The internationalization process in Spanish Universities: report of visits to the Universities of Granada and Córdoba

Abstract

This report is the result of visits to the Universities of Granada and Cordoba, Spain, in July 2015, sponsored by the University of Campinas, through VRERI Announcement 2015 - Staff Mobility. The purposes of this stage were to know the structures and routines of institutions with extensive experience in international academic cooperation, in order to obtain performance gains in teaching and research support services and professional development as well as contribute to the consolidation of the internationalization project of Unicamp. These visits allowed me to know structures, routines, processes and services of reference institutions in my work's field; to understand my work processes and how to improve them; to learn a new perception of internationalization and the importance of the work I do at the University; improve my knowledge of the Spanish language and to approach the reality of foreign students with whom I live every day. Besides the obtained learnings and the applicability of them at Unicamp, this article aims to stimulate and enhance international mobility, especially in the area of technical and administrative staff, considering its importance for professional development and excellence of the service provided by higher education institutions.