MY TRAINING MOBILITY IN MADRID: Goran Bogunović

Goran Bogunović
University of Arts, Rectorate

Erasmus+ Mobility for Training at:

Madrid – TAI School of the Arts

As the Mobility coordinator of the University of the Arts in Belgrade (UAB), during April 2024 I participated in my first Erasmus+ staff mobility, which took place at the privately run art higher education institution in Madrid – TAI School of the Arts. Two main goals of my exchange were: to deepen the inter-institutional cooperation with our new partner (TAI), in particular regarding the student and staff mobilities, and to learn about Erasmus+ blended intensive programs (BIPs), through active participation in the particular program organized by TAI and partners “Re-imagining Sustainable Cities: An Interdisciplinary Exploration”.

TAI is the only higher education institution for the arts in Spain that specializes in undergraduate degree programs in cinematography and audio-visual arts, contemporary music composition, fine art and design, photography and performing arts. Young people from about 30 countries, especially a large number of them from South America, study at 4 campuses in Madrid’s inner and wider city centre. During the mobility, I had meetings with the heads of the TAI International Cooperation Office and their colleagues, who introduced me to their main projects, studies and facilities. At the same time, we jointly targeted areas and topics for future academic exchanges and cooperation between TAI and UAB.

I am honoured to have been the first participant from University at any Erasmus+ BIP. This type of program is a novelty in the Erasmus+ program, gaining rising interest from our students and staff as well. Apart from physical mobility, all BIPs, including the specific one I was part of, have a mandatory virtual learning component. Together with nearly 40 students, teaching and non-teaching staff members and lecturers from 9 partner institutions from Europe and beyond, I participated in a live program at the TAI headquarters in Madrid on 20-24. April, as well as 3 more online sessions that took place before and after the event itself. The BIP itself was dedicated to revolutionizing sustainable cities through interdisciplinary collaboration, with lectures, discussions, and practical case studies on topics such as urban design, cultural integration, and technological innovation.

Through participation in the BIP, but also by job-shadowing colleagues who organized it and by helping them in the implementation of the program, I gained valuable practical knowledge about BIPs in all its important aspects: program/academic, organizational, and financial. I believe that the acquired knowledge will be useful in my further work in mobility affairs at our international relations office. Last but not least, my visit opened up the possibility of jointly organizing BIPs with TAI and other partners on topics of common interest.