On 5-8 May 2026, the International Spring training was held at the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University of Eger (Hungary), which took place in the framework of the project “Oktatási Világpolgárok: Nemzetközi Szemlélet a Tanító- és Tanárképzésben – OKTAV” [Educational Cosmopolitans: International Perspectives in Teacher Training], project number 2024-1-HU01-KA220-HED-000248326.
One of the main objectives of the OkTáv project is to help students enrolled in different teacher training programs to gain confidence in participating in international projects and mobility programmes, and later on, as teachers, to be able to organize themselves learning trips and exchange programmes abroad for their own students. In this way, future teachers will be able to adapt to global challenges.
In the first stage of the training (Pilot 1), students participated in a whole semester-long course at the partner institutions, during which they could acquire the curriculum developed for them. In addition to theoretical content, the curriculum also included interactive tasks, practical examples, and collaborative, teamwork-based activities.
The International Spring (Pilot 2) was the second phase of the training, a blended intensive course that provided students with the opportunity to meet in person, work together on projects, and experience the everyday tasks of international collaboration. During the four-day event, alongside the main organizer, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University of Eger, students and teachers from Milton Friedman University, University of Novi Sad, Partium Christian University, J. Selye University, and from the Teacher Training Institute of Sapientia University shared their knowledge and experiences. In addition to collaborative learning, the training also fostered cultural openness. Students could not only develop their professional skills, but they also gained valuable personal experience: new friendships, connections, and inspiration for the future. During the week, in the mornings, students participated in three thematic courses in smaller groups: Project Management and Strategy Building; European Values, Active Citizenship and Community Development; and Dissemination – ICT Tools. In the afternoons, students also had the opportunity to take part in community and cultural programmes: they became acquainted with the study programmes of Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, visited the Lyceum, and explored iconic sites of the city, such as the Archbishop’s Palace and Eger Castle. At the end of the training, participants received their certificates in a formal ceremony held in the Chapel of the Lyceum.
The long-term goal of the OkTáv project is to contribute to the development of modern teacher training and to support future teachers in becoming more open to international opportunities. The curricula, methodological tools, and good practices developed within the framework of the project will be accessible to other institutions as well, thereby extending the impact of the project beyond the participating universities. In the next phase, universities may integrate the curricula and methods developed within the project into their own training programmes. At the same time, special attention will be given to secondary school students, to mentor teacher training, and to people living in disadvantaged settlements, for whom leaving their comfort zone is particularly challenging.
Project type: ERASMUS+ KA220-HED - Partnerships in Higher Education
Project ID: 2024-1-HU01-KA220-HED-000248326
Project title: Oktatási Világpolgárok: Nemzetközi Szemlélet a Tanító- és Tanárképzésben – OKTÁV
Project budget: 400 000 €
Coordinator: Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Hungary
Partners:
For further information visit the project website: https://www.oktavproject.eu/.
dr. TÓDOR Erika-Mária, professor
dr. PÁL Enikő, assistant professor
SAPIENTIA HUNGARIAN UNIVERSITY OF TRANSYLVANIA
Scientific Research Department
The Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania is the independent university of the Hungarian community in Romania, which aims at providing education to the members of our community and performing scientific research on a high professional level.
Scientific Research Department
400112 Cluj-Napoca
Matei Corvin Street No. 4
