Information for Academic and Non-Academic Employees

Nowadays, work activities – especially in management and administration – are are ever more likely to take place in an international context. Developing an international outlook and continuing your education alongside your work at the FernUniversität can be both professionally and personally enriching.

Language courses, visiting colleagues at universities abroad, and taking part in Erasmus+ Staff Weeks on a wide range of topics offer a rich variety of opportunities. The duration and type of stay depend on your personal and professional interests – in your current position and also with regard to your career development goals. As with a business trip, you are covered by the FernUniversität’s insurance and will incur no additional costs for your stay abroad.

JobShadowing@OpenEU

OpenEU funds work shadowing placements in tech and admin

OpenEU FeU offers employees of the FernUniversität in Hagen working in tech and admin the opportunity to gain fresh perspectives and inspiration by taking part in a work shadowing placement of up to 21 days at one of the OpenEU Alliance partner universities.

What is included?
✔ A stay of up to 21 days at a partner university of the OpenEU Alliance (German)
✔ The costs for travel and accommodation are covered

The work shadowing programme is organised as a secondment.
Make the most of this opportunity for international networking, professional exchange and personal development.

Apply now and take part in one of Europe’s more important university collaborations!

If you want to apply, please send us your motivation letter naming the university you would like to visit and the planned duration of your stay. Please also explain how you intend to ensure that the knowledge acquired during the work shadowing period is transferred to your department. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

You’re interested in job shadowing at a university abroad but have not yet made any contacts? Talk to us; we can help.

OpenEU at the FernUniversität (German)

Staff weeks are designed specifically to allow you to get know another (distance-learning) university: its structure, organization and working methods, while making new contacts and exchanging experiences. In addition to your host university, you often have the chance to get know other universities from all over Europe. The 3 to 5-day program usually includes general information about the university and also the possibility to meet colleagues working in similar roles. One positive side-effect is that you also have the chance to get to know the FernUni colleagues who travel with you a lot better.
The use of AI in teaching, student advisory services for distance learners, libraries in distance-learning universities, ... There are plenty of issues that affect not only the FernUniversität. The aim of a thematic staff week is to exchange knowledge about a specific area and to get to know each other’s best practices. The program is usually 3 to 5 days.
How do our colleagues at other (distance-teaching) universities work? What are the structural conditions and challenges that they face in their daily working lives? What tools and strategies do other colleagues use to deal with similar tasks? Spending a few days or even several weeks experiencing the working life of colleagues abroad working in your area (or inviting a foreign colleague to come and work in your department) is a great way of learning more about your own job as well as picking up new and perhaps more effective working strategies for your own working life.

Stays at our OpenEU partner universities are particularly welcome.

If you are interested in taking part in staff mobility, fill out the PDF below (download button) – we’re happy to advise you.
Declaration of Interest: Staff Mobility (PDF 862 KB, in German)

You can find more information on our Erasmus+ website:
Erasmus+ Further Training Opportunities

A mixed group of students sitting together outside the Fernuni cafeteria

Students sitting around a laptop discussing a topic

Staff Weeks: OpenEU and other FernUni Partners 2026

Staff Week on Micro-Credentials 2026 | Hagen, Germany

09–12.03.2026 - More information

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) | Barcelona, Spain

16–20.03.2026 - tba

Bifröst University | Iceland

11–13.05.2026

Staff Week at Bifröst

Open University of Jyväskylä | Jyväskylä, Finnland

NN.2026 – tba

Staff Week at the Open University in Jyväskylä

Universidade Aberta (UAB) | Lisbon, Portugal

June/July 2026 - tba

Staff Weeks at UAB Lisbon

Travel Expenses Office

The colleagues at the Travel Expenses Office are available to answer any questions you may have about your business trip abroad. You can find all further information on business trips for FernUniversität employees on the website – in English and German.
Please note: If you receive Erasmus+ funding, you must still submit a business trip application, to ensure that you have insurance coverage, and indicate that your stay is funded by Erasmus+ funds.

Travel Expenses Office of the FernUniversität