From 5 to 9 October 2026, the University of Passau hosted an intensive, week-long block as part of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). Student teachers of English from the partner institutions of the TEFE A+ consortium participated in a series of seminars and workshops. These sessions focused on the specifics of the Bavarian education system, issues of postcolonial pedagogy, and, above all, the key competences of educators in intercultural communication: ICC (Intercultural Communicative Competence), GCC (Global Civic Competence), and PTCI (Professional Teacher Competence for Internationalisation). Academic guidance was provided by lecturers from the member universities of the TEFE A+ network, specifically from the Faculty of Arts, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, the University of Passau, Comenius University in Bratislava, Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, and Åbo Akademi University in Vaasa, Finland.
Working in transcultural teams allowed the students to deeply reflect on the issues of effective teaching and pedagogical communication in contemporary Europe—both from the perspective of different countries and with regard to the diversity and cultural heterogeneity that shape today's European schooling. The mobility offered them a profound insight into the opportunities and challenges of international cooperation and provided valuable tools for their own professional growth. For many of them, this week will serve as a stepping stone for upcoming teaching internships abroad.
Special thanks go to our hosts from the University of Passau (T. Fischler, M. Fuchs, and J. Scharfenberg) for the meticulous preparation of the entire programme, their extraordinary commitment and their warm hospitality. The event not only reaffirmed the exceptional quality of cooperation within the TEFE A+ consortium but also highlighted the urgency of the themes that must be systematically integrated into modern teacher education.
Tomáš Jajtner
