Impressions about GCU’s Europe Office

This is an article written by a recent intern, Elena; who worked with our office.  Elena is from Romania, currently studying in Forlì, Italy; and worked with our office for a few months as part of her studies. She wrote an article for us to share about her impressions of our office and a reflection on her time working with us.  

It is easy to see that GCU’s Europe Office has enjoyed unprecedented success from the opportunities provided by the European Union; as a result of implementing strategic partnerships with universities, businesses and other organisations within the UK and throughout the world. The Europe Office (TEO) has managed to deliver an appropriate and professional strategy in order to find new partners and convince others to engage in interesting projects. Along with other offices sustaining social innovation and enterprise within GCU, TEO has given the city of Glasgow a boost by attracting different organisations and top researchers to contribute to projects and research in the city, whilst also helping to draw in tourism and support cultural exchange. The projects that TEO coordinates and is involved in aim to promote social innovation through ideas, creativity, diversity and inter-sectoral collaboration; with overriding aims to improve quality of life in Glasgow and the wider world.

TEO has a range of skills and experience through its staff and projects and this makes it a place where professionalism; proactivity; reliability; commitment; and many other qualities can be found combined to produce the innovative approach that the office has.  There is an ideal mixture for an outward looking and engaged office.  One of TEO’s most important assets is that at its forefront there is a leader and not a boss. Working with a leader enables sharing of experience and skills acquired between staff; and abilities are passed on in the team. This boosts TEO’s overall capacity and it leads to a stronger, well prepared and hardworking team. TEO is a place where the team is a team in the real sense of the word. It is a great working environment where the team collaborates, sets common goals and develops together. The inter-disciplinary experience, interpersonal skills, attention to detail and diplomacy; and multi-tasking but relaxed work environment, are the qualities that make GCU’s TEO indispensable and effective; even in these uncertain times.

TEO have continued to be proactive and through risk analysis are aware of feasible scenarios for the office to be sustainable into the future.  To move forward will require the implementation of a new strategy for the office; and different approaches along with consolidation of skills and cooperation with new and established partners. The office continues to support the university’s researchers, partners and academic staff using their expertise and disseminating information to help allay the uncertainty that the University community may be experiencing in recent months.  For the university and project partners, the Brexit result might be an opportunity to become better as individuals by developing new abilities and skills while acquiring new information and work experience.

If leaving the EU will be the outcome for Scotland, TEO has identified alternative funding sources and strategies to be ready for a changing world.  If so, the office may change but TEO will retain its ethos of supporting collaborative research, international university cooperation and constructive dialogue between different countries. Improving standards, as well as becoming more active and visible are some of GCU’s underpinning goals which will continue to help maximise opportunities and offer a higher standard of education for its students.  With or without the EU, it will continue its overarching mission.  Currently nobody can tell exactly what impact Brexit will have on certain sectors because the process is a complex one, as indicated below, made mostly of negotiations which makes it somewhat unpredictable what outcomes will occur.

 

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Source: [1]

After the process ends, UK will no longer offer European added value [1] [2]. But despite the uncertainty, the resources for collaboration will still be accessible, at least for the moment. GCU’s The Europe Office has managed to increase international cooperation outside Europe by engaging in opportunities offered by the EU. In addition to supporting the academic community to access funding streams, it has already led to several successful EU funded projects, including the establishment of Innovation Centres in Latin America and North Africa, and is currently involved in a number of Social Innovation initiatives.  TEO’s revived strategy going forward will continue to work to place GCU at the forefront of EU engagement.

[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32810887

[2] http://ec.europa.eu/chafea/documents/health/hp-factsheets/added-value/factsheets-hp-av_en.pdf

[3] http://www.proyectosupua.es/lifestyles/en/content/project/european-added-value