One of YUFE’s main goals is to bring the participating universities closer together, which of course also includes university employees. “Our premise is that human resource employees have colleagues in Bremen, but also in Essex, Paris, or Cyprus. And we want to encourage communication between them,” explains Charlotte Simmat. She coordinates YUFE’s Staff Journey work package at the University of Bremen and part of this has included setting up the Staff Development Programmes. These took place for the first time within the current academic year, and further rounds are in planning.

These programs encourage learning from best-practice examples, developing new ideas together, and reflecting on one’s work. Small groups, with two participants per university, as well as a mix of online and in-person meetings over several months ensure successful networking. Interested parties can submit a letter of motivation to apply. The entire program is free of charge for selected participants. Expenses for traveling to in-person meetings can be covered by Erasmus Staff Mobility Programme funding.

Tangible Human Resource Development: Best-Practice Examples from Across Europe

Three programs were offered in the academic year 2024/25. The Research Leadership Programme was designed for individuals who lead a research group. The Staff Development Programme is catered towards staff in human resource development. The Open Science Programme is intended for those who develop open science events at their university and assist researchers in doing so.

Maren Droste participated in the Staff Development Programme. She works in the BYRD office (Bremen Early Career Researcher Development) and part of her work is organizing qualification offers for postdocs and doctoral candidates. Her program began in October 2024, and the final event took place in April 2025. She has participated in four video conferences and two meetings in Rijeka and Maastricht during this period. “The best-practice examples from the other universities were particularly helpful for me,” she reports. She learned more about how other universities provide training for postdocs, promote diversity, and have set up the onboarding of new colleagues. She has since shared this input with her team in Bremen – thus expanding the circle of those who benefit from the program.

Managing a Team – Researchers Share Experience in Different Fields

Tim Neudecker, a professor of theoretical chemistry, participated in the Research Leadership Programme’s two video conferences and an in-person meeting in Antwerp, and emphasizes the importance of exchanging ideas with others. Although his workday in Bremen usually only involves interacting with other chemists, he met with researchers from mathematics, psychology, pharmacology, and other fields during the program. Accordingly, the focus was not on technical, but on organizational and personal questions, such as what leading a scientific research group entails, the communication roles leaders take on, and different approaches and strategies for team communication and time management. This was a good opportunity for Tim Neudecker to reflect on his own behavior. “For example, I noticed that my decision-making is very evidence-based, and less instinctive,” says Tim Neudecker. “Recognizing this helps me in interactions with those who may be following different decision-making patterns.”

Both Tim Neudecker and Maren Droste’s main takeaway from their respective program is how beneficial it is to work with colleagues from all over Europe. Tim Neudecker unexpectedly gained this insight when he filled out a questionnaire for the Erasmus Staff Mobility travel grant. One of the questions was “Did participating in the program strengthen your European sense of belonging?” “That caught me off guard,” says Tim Neudecker. “But then I realized the question fits my experience very well. Yes, I feel more European in my work now.”

The next Staff Development Programmes will begin in fall 2025. As of the end of May, those interested can find out more about the main topics and the application process at yufe.eu.