Donostia has been the venue this week for the ENLIGHT Staff Week 2026, an event that brought together over 40 professionals from 28 universities. The University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), a member of the ENLIGHT alliance, is organizing this staff week for the first time. Participants, divided into three working groups, have addressed key challenges such as the reception and retention of international staff, professional recognition for participation in internationalization activities, and the promotion of consistent use of universities' visual identity.
In addition to the ten universities forming the ENLIGHT network (Ghent, Bordeaux, Göttingen, Groningen, Uppsala, Tartu, Comenius University Bratislava, Galway, and Bern), representatives from another twenty European universities and a professional from Western Washington University (USA) were present. The main objective of the meeting was to share experiences and best practices to face the challenges of university internationalization.
The first working group shared experiences on services for the welcome, integration, and retention of international researchers and staff. The second group addressed instruments for recognizing participation in internationalization activities within the professional career of academic and administrative staff. The third group, meanwhile, analyzed the foundations of visual identities and how to promote systematic use of the institutional brand.
At the end of the week, the conclusions from each working group will be shared, aiming to advance internationalization in the university sector.
