Closing Conference and Training of Trainers Workshop in Berlin Successfully Concluded
The joint NMT event for the 2023–2024 and 2025–2026 cohorts was held in Berlin from July 21 to 25, offering a wide range of opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration.
On 21 July, we welcomed representatives of the training committees from both cohorts to Berlin. The event opened with a warm welcome and a keynote on the increasingly important topic of digitalisation in higher education. Afterwards, the two cohorts split into separate sessions for more specialised activities.
The 2023–2024 cohort attended the Closing Conference, revisiting their evaluation results and reflecting on two years of work. Participants shared success stories, lessons learned, and discussed future plans for capacity building, maintaining partnerships, and securing funding for upcoming initiatives. Meanwhile, the 2025–2026 cohort took part in the Training of Trainers workshop, designed to prepare new training committee members for the next two years of involvement in the NMT Project. The workshop covered programme design, mentoring project participants, effective teamwork, and training evaluation.
On the third day, both groups came together to exchange experiences and ideas. Members of the 2023–2024 cohort offered practical tips and insights, while the 2025–2026 cohort presented their plans for the coming years and received valuable feedback from both their predecessors and invited experts.
After three full days of panels, discussions, and group work, participants enjoyed a change of pace. The fourth day began with a visit to Potsdam and a tour of the Neues Palais campus, followed by a keynote from President Oliver Günther on The Diverse University: Responsibility, Autonomy, and the Role of Higher Education in Society. A panel on Global Challenges and Local Responses further explored the vital role of higher education institutions in addressing today’s complex issues. The day continued with a short tour of Potsdam and Berlin, ending with a boat trip along the river Spree. The event concluded with a farewell dinner, offering one last opportunity for networking and informal conversation.
We hope that both the Closing Conference and the Training of Trainers workshop equipped participants with valuable knowledge, practical skills, and fresh motivation for their future projects and careers in higher education and beyond. We also hope they left with lasting memories of their time in Germany.
Thank you to all our guests—we look forward to seeing you at future NMT events. Until then!
Photo: Thomas Roese
