On 14 October 2026, COMPASS and MicroHEI held a joint session on Staff Weeks during the Higher Education Transformation Week in Brussels. The session explored how European cooperation can improve the quality, recognition and future development of staff training.
COMPASS opened by presenting its work on quality assurance, including the framework and toolkit being developed. The discussion highlighted the value of a ready-to-use resource for staff training organisers, prospective participants and institutions approving staff mobility. Participants also stressed that effective training should foster not only professional competences but also social skills and shared values.
MicroHEI focused on the recognition of staff training, with Fernando Cerdeira Pérez and Eva Garea Oya (UVigo) presenting the framework developed within the project. A key topic was the accreditation of staff training and the potential use of ECTS credits to formally recognise learning outcomes. Such recognition could strengthen the value of staff training, particularly in terms of career development and future employability.
The session concluded with an interactive workshop in which participants designed their ideal Staff Weeks, combining quality assurance and recognition considerations.
The joint session provided an opportunity to explore complementary approaches to staff development, highlighting how quality assurance and formal recognition can work together to make staff training more meaningful and valuable.
