First Ulysseus International Teaching Week Successfully Launched at the University of Montenegro

During the past week, the University of Montenegro hosted first edition of the Ulysseus International Teaching Week, which took place from April 20 to 24, 2026. On this occasion, the University welcomed ten professors from partner universities within the Ulysseus network: MCI the Entrepreneurial School, the University of Seville, and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.

On the first day, April 20th, the program was organized in Budva, at the Knowledge Academy premises, and was dedicated to reinforcing cooperation and networking. At the very beginning of the event, professors had the opportunity to learn more about the University. In addition, an Intercultural Communication Workshop was held, delivered by Dr. Jovana Janinović from the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management.

As part of the program, a Brokerage session was also organized, starting with a short presentation of several interesting calls from the Horizon Europe program (WIDERA 2027), COST, Erasmus+, as well as Ulysseus calls for the creation of COILs. Following this, partners from the Ulysseus alliance grouped according to their disciplines and worked on developing potential joint project ideas using the “project canvas” method. Through this interactive segment, professors connected, exchanged ideas, and defined several high-quality project concepts on which they will continue to work with the support of the Ulysseus project office.

Throughout the week, visiting lecturers delivered lectures at the Faculty of Economics, the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, the Faculty of Philosophy, the Faculty of Law, and the Biotechnical Faculty, where they exchanged knowledge and experiences with colleagues and students of the University of Montenegro through lectures, discussions, and joint academic meetings.

On Wednesday, April 23, an open lecture was held by José Ramón Arrébola Burgos, PhD, from the University of Seville at the Biotechnical Faculty. The lecture was attended by students from the Biotechnical Faculty and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (Biology study program) and focused on fundamental and applied research in heliciculture. The lectures covered zoological, ecological, phenological, and ethological aspects of terrestrial snails, as well as their economic utilization and valorization for the production of alternative food sources. This event represented an important contribution to interdisciplinary learning and connecting students with contemporary scientific and innovative approaches.

At the very end of the program, a round table was organized, dedicated to pedagogical innovations and the exchange of best teaching practices, with a focus on modern learning approaches such as COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) and other innovative models of international cooperation in education. During this segment, pedagogical guidelines aimed at improving teaching practices in international and digital environments were also presented.

Aleksandra Nikčević-Batrićević, PhD, from the Faculty of Philology presented her experience in developing and implementing COIL courses. In collaboration with Paola Anna Nardi, PhD, from the University of Genoa, she conducted a COIL course on American literature, with a particular focus on interpretative approaches to the novel Paradise by American author Toni Morrison.

The University of Montenegro expresses its gratitude to the visiting professors for sharing their knowledge, experience, and educational resources with our students and faculty.

About Ulysseus

Ulysseus is one of the 73 European Universities alliances selected by the European Commission under its flagship initiative of the European strategy for universities. These alliances, co-funded by the European Commission, bring together almost 650 higher education institutions of all types from across Europe.

Led by the University of Seville, the Ulysseus European University Alliance encompasses seven other partner universities: the Université Côte d’Azur (France), University of Genoa (Italy), the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® (Austria), Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), the University of Münster (Germany), and the University of Montenegro (Montenegro).