ERASMUS CHANGING LIVES OPENING MINDS fOR 25 YEARS

Nathalie
Brahimi
‘It gives you new ideas for your own teaching’
Home institution:
Lycée Ozenne, Toulouse, France
Field of study:
International trade
Year became active in Erasmus:
2007
‘Richness, sharing and pleasure’ are what Nathalie Brahimi gained from her
Erasmus mobility. It served two purposes. ‘The main reason was to put the
structure in place for exchanges by our own students. But I also took the opportunity
to do some teaching in the Netherlands.’ At the Lycée Ozenne in France,
she was already teaching her subject – international trade – in English, and
she wanted her students to gain more experience of the language. So she was
looking for a partner with English-medium teaching in the same field. That
search took her to the Saxion University in the Netherlands.
‘Once back in France, I talked to my colleagues in other sections of the Lycée and
motivated them to get involved in Erasmus.’ Now, three of its technical sections
have partnerships with eight institutions in the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain,
Turkey and Germany. And a Romanian partner will be joining them soon. Over
the course of two years, 21 of the Lycée’s students took part in Erasmus mobility,
as well as 11 staff members. Erasmus is ‘a great enrichment’ that she would
not hesitate to recommend to other institutions. ‘Naturally, there are some initial
hesitations about the work involved, but it’s well worth the effort. You’re
brought into contact with new teaching methods and other cultures. And that
gives you new ideas for your own teaching back home. It shakes up your routine
and makes you progress.’ But above all, Erasmus is appreciated by her own students.
‘It’s their enthusiasm and their feedback that has inspired me to keep on
seeking new exchange partners.’
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