The faculty of Science hosted Annette Wiebusch, an administrator from the University of Siegen in Germany, as part of the Erasmus+ scheme. During the week Annette spent time with Bath Institute for Mathematical Innovation, the finance department, the placements team and the Computer Science and Physics departmental office.

The Erasmus+ programme creates opportunities to study, work, volunteer, teach and train across Europe. Perhaps known best for students studying abroad, it is also aimed at trainees, apprentices, volunteers, professors, teachers, trainers, youth workers and professionals of organisations active in the education, training and youth sector.

Annette said 'I wanted to take part in the Erasmus+ programme to look beyond my own nose. How to work in an office outside of Germany and whether I can learn something new for my work. It was also a big goal to have conversations in English, you speak the language so quickly here!'

She noted how much more relaxed about formality staff were at The University of Bath. She said you would never address a colleague by their first name at the University of Siegen, and so was a bit taken aback when people were doing so here.

Helpful people and robots

'The highlight of my week was seeing the Department of Pharmacy’s ‘SimMan’, (a robot that can be programmed to have a range of medical conditions) you could give him drugs and see how a person reacts in such a situation. The people and life in Bath fascinated and impressed me very much, people are incredibly friendly. They were always helpful, did their best to respond to the needs of their colleagues and help me with the language barrier. Overall, I can say that staying in Bath and participating in Erasmus+ was an adventure and the best decision I could make.'

The Erasmus programme was established in 1987, with it adopting the name Erasmus+ in 2014 as part of the €14.7 billion catch-all framework programme for education, training, youth and sport. From 2014-2016 there were over 130,000 UK participants in the Erasmus+ programme, with over 30,000 of them being staff.

Find out more information about Erasmus+.

If you are interested in Erasmus+ or want more information about opportunities at Bath, please get in touch with our International Mobility team via the link below.