2 Teacher Trainings in Spring 2026: Advancing DEI through Critical Virtual Exchange, Role-Playing Games, and Conflict Transformation
2026-01-12 - 2026-05-01 | Online synchronous and asynchronous sessions in the ROCKET training environment
Are you a teacher in a university? Do you want to learn more about effective ways to address conflict, including issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? Are you interested in experiential learning methods for practicing socio-emotional skills? Consider joining our online training!
The Erasmus+ ROCKET project is holding an international online training in the Spring connecting topics related to DEI to skill building in conflict transformation. This training will take place in a Critical Virtual Exchange (CVE): an innovative format that includes asynchronous discussions with video conferencing sessions.
This teacher training will be open to members from the ENLIGHT network:

ROCKET Teacher Training
In this more extensive training, educators from different ENLIGHT universities are invited to come together to learn how to address issues of DEI and train skills in conflict transformation in your curriculum design. This training will also introduce best practices in Critical Virtual Exchange (CVE), using the training itself as a model. The training will be held in English.
If you attend the training, you will collaborate with other educators to plan activities related to your course content and experience role-playing methods in an embodied fashion. You will learn to recognise conflict styles as key drivers in everyday interactions and gain tools on how to make your classroom more inclusive.
In this training, you will learn to:

Identify underlying positions, interests, feelings, and needs in conflict
Practice different conflict styles through short role-playing scenarios
Discuss intersectional factors related to DEI in the university context
Map the support resources available at your institution
Recognize the value of critical virtual exchange in fostering (inter-)disciplinary and transversal competencies relevant to your courses
Identify design features of transformative role-playing games

Time commitment:
We have two options (iteration 1 or 2) for the teacher training. All learners will take the mandatory core modules, with the option at the end to take the extension modules.

Iteration 1 core modules (mandatory):

Date range: Jan. 12 – Feb. 06
16 hours spread over 4 weeks

5 asynchronous written discussions or journal entries
4 synchronous video conferencing sessions (5 hrs 30 min):
Jan 14 (10-11:00); Jan 23 (10-11:30); Jan 30 (14-16:00); Feb 6 (10-11:00). All times in CET.

Iteration 1 extension modules (optional):

Date range: Feb. 09 – March 13
24 hours total spread over 5 weeks
Option to take some or all modules
If you take all modules, 1 week / 40 hours total of training including the core, spread out over time

Maximum 9 asynchronous written discussions or journal entries
Maximum 4 synchronous video conferencing sessions (4 hrs 45 min): Feb. 19 (10-12:00); Feb. 27 (10-10:45); group meeting week of Mar. 09 (based on your schedule); Mar. 13 (10-11.00). All times in CET.

Iteration 2 core modules (mandatory):

Date range: Mar. 30 – Apr. 24
16 hours spread over 4 weeks

8 asynchronous written discussions or journal entries
4 synchronous video conferencing sessions (5 hrs 30 min):
Apr. 01 (10-11:00); Apr. 10 (10-11:30); Apr. 17 (14-16:00); Apr. 24 (10:00-11:00). All times in CEST.

Iteration 2 extension modules (optional):

Date range: Apr. 27 – May 29
24 hours total spread over 5 weeks
Option to take some or all modules
If you take all modules, 1 week / 40 hours total of training including the core, spread out over time

Maximum 9 asynchronous written discussions or journal entries
Maximum 4 synchronous video conferencing sessions (4 hrs 45 min): May 08 (10-12:00); May 18 (10-10:45); group meeting week of May 25 (based on your schedule); May 29 (10-11:00). All times in CEST.

In the extension modules, you can learn to:

Deepen your understanding of CVE and jointly work on a concrete scenario for future collaboration with a partner
Discuss educational applications of RPGs
Design and facilitate transformative role-playing games for conflict transformation
Address issues related to conflict and worldview, cognitive dissonance, and perception checking
Explore intersectional aspects of DEI from your own experience

Join our teacher training if you would like to explore new avenues of international collaboration with educators from other universities in the ENLIGHT network!
If you are unable to attend one or more of the synchronous sessions, please sign up anyway and indicate those dates on the form.

Registration for participation
! Registration deadline for It. 1 is December 1st, 2025 – Registration deadline for It. 2 is February 1st, 2026!

Your name

Your email

Your Institution

I want to attend the following iteration core module:
Iteration 1 (Jan. 12 - Feb. 06)Iteration 2 (Mar. 30 - Apr. 24)

I will NOT be able to attend the following sessions (all times in CEST):
Iteration 1:
Jan 14 (10-11)Jan 23 (10-11:30)Jan 30 (14-16)Feb 06 (10-11)

Iteration 2:
Apr 01 (10-11)Apr 10 (10-11:30)Apr 17 (14-16)Apr 24 (10-11)

Your Questions or comments (optional)

By submitting this form, you confirm that you have read and accept the Privacy Policy of the University of Göttingen (ROCKET’s coordinating institution).

Please be aware that places are limited and selection will refer to a “first come first serve” principle per partner university.
You will choose whether or not to take extensions at the end of the Core. If you participated in the pilot training in early 2025 already, you are eligible to sign up for the extension directly. Please let us know at rocket@uni-goettingen.de.
You will receive a digital badge or a digital certificate from one of our universities for successful completion.
* * *
If you have any questions about the course or need information on the accessibility of the online learning environment, materials or digital tools used during the training, please contact rocket@uni-goettingen.de.
ROCKET is an innovative project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships program with partners from Göttingen, Uppsala, and Groningen universities. The project develops a working concept for Critical Virtual Exchange which implements role-playing games for conflict transformation. These novel modes of online interaction can aid participants to take on new perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of issues relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Admin Staff Training in Spring 2026: Advancing DEI through Critical Virtual Exchange, Role-Playing Games, and Conflict Transformation
2026-02-09 - 2026-03-20 | Online synchronous and asynchronous sessions in the ROCKET training environment
Are you an admin staff in a university? Do you want to learn more about effective ways to address conflict, including issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? Are you interested in experiential learning methods for practicing socio-emotional skills? Consider joining one of our online trainings!
The Erasmus+ ROCKET project is holding an international online training in the spring connecting topics related to DEI to skill building in conflict transformation. This training will take place in a Critical Virtual Exchange (CVE): an innovative format that includes asynchronous discussions with video conferencing sessions.
This admin staff training will be open to members from the ENLIGHT network:

ROCKET Admin Staff Training
This training is intended for university employees who work with students, teachers, and other staff members in an administrative capacity. We are especially interested in employees in services related to human resources, accessibility, and student health, but anyone working for an ENLIGHT university is welcome. The training will be held in English.
In this training, you will learn to:

Identify underlying positions, interests, feelings, and needs in conflict
Practice different conflict styles through short role-playing scenarios
Discuss intersectional factors related to DEI in the university context
Map the support resources available at your institution

Time commitment:

Date range: Feb. 09 – Mar. 20
10 hours total spread over 6 weeks

4 asynchronous written discussions or journal entries
4 synchronous video conferencing sessions on Zoom

Feb 13 (13-14), Feb 27 (13-15), Mar 13 (13-15), Mar 20 (13-15). All times in CET.

This training is ideal if you want to learn the basics of conflict transformation and DEI while connecting with admin staff in other universities. You will receive a digital badge or a digital certificate from one of our universities for successful completion. Please be aware that places are limited and selection will refer to a “first come first serve” principle per partner university.
If you are unable to attend one or more of the synchronous sessions, please sign up anyway and indicate those dates on the form.

Registration for participation

Registration deadline is December 1st, 2025!

Your name

Your email

Your Institution

I will NOT be able to attend the following sessions (all times in CEST):
Feb 13 (13-14)Feb 27 (13-15)Mar 13 (13-15)Mar 20 (13-15)

Your Questions or comments (optional)

By submitting this form, you confirm that you have read and accept the Privacy Policy of the University of Göttingen (ROCKET’s coordinating institution).

* * *
If you have any questions about the course or need information on the accessibility of the online learning environment, materials or digital tools used during the training, please contact rocket@uni-goettingen.de.
ROCKET is an innovative project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships program with partners from Göttingen, Uppsala, and Groningen universities. The project develops a working concept for Critical Virtual Exchange which implements role-playing games for conflict transformation. These novel modes of online interaction can aid participants to take on new perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of issues relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

ROCKET Outreach Conference #3
2026-05-04 - 2026-05-06 | Private: Sternwarte Göttingen, Geismar Landstraße 11, Göttingen, 37083, Germany
Inter/Faces: Experiences with Interculturality and Diversity around Critical Virtual Exchange
How can we account for diversity in higher education and promote equal opportunities? How can we adapt to a teaching context which not only becomes increasingly intercultural, but has also moved from the analog into the digital realm in recent years? And how can we navigate the conflicts that arise, learn about ourselves, and foster the wellbeing of students, lecturers, and administrative staff alike?

Early registration
You are a teacher, admin staff or student (master/phd) at a university and interested to participate in the ROCKET Outreach Conference at the University of Göttingen? You can fill in the following form already:
Please register here
By submitting this form, you confirm that you have read and accept the Privacy Policy of the University of Göttingen (ROCKET’s coordinating institution).

Outreach Event Programme
The main language of the conference will be English. Scholars of all levels of qualification are holding 20-minute presentations. The conference will further include a student panel featuring a discussion as well as sessions, workshops, and future open educational resources.

Keynotes
Prof. Dr. Carolyn Blume (PH Heidelberg) – “The Capability to Launch: Power, Identity, and Inclusion in Digital Spaces”
Prof. Dr. Mathilde Niehaus (Cologne University) – “From Invisible to Influential: Empowering Staff and Students with Chronic Conditions and Disabilities in Universities”
Prof. Dr. Debbie Ging (Dublin City University) – “Game Changers?: Reflections on designing scenario-led interventions on masculinity, gender-based violence and the manosphere”
Presentations
Session I: Inclusion, Intercultural Understanding, and Critical Virtual Exchange

Building intercultural competence through educational role-playing games (Schreiber)
Cracking the Culture Code: Cultivating Intercultural Competence to Transform Diversity into Team Strength (Granson)
Going beyond “Did the Zoom Work?”: Measuring, evaluation and learning from DEI Impact in Critical Virtual Exchange (Berkowitz)
Bridging Cultures in Hybrid Spaces: Lessons from Virtual Exchange and Seasonal Schools in Intercultural Learning (Topuz)

Session II: (Neuro)Diversity and Roleplaying Games

Learning Neurodiversity and Cognitive Alterity by Doing: A Game-Based Pedagogy for Developing Cognitive Empathy (Rebecchi)
Teleneuro: Results and Findings from a Neurodivergent TTRPG Design Workshop (Femia)
Developing a Mid- to Long-Form Structure for Conflict Transformation and Reduction Dialogue Utilizing Campaign Appropriate Games (Heath)

Session III: On Gender Equity and Becoming a Researcher

The Sexist Journalism Observatory as an Interface for DEI: Critical Virtual Exchange and Role-Play in Journalism Education (Taboada-Castell and Merchan-Mota)
Two Cultures, One Problem? Gender-Specific Barriers for Early Career Researchers in the Natural Sciences and the Humanities (Övermann and Fulda)
Designing Inclusive Doctoral Support: From Symbolic Equality to Structured DEI in German Universities of Applied Sciences (Lange)

The presentations address one of the project areas and place a strong focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We are interested in various kinds of inter/faces; a term which we take to extend to intercultural exchange, diversity, digital teaching formats and how they can connect participants across the globe. We also apply this term to conflict transformation and role-playing games, which allow us to interact playfully by putting on a different face. Topics include, but are not limited to:

State-of-the-art approaches to promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Higher Education, from a research, teaching, or administrative perspective
Intercultural exchange and learning experiences in a physical and/or digital setting
Implementing inclusive and equitable teaching in Critical Virtual Exchange
Role-Playing Games in Relation to Critical Virtual Exchange and/or DEI
Perspectives on Diversity and Conflict Transformation

There is no participation fee. We offer a 300€ travel subsidiary to all speakers. To (non-speaker) administrative staff who are interested in attending, we recommend checking with your local International Office about the possibility of Erasmus+ staff mobility funding in this context. The event will take place on-site in Göttingen. The conference rooms are accessible via elevator. In case of questions, please contact rocket@uni-goettingen.de. Since places are limited, earlier registrations may be prioritized.

The project ROCKET (“Role-Playing Games on Conflict Transformation for Equity in Higher Education through Virtual Exchange”) began in 2024. The project’s main objective is to develop a blueprint for Critical Virtual Exchange (cf. Hauck), which integrates interpersonal and conflict transformation skills as well as the innovative teaching format of online role-playing games, in order to deepen intercultural understanding and appreciation of diversity in higher education. Initiated in the ENLIGHT network and conceived by the universities of Göttingen, Groningen, and Uppsala, ROCKET is a cooperation partnership funded by Erasmus+. Accordingly, it combines areas of expertise from all three institutions and thereby addresses matters of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Göttingen), Critical Virtual Exchange (Groningen), and Role-Playing Games and Conflict Transformation (Uppsala).
Reference: Hauck, Mirjam: From Virtual Exchange to Critical Virtual Exchange and Critical Internationalization at Home (2023-07-03). The Global Impact Exchange, 2023 (Spring). 9-12.
