Communities of Practice

The Arqus Communities of Practice are communities of professionals that come together for bench- and peer-learning in all areas of institutional activity, as well as to offer staff development opportunities across all partner institutions.

Arqus is working in the establishment of concentric, intersecting and interlinked networks of members of each of our universities, building a sense of online community and Arqus identity. In order to move forward in building a truly European University, Arqus believes that the many existing formal and informal working groups, committees and other groupings constitute the basis for our joint institutional learning and transformational approach.

Now, a group of professionals is creating the structure to offer an upscaled and institutionalized framework for Arqus Communities not only in those areas already identified as key to the building of our shared future, but also in emerging areas for cooperation.

Meet the Arqus Communities of Practice


Arqus International Forum on Romance Studies (AIFRS)

What we do

The AIFRS-network is an initiative bringing together over 50 scholars from various Arqus universities since 2021. The forum focuses on researchers working with Romance languages, primarily in the fields of linguistics and literary-cultural studies. CoP activities include summer schools and international seminars for students from Arqus universities, colloquia on Romance linguistics and literature, and conferences dedicated to minority languages in Europe. The initiative aims to deepen scientific connections between universities through the organization of diverse scientific and developmental activities, as well as the development of innovative research directions. In the context of ARQUS goals, the group actively engages in activities related to multilingualism, directing its research and teaching towards developing skills for mutual understanding among Romance languages.

Universities that are part of this CoP

  • University of Granada
  • University of Graz
  • Leipzig University
  • University of Mihno
  • University of Padova
  • Vilnius University
  • University of Wrocław

Contact

University of Granada

Contact person:
David Porcel Bueno
daporbue@ugr.es

Arqus Cultural Communities Network

What we do

Arqus Cultural Communities Network aims to:

  • bring together the cultural community of the Arqus Alliance into a longterm and sustainable network of partners and to maintain community relations,
  • seek closer inter-institutional cooperation, to get acquainted with the cultural, art and artistic activities carried out at universities and the specifics of their work, to share and exchange good practices and experiences, learn from each other,
  • create a space and opportunity for sharing the ideas, joint development and implementation of international cultural initiatives, events and projects,
  • add a new dimension “Culture” on Arqus Alliance cooperation activities and agenda.

Universities that are part of this CoP

  • Vilnius University
  • Leipzig University
  • Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
  • University of Padua

Contact
Vilnius University
Contact person: Sonata Adomaitienė
sonata.adomaitiene@kc.vu.lt

CoP for discrimination, (sexual) harassment and mobbing prevention and management at universities

What we do

The CoP was established to share best practices and knowledge on preventing discrimination, harassment, and bullying at universities. CoP activities include discussion forums, presentations on prevention and management models, support and information exchange, document sharing, and information sharing. The community plans to develop new resources and organize partner meetings to deepen knowledge of best practices and the latest trends in the field.

Universities that are part of this CoP

  • University of Mihno
  • University of Graz
  • Vilnius University
  • Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1

Contact
Vilnius University
Marija Norvaisaite
Contact person: marija.norvaisaite@cr.vu.lt

Cultural Activities

What we do

CoP outlines a strategic initiative to foster cultural collaboration among choirs, orchestras, theatres, and other artistic collectives within the Arqus Alliance universities. The plan encompasses a series of activities, including a performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria, infrastructure assessment, creative camps, rehearsals, and a principal major concert over the course of 2023-2025. Staff development is a key focus, involving the exchange of views, mapping possibilities, goal setting, identification of working methods, best practice sharing, and the enhancement of communication. The added value of this initiative lies in introducing a new cultural dimension to the Arqus Alliance, complementing its existing scientific collaborations. By incorporating a major cultural event, the initiative aims to elevate the visibility of the network, raising awareness externally among audiences unfamiliar with Arqus and internally among university students. This dual approach enhances the network’s position in a competitive environment, distinguishing it from other alliances and reinforcing its standing in both cultural and scientific spheres.

Universities that are part of this CoP

  • University of Vilnius
  • University of Granada
  • University of Graz
  • University of Lyon 1
  • University of Wrocław

Contact
University of Vilnius

Contact person:
Rasa Gelgotiene
rgelgotiene@yahoo.fr

Research Support Officers

What we do

The CoP gathers individuals supporting the creation of grant applications – employees of research support offices, international offices, technical staff and administrative activities coordinators. In the group, there is at least one representative from each university. The CoP meets at least twice a year – once in person and once online. During the meetings, members exchange knowledge, know-how in the field of funding research projects, workflows, incentives and activities in the research support offices and plan collaborative actions.

Universities that are part of this CoP

  • University of Granada
  • University of Graz
  • Leipzig University
  • University of Lyon 1
  • Maynooth University
  • University of Mihno
  • University of Padova
  • Vilnius University
  • University of Wrocław

Contact
University of Graz

Contact person: Mario Mueller
mario.mueller@uni-graz.at

The concept of Communities of Practice, borrowed from learning theory, is that of “systems of collective critical inquiry and reflection focussed on building a shared identity and collective intelligence garnered over time” (Nussbaum-Beach and Hall, 2012); it fits perfectly with Arqus’ self-conception as a “laboratory for institutional learning”, but grounds specific activities in their respective domains, thus weaving the social fabric required to enable collective learning.

Arqus will offer each Community a collaborative space with the three major objectives of community building, bench- and peer-learning, and staff development.

Joint activities, discussions, information sharing channels, identification of problems and proposal of solutions will be some of the activities carried out by these communities.

Domain-based joint staff development is an important tool for the long-term construction of the Alliance, and Communities of Practice are natural seedbeds for peer learning to take place and then be disseminated beyond those participating directly. For that reason, each Community of Practice should count on the design of a staff development programme for the corresponding domain, to be implemented on a continuous basis jointly during the funding period and beyond. Staff development will take the form of joint, flexible online, face-2-face or blended learning activities, which should be fully accessible. Learning acquired will be certified by the Arqus Academy and will be recognized by each partner university.

Contact the Project Officer or responsible person for CoP at your university for more information:

University of Granada

David Martín López dml@ugr.es

Inmaculada Yuste Martínez arqus@ugr.es 

University of Graz

Kerstin Käfer kerstin.kaefer@uni-graz.at

Vera Jüttner vera.juettner@uni-graz.at 

Maria Heinemann  maria.heinemann@uni-graz.at

Leipzig University

Ewa Adamkiewicz arqus@uni-leipzig.de

Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1

Alison Bédéjus ARQUS@univ-lyon1.fr

Maynooth University

TBC

University of Minho

Elsa Costa e Silva elsa.silva@ics.uminho.pt

Vanessa Alves arqus@uminho.pt

University of Padua

Gabriele Nicoli gabriele.nicoli@unipd.it

Marco Carraro arqus@unipd.it 

Vilnius University

Ungè Gaigalè ugne.gaigale@cr.vu.lt

Julija Savickè julija.savicke@cr.vu.lt

University of Wroclaw

Agnieszka Janik agnieszka.janik@uwr.edu.pl 

Emilia Wilanowska emilia.wilanowska@uwr.edu.pl

Calls

More calls

Arqus Joint Master’s Programme in International Cybersecurity and Cyberintelligence (2nd Call)

Apply by 15th May 2024

More info

Arqus Talent Scholarship Fund – Third call 2023 (Master’s students only)

Apply before 3rd July

More info
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    Controller: University of Granada (as Coordinator of the Arqus European University Alliance). Legal basis: Arqus is entitled to process your data under the provisions of Article 6.1. (a) of the GDPR: “the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes”. Purpose: to manage your subscription to mailing lists and to periodically send you the requested information by electronic means. Recipients: Mailchimp. Rights: access, object, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability. Additional information here.