32nd UNICA IRO Meeting: “IROs in the Next Erasmus+ Era: rethinking the concept of successful internationalisation” | University of Cyprus, 4-6 November 2026

This event is exclusive for representatives from UNICA member universities.

The annual UNICA IRO Meeting is taking place in early November, at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia. This year, the theme of the meeting is “IROs in the Next Erasmus+ Era: rethinking the concept of successful internationalisation”.

Target Group

Heads and Senior Officers of International Relations Offices, Erasmus+ Programme managers from UNICA Member Universities.

About the theme

Internationalisation in higher education is shifting from a focus on mobility numbers to the broader impact of international engagement. As discussions on the future of Erasmus+ beyond 2027 increasingly emphasise skills, inclusion, institutional capacity, and competitiveness, mobility is becoming a means to drive institutional transformation rather than an end in itself. In other words, the focus is moving from mobility as an output (“what we deliver”) to mobility as a driver of institutional transformation (“what we enable”).

This creates new opportunities for formats such as blended mobility, staff weeks, summer and winter schools, and internationalisation at home, while encouraging International Relations Offices (IROs) to adopt a more strategic role. As UNICA updates its tools to support staff weeks and seasonal academic programmes, this is a timely opportunity to reflect on how mobility can generate lasting institutional impact beyond participation figures.

Agenda

TBD: Social Programme