Una Europa: go on a staff exchange with your European peers
Staff members at Leiden University and LUMC: want to meet your professional peers across Europe for a unique job-shadowing experience? If so, apply by 16 June for the 2025 edition of the Una Europa Live My Life programme!
Successful applicants will be paired with a colleague from another European university. Together you'll exchange information and experiences, and you'll spend a week at each other's university.
Life My Life is made possible thanks to Leiden University's role as a partner in Una Europa, an alliance of 11 leading research universities.
Who can participate?
This year's edition of Live My Life is open to staff in a wide range of roles. For example:
- Human resources (business partners, consultants, recruiting, learning developers, service managers)
- Financial services (operational administration, strategic analysts, student financial services)
- Placement opportunities (career services, mobility)
- Public engagement (community engagement, public engagement with research, policy collaboration)
- Continuous Education (professional development, lifelong learning, customized courses)
- Language Centres services (course management and scheduling, student services, digital learning)
- Knowledge transfer (patents and IP management, industry collaboration, start-up support)
- PhD division services (doctoral programme administration and guidance, career development, community building and well-being)
- Library services (collection management, research support, workshops and training)
More information regarding eligible groups and the application process is available on the Una Europa website.
Brenda's Live My Life Experience
Brenda Prins, Recruitment Consultant
What a journey! From Leiden to Helsinki and back, I explored not only a new city but also new perspectives on our profession together with my HR match. We shared challenges, learned from each other's successes, and got a unique glimpse into each other’s work cultures. An experience that has enriched me both professionally and personally. Kiitos & thank you, Una Europa!
What can I expect?
Live My Life starts in October 2025 with three online sessions, followed by in-person mobility visits of up to one week per person. These must take place between November 2025 and April 2026. The programme closes with a final online wrap-up and evaluation event.
The online sessions will focus on:
- What is Una Europa and how does it work? Sharing the purpose of Una Europa and Live My Life in the context of Una Europa. This session will be open to a wider audience of professional services staff at Una Europa partner universities.
- Building your intercultural and transversal skills. Tools to help you make the most of your mobility visit.
- Tandem and first exercises. Together with your Live My Life partner, you will plan your exchange by developing a “knowledge transfer template”.
Following the virtual exchanges, participants will spend 3-5 days at each other's university.
At the end of the programme, participants are expected to report to their home institution and colleagues in order to share insights and outcomes from their experience. They will also receive a certificate of participation to the programme from the Live my Life organising team at Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna.
Language and costs
The working language of the Live My Life programme is English.
Participation is free of charge. For travel and accommodation costs, we ask participants to first check with their department. Alternatively, limited funding through Erasmus+ may be available.