The value of Virtual Exchange in today's global work environment

Sara Pittarello is a Freelance Conference Interpreter and Expert in EU Higher Education and Training projects, and currently serves UNICollaboration as Managing Director and Project Manager, and UNIMED as an external consultant. She contributed to Outreach and Monitoring & Evaluation activities in the framework of the Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange initiative from 2019 to 2020. She is also currently tutor of expert evaluators and has been Expert Evaluator of EU projects on Higher Education for the Italian National Agency since 2016. Sara has also been co-tutor for the eTandem E+VE project carried out by the Padova University Language Centre up to 2021. She worked for the International Relations Office of the University of Padova for 10 years (2009-2019) as project manager and advisor in most of the EU programmes and initiatives. Among the most recent projects she has run as manager for UNICollaboration, it is worth mentioning the ongoing Critical Virtual Exchange in Artificial Intelligence - CVEinAI Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange project; the following 3 Strategic Partnerships: FRAMES on integrating VE at HEI level, GODIJIP on digitalising joint programmes also through VE and PENSA on professionalising Teachers through Digital Technology to support Autonomy and Citizenship Strategic Partnerships (2021-2023) - and the VAMOS capacity building on tackling wicked problems in sustainable education through VE. She also managed numerous projects while serving the University of Padova as IRO staff, among others the EMQT LLP project on the quality of Erasmus mobility and the Erasmus Mundus Silk Route project in Asia, and all the KA171 initiatives at the University of Padova up to 2017. Sara Pittarello has recently participated as trainer and speaker on VE in major national and international events (including IVEC, EAIE, Info Days at the Italian National Agency and TCAs organised by National Agencies) and taught EU project management and implementation at Master and Doctoral level and to teaching and administrative staff at the University of Padova. From 2015 to 2017, she was Vice Chair of the Academic Exchange and Mobility Working Group for the Coimbra Group.