One of the highlights of Semester 2 2011-12 was a visit from a group of 15 support staff from Örebro University, Sweden to our Cambridge campus where they spent the morning visiting ALSS facilities as well as the library, iCentre and other areas. The campus tours were followed by further activities and culminated in a lively exchange over lunch. This was all part of the Swedish group's week-long trip to Cambridge, led by ALSS HPL Sarah Chedlow, to improve their English Language skills and to learn more about English university systems.

The day's events were organised by Geri Wren (Faculty Business and Resources Manager) and offered a packed and varied programme for our guests. The visitors - a mix of administrative, finance and research support staff - were divided into three groups for the tour, follow-on discussion and exchange sessions. To maximise the benefit of the exchange, each group was accompanied by ALSS staff members that work in a similar role. Swedish research administrators were led by Helen Jones, Research and Knowledge Transfer Co-ordinator, with Jason Slater, ALSS Project Co-ordinator. Similarly, Geri Wren led the Resources group with Jane Sutton, ALSS Resources Co-ordinator, and Örebro Finance Officer, Tanja Karisik.

The largest group, made up of departmental administrators from Örebro, were matched with our own ALSS administrators Cassie Lynch, Heidi Fetula, Hilary Turner and Marlene Buick, who provided information about their individual study areas. The group was led by Karen Sturt, Faculty Student Experience and Events Co-ordinator, and later joined by Team Leader Paul Bloomfield.

Our visitors were very impressed with the new buildings, particularly our library facilities, Student Union gym and Harvard-style lecture theatres. We then took them around ALSS specialist areas such as the mock courtroom, shared by Law and Criminology, and the radio media suites. A particularly enjoyable part of the tour was the Mumford Theatre and the Cambridge School of Art's state of-the-art digital Ruskin Gallery - ironically, the oldest part of the campus. Here, they also saw the original illustration studios and printmaking facilities, where students were working on a variety of equipment, including our 150-year-old printmaking presses.

By this time, everyone was ready for well-deserved refreshments. The groups were led back to their designated rooms to relax, before an informal round-table chat led by the group leaders. Both sides were delighted and surprised to see how many similarities existed between our universities, despite being separated by language and seas. Lively discussions took place about similarities and differences of resource management, research support, university organisation and systems, attendance monitoring and more. We also exchanged information about 'add-on' opportunities we get at times to do things outside our 'normal' jobs and that enhance our work life.

By the end of the discussion we had learned a lot of new things about our visitors and their work environment, but also about our own colleagues' areas of work. The conversation continued over lunch, by which time we had all got to know each other well. We then joined together for a group photograph, before the Örebro staff left to visit Cambridge's historic city centre in the rain.

A few weeks later an envelope was received through the post, with a Swedish postmark, containing a note that read: "Thank you so very much for such a nice and well-organised day at Anglia Ruskin University and we hope to see you in Örebro one day."

For more information, please contact either Karen Sturt or Geri Wren.

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