From 23 to 25 September 2026, representatives of the European Teacher Education Network (ETEN) met in Gdańsk, Poland. The University of Passau is a member of the international network and was represented at the ETEN Leader Meeting by Ophelia Sabine Blake. She coordinates ETEN at the University of Passau and is the contact person for members of the University who are interested in becoming involved in the network. Alongside her role as ETEN Coordinator, Ophelia Sabine Blake is a Senior Lecturer in English Language at the University’s Language Centre and is actively involved in ETEN’s Thematic Interest Group (TIG) Language Education, where she contributes her expertise to international academic and professional exchange in the field of language education.
Shaping the Future of ETEN Together
The Leader Meeting focused on ETEN’s strategic direction for the next ten years. Participants worked on the network’s future vision and mission and discussed how existing partnerships could be strengthened and new forms of collaboration in teacher education developed.
At the same time, ETEN membership makes a tangible contribution to implementing the University of Passau’s internationalisation strategy. Since 2024, the network has led to new partnerships in teacher education, international COIL teaching collaborations, and joint Erasmus project initiatives. ETEN thus strengthens the international networking of teaching and research and creates sustainable structures for cooperation with partner universities in Europe and beyond.
Building International Cooperation for the Long Term
Alongside its strategic work, the network thrives on the continuity of its professional and personal relationships. Regular meetings make it possible to develop ideas beyond individual conferences and turn them into long-term collaborations.
“What makes the ETEN network special is the combination of professional exchange and personal relationships that have grown over many years. The most important conversations often happen quite informally – during a coffee break or on the way to the next session. At the next conference, despite the months and kilometres between us, we can simply pick up where we left off – with new ideas for collaboration and discussions about partner universities, courses, or opportunities for Erasmus funding. This continuity builds trust and provides an important foundation for sustainable and reliable international cooperation. The connections do not end when the conference does – the conversations travel with us until we meet again.” — Ophelia Sabine Blake
Regular face-to-face meetings also provide an opportunity to address challenges in existing partnerships directly and to develop straightforward solutions together.
Save the Date: ETEN Annual Symposium 2027 in Lund
Another focus of the meeting in Gdańsk was preparing for the next ETEN Annual Symposium. It will take place from 7 to 9 April 2027 at Lund University in Sweden.
Teaching staff, researchers, and other members of the University of Passau who are interested in international networking in teacher education are invited to find out more about becoming involved in ETEN and participating in the symposium.
Looking Ahead: ETEN Comes to Passau in 2028
In 2028, the University of Passau will host the ETEN Leader Conference. The international ETEN community will come to Passau to continue its joint work on current issues and future perspectives in teacher education.
CONTACT:
The contact person for ETEN at the University of Passau is Ophelia Sabine Blake. Members of the University who are interested in getting involved are welcome to contact her to learn more about opportunities for participation and upcoming events.
Ophelia Sabine Blake
Coordinator for the European Teacher Education Network (ETEN)
Senior Lecturer in English Language (Language Centre)
International Network Coordinator
Global Teacher Research and Education Exchange (Teacher Education Centre)
Telefon: +49 851 509 2645
E-Mail: sabine-ophelia.blake@uni-passau.de
INFO:
ETEN in Passau: International Networking with Impact
Since 2024, the ETEN network has generated concrete international collaborations for teacher education at the University of Passau.
New university partnerships: New connections have been established with, among others, Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, Chaoyang University of Technology in Taiwan, Levinsky-Wingate Academic College in Israel, and Universitas Katolik Parahyangan (UNPAR) in Indonesia.
International teaching through COIL: Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) connects courses at the University of Passau with international partners. These include collaborations with University West in Sweden as well as ICTEP (International Conversation in Teacher Education), involving 18 higher education institutions from ten countries.
Joint Erasmus+ initiatives: The network has also led to a joint Erasmus+ KA220 application entitled “Empowering a Democratic School Culture: Scenarios for Civic Agency”, involving partner universities from Poland, Norway, Ukraine, Hungary, and Austria.
ETEN therefore makes a direct contribution to the international networking of study programmes, teaching, research, and institutional partnerships in teacher education at the University of Passau.