Live My Life 2026

The 2026 edition of Live My Life is open to staff working in the following areas:

• Procurement, contracts and legal affairs
• Data analytics and strategic planning
• Student and staff inclusion, accessibility and wellbeing
• People and organisational development
• Research laboratories and technical services

The programme also welcomes colleagues whose roles relate to one of the following thematic priority challenges:

• Artificial Intelligence in higher education: Policies and practices
• Research security: Safeguarding open science in a contested world
• Health, safety and preparedness: Continuity of operations in a rapidly changing world

Find out more about the professional areas and challenge-based positions for Live My Life 2026.

Live My Life is Una Europa's joint job shadowing initiative for professional services and technical staff. Through a blended mobility format combining online activities with a short in-person visit to a partner university, participants have the opportunity to observe how colleagues perform comparable professional functions, exchange expertise and good practices, and establish lasting professional networks across the alliance.

The programme promotes peer-to-peer learning and mutual exchange in an international environment, encouraging participants to explore different organisational approaches, discover innovative solutions, and strengthen collaboration between the professional communities of the Una Europa universities. By investing in professional mobility, Live My Life contributes to the development of a more connected, collaborative and innovative Una Europa community.

The 2026 edition of Live My Life welcomes applications from professional services and technical staff across all Una Europa partner universities.

In the context of this edition of Live My Life, professional services and technical staff refers to staff employed in administrative, managerial or technical roles within the university, whether based in the central administration or in decentralised structures such as departments, faculties, schools, campuses, research centres, libraries, museums or other institutional units.

The programme is tailored exclusively to non-academic roles and we therefore cannot accept applications from academic, teaching, or research positions.

Each edition of the programme focuses on specific professional areas and thematic areas, identified jointly by the Una Europa partner universities according to shared institutional priorities.

Applicants may choose from the following participation strands:

• Professional areas: Bringing together colleagues performing comparable professional functions across different organisational contexts.
• Challenge-based positions: Aimed at colleagues working on strategic cross-cutting topics or institutional priorities, regardless of their organisational unit.

Applicants should select the category that best reflects the main responsibilities of their current role, rather than the name of their organisational unit or department.

Read the full descriptions of the professional areas and challenge-based positions available for the 2026 edition of Live My Life.

January 2027: Online introductory sessions

Three required preparation modules will take place in January 2027 (dates and topics subject to change):

• Module 1: Welcome to Una Europa and Live My Life: Overview of the alliance's mission, governance, and strategic priorities and introduction to programme objectives, methodologies, and practical mobility information.
• Module 2: Preparing for your international job-shadowing experience: The goal is this session is to equip participants with practical tools and transversal skills for a successful mobility. Topics cover intercultural communication, peer learning, knowledge exchange, networking among others.
• Module 3: Working with your tandem partner: Tandems participate to guided meeting to help set shared learning objectives, discuss key topics, and draft a plan to guide their upcoming visit.

February – June 2027: Job-shadowing mobility

• A 3–5 day visit to a matched Una Europa partner university, arranged independently by tandem partners in coordination with their home units.

June/July 2027: Creative reflection and final event

• Participants create a self-selected reflective project (e.g. video, collage, interview) to present during a closing online event dedicated to lessons learned and future collaboration.

Certification

• Upon completing all programme requirements, participants will receive an official Certificate of Participation issued by the Live My Life organising team at Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna.
• Programme requirements include attendance at a minimum of 70% at the online preparatory sessions and the final creative outcome.

1. Explore the eligible professional areas and challenge-based positions

Before applying, please carefully review the professional areas and challenge-based positions available for the 2026 edition.

Applicants should select the category that best reflects the main responsibilities of their current role, rather than the name of their organisational unit or department. The descriptions and suggested activities are intended to facilitate meaningful peer-to-peer exchange between professionals carrying out comparable functions across the Una Europa partner universities.

2. Secure the support of your supervisor and complete the endorsement form

Before submitting your application, you must inform your line manager or head of office/unit/division of your intention to participate and secure their support.

Your application must include the Endorsement form, signed by your line manager, confirming their support for your participation in the programme and, if selected, for your mobility period and for hosting the colleague in your organisation.

3. Submit your application

Apply online via our application form by 11 November 2026.

Applicant may apply as a tandem or as an individual:

• Applying as a tandem: Applicants who already know a suitable peer at another Una Europa partner university are encouraged to submit a joint (tandem) application. In this case, both applicants are expected to:
  
  • Identify each other independently
    
  • Discuss their respective professional contexts and learning objectives
    
  • Agree on the main focus of their exchange
    
  • Submit two separate application forms, each indicating the other applicant as their proposed tandem partner
    
  A tandem application will only be considered complete once both applications have been submitted and the two applicants have mutually identified each other.

• Applying as an individual: Applicants who do not already have a partner may submit an individual application. Following the application deadline, the Live My Life coordinating team, together with the Una Europa Professional Staff Development Working Group, will match applicants based on:
  • Professional area or challenge-based position
  • Current responsibilities and professional profile
  • Learning objectives and expectations
  • Institutional compatibility

Please note: While every effort will be made to match participants performing similar professional functions, exact equivalence cannot always be guaranteed. Previous editions have demonstrated that exchanges between professionals with complementary – rather than identical – roles often generate valuable learning opportunities and innovative perspectives.

The online application form requires applicants to:

• Select the professional area or challenge-based position that best matches their current role
• Provide a description of their current position, including their main responsibilities and activities
• Explain their motivation for participating in Live My Life and the expected learning outcomes
• Indicate any previous participation in the programme (if applicable)
• Upload the signed Endorsement form

Applicants submitting a tandem application will also be asked to provide:

• The name of their proposed tandem partner
• Their partner's position and organisational unit
• Their partner's home institution
• A brief description of the shared objectives of the planned exchange

All applications will be received and processed by the Live My Life coordinating team at Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, acting in close cooperation with the Una Europa Professional Staff Development Working Group, composed of representatives from all partner universities.

The selection process consists of three stages:

1. Eligibility check

Applications will first be checked to verify that they meet the eligibility criteria set out in this Call and that all required documentation has been submitted.

2. Matching

For applicants who apply individually, the coordinating team and the Professional Staff Development Working Group will identify the most suitable peer at another Una Europa partner university.

Matching will be based primarily on:

• The selected professional area or challenge-based position
• The applicant's professional profile and current responsibilities
• The compatibility of the proposed learning objectives and expectations
• The potential for meaningful peer-to-peer exchange

Applicants submitting a tandem application will also be assessed to ensure that the proposed pairing is appropriate and aligned with the objectives of the programme.

3. Final selection and funding

Live My Life is not a competitive programme based on merit, seniority or experience but rather based on the availability of a suitable match at another university, the motivation and alignment with the alliance strategic goals. Moreover, Una Europa is committed to promoting equal opportunities, accessibility, inclusion, and fairness throughout the application and selection process of Live My Life. In line with the values of the alliance and the work of the Una Europa Diversity Council, as well as the priorities of the European Commission and the Erasmus+ programme, all prospective participants are encouraged to apply, regardless of their background or level of international experience. The selection process will aim to ensure diversity, gender balance, and the inclusion of staff members who have had fewer opportunities for international exposure.

Where the number of eligible applications exceeds the available mobility funding, priority will be determined by considering:

• The quality and feasibility of the proposed pairing
• The availability of mobility funding at the matched participants' home institutions
• The objective of ensuring balanced participation across Una Europa

Whenever possible, the coordinating team will also seek to ensure diversity in terms of participating institutions and professional communities.

Selected participants will be supported by their home institution, which will be responsible for providing mobility funding and insurance coverage for the duration of the experience.

Participation without mobility funding

Applicants (or tandems) who are successfully matched but cannot be allocated mobility funding by their home institution will nevertheless be invited to participate in the online component of the programme, including the introductory session and the preparatory activities. Subject to agreement between the matched participants and their institutions, they may also decide to host their peer without undertaking reciprocal travel or continue the exchange entirely through online peer-learning activities.

In line with the Una Europa Sustainability and Climate Protection Strategy, participants are encouraged to opt for sustainable and green travel options when planning their physical mobility. Whenever possible, and in accordance with their home institution’s internal regulations, staff are invited to consider environmentally friendly modes of transportation.

For any questions or clarifications regarding this call, please contact the coordinating team at: una.europa@unibo.it

For queries related to internal procedures at your institution, or for further information on participation in previous editions at local level, please contact your local representative:

• Freie Universität Berlin: unaeuropa@zedat.fu-berlin.de
• Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna: una.europa@unibo.it
• University College Dublin: unaeuropa@ucd.ie
• University of Edinburgh: una.europa@ed.ac.uk
• Helsingin yliopisto/Helsingfors universitet: una.europa@helsinki.fi
• Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie: una.europa@uj.edu.pl
• Universiteit Leiden: una-europa@bb.leidenuniv.nl
• KU Leuven: una-europa@kuleuven.be
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid: una-europa@ucm.es
• Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne: unaeuropa@univ-paris1.fr
• Universität Zürich: una.europa@global.uzh.ch