A Franco-Spanish Exchange: Reflections on a Jobshadowing Experience at UPPASharing Ainara’s experience from the Public University of Navarre (Pamplona).
As part of the Erasmus+ programme and the UNITA project, Ainara, a colleague from the Public University of Navarre (UPNA) in Spain, spent a week immersed in various departments at UPPA. She shares her insights from a week full of professional exchanges and cultural discoveries.
Ainara's story
During the first week of April 2025, I had the opportunity to take part in a staff mobility placement (jobshadowing) within the Erasmus+ programme, across various campuses of the University of Pau and the Adour Region (UPPA).
This experience enabled me to explore how their academic and administrative structures operate, gain insights into the management of the UNITA project – which both our universities are involved in – and exchange good practices with UPPA colleagues.
I was welcomed into several departments on the Pau campus, including the Directorate for Strategic Projects, the Institutional Relations Department, the Europe Unit, the Doctoral Studies Centre, the Start-up Studio, and the Communications Department. I also visited the International Cooperation Office on the Bayonne campus, and the International Relations Office and the Fablab in Anglet.
The welcome and organisation of my stay were exceptional and highly productive in every department. UPPA staff were incredibly kind and the training sessions provided were extremely useful in understanding different procedures and work organisation methods, many of which could be implemented in our UNITA office at UPNA.
This mobility experience was not only enriching on a professional level, but also on a personal one. It allowed me to gain first-hand insight into how UPPA operates, strengthen ties and build trust between our institutions, and discover the city of Pau and a taste of French culture – which, while geographically close, is quite different from Spanish culture.
I was truly impressed by the spectacular views of the snow-capped Pyrenees, the beauty of the houses, palaces and castles… and also by the many opportunities for outdoor activities, cycling, and especially the strong sense of safety in the city.
I highly recommend undertaking a jobshadowing mobility between universities, and I would like to sincerely thank everyone I met during my week at UPPA for their warm welcome and dedication. I hope to one day return the favour by hosting colleagues from UPPA – or other universities – at UPNA.
This activity was carried out as part of a mobility programme funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. The European Commission is not responsible for the content of this publication.
