch of people who worked closely together to make sure that we would have the greatest time!”

Overall, would you recommend such an experience abroad to your colleagues? Why?

“ABSOLUTELY! I can only see great advantages in participating in such training weeks: you get to know a bunch of fun people from different parts of the world, you establish new friendships and bonds and, why not, maybe new partnerships, and have the great privilege to share, discuss and confront yourself with colleagues who operate in the same or similar sector. You gain new ideas and perspectives and, last but not least, it is a lot of fun! I therefore strongly encourage my USI colleagues to keep an eye on our website, where the invitations for the Staff Training Weeks are regularly posted, and make use of it if they have a chance!”