Erasmus+

"Establishing a national framework of key performance indicators (KPIs) for the proper management and quality of inclusive, digital and green-oriented higher education in Armenia" (KPI4HE) project aims to improve the management of the higher education system and the strategic planning of universities.

About KPI4HE program

The “Establishment of National Framework of Key Performance Indicators for Good Governance and Quality towards Inclusive, digital and green-oriented Higher Education in Armenia” (KPI4HE) project aims to improve higher education system governance, university strategic planning, and management contributing to quality and inclusive, digital and green-oriented higher education in Armenia through development and implementation of National framework of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for higher education (NF-KPI), operationalization of Institutional Research and Planning Services (IRPS) and revision of State Institutional Accreditation Standards in line with NF-KPI.

The core of the project will be the capacity building of national and institutional administrators, decision and policymakers, educators, and researchers to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals targeting environmental issues into NF-KPI as a tool for higher education steering and university governance practices, strategic planning, management, and quality assurance.

Details can be found on the project website.

On April 4, 2023, the "Erasmus +" "T-GREEN" project "Transforming Graduate Education for a Green and Sustainable Future" funded by the European Union was launched. The project will last for 3 years. The National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia coordinates it. The co-coordinator of the project is Eurasia International University (EIU).

The T-GREEN project addresses the need to reform graduate education in Armenia in support of the Green Deal, enabling the shift from traditional to future-oriented, green, and interdisciplinary curricula, promoting student mobility, and designing collaborative degree implementation schemes.

The core of the project will be the capacity building of national and institutional administrators, decision-makers, educators, researchers, and students to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals targeting environmental issues into policies and educational content. 

The Armenian participants of the project are the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, National Center for Quality Assurance, Yerevan State University, Eurasia International University, State University of Economics of Armenia, French University of Armenia, National Polytechnic University of Armenia, National Agrarian University of Armenia, Goris State University, Gavar State University, " "Erasmus Students Network Yerevan" and "Bridge of Hope" public organizations.

EU partners are the International Hellenic University (Greece), Mikolas Romeris University (Lithuania), Catholic University of Portugal (Portugal), and Jagiellonian University of Krakow (Poland).

During the initial online meeting of the project (April 4-5, 2023), the principles of the project were presented, individual action packages were discussed, the persons responsible for the implementation of the works, and the deadlines were presented.

YSU representatives participated in the meeting held in Poland

Within the framework of the "Transformation of Graduate Education for a Green and Sustainable Future" ("T-GREEN") project of the "Erasmus+" program. On November 21-24, a meeting was held in Krakow, Poland, in which representatives of 17 universities and other institutions participating in the project consortium took part.

Within the framework of the meeting held at the Jagiellonian University, the participants of the program discussed agenda issues such as the standards for the development of curricula, the challenges of professional qualification, and the regulations regarding double or joint scientific degrees.

During the meeting, Jagiellonian University Vice-Rector, Professor Armen Yedigaryan presented the history of the university to the participants, then referred to the topics discussed in the European educational community, emphasizing the importance of issues related to "Chat GPT" and micro-credentials.

CLUVEX (Climate University for Virtual Exchanges; 2023-2026) is a three-year project implemented by four universities in Finland, Denmark, Ukraine, and Armenia, together with a non-profit association of arts and sciences based in Finland. 

CLUVEX’s thematic areas are “climate action, environment, and nature protection”, “environment and climate change” and “green skills”. CLUVEX organizes virtual seminars and facilitates the participation of university students in the Climate University MOOCs.

About CLUVEX

The project aim is to bridge students from European and the Neighbourhood East universities and to engage them with climate competencies e.g. ideas of adaptation and mitigation to climate change and the green agenda together with interdisciplinary/ green/ soft skills.

The project’s main activity is interactive online courses including traditional education materials in a way that students, professors, and teaching assistants will work together in small groups.

CLUVEX builds on atmospheric sciences research and an existing virtual online platform called “Climate University” developed and hosted by the University of Helsinki (coordinator). The Climate University has been already piloted since 2018 in 25 higher education institutions in Finland. VE activities will be integrated into Climate University higher education e-courses involving 2500 higher education participants.

The novelty of the project is that art and science partner BioArt Society will present artistic perspectives on how contemporary art seeks to contribute to the public discourse on climate change through VE lectures and creative exercises. CLUVEX will be implemented on a 50-50% basis so that half of the participants come from universities of Denmark and Finland e.g. European universities and the other half from the Neighbourhood East universities. All the partners bring their technical tools together with pedagogical expertise for designing new VE interactions between students. The project also uses its networks like Una Europa, an alliance of 9 European universities, the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Campus initiative, in Europe, and Neighbourhood East to attract other participants on a diverse basis.

Main goals

1) Consolidate and unite students from universities in Europe and the Neighborhood East and engage them in learning climate skills and social skills,

2) Develop and design a new, customized virtual exchange concept for climate education and training;

3) Train new facilitators and moderators on climate competencies and flexible skills for virtual exchanges;

4) Train university students to act as community climate ambassadors;

5) Expand and disseminate information about virtual exchange as a powerful tool that brings together students in different geographical locations.

Partners

UH-INAR - Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

OSENU – Odessa State Ecological University, Odessa, Ukraine

TSNUK – Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Kyiv, Ukraine

YSU - Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia

UCPH – University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

BioArt - BioArt Society, NGO, Helsinki, Finland

Expert Advisory Board (EAB)

The Expert Advisory Board (EAB) makes recommendations for the implementation of the program to the steering committee. EAB visiting members also serve as ambassadors for the wider dissemination of the RE concept within their networks. EAB members are invited to distribute four representatives of relevant bodies and have experience and leadership in international educational networks.

Dr. Yinka R. Adebayo, Director, WMO Education and Training Directorate and Deputy Director, WMO Member Services and Development, Switzerland

Dr. Wilfran Moufouma-Okia, Chief, Regional Climate Prediction Services, WMO, Geneva, Switzerland

Dr. Kirsi Latola, Research Coordinator, Thule Institute, University of Oulu, and Vice President of the UArctic Network, Finland

Dr Katja Lauri, Director of Research at UH, Finland Head of the Nordic University Faculty Network for Atmospheric Biosphere Studies (ABS)

Student Advisory Board (SAB)

The Student Advisory Board (SAB) advises on program implementation. The SAB consists of ten students with a 50-50 gender split.

The major outcome is nurturing the generation of young Climate Messengers competent in building climate awareness and sustainability strategies in their home organizations and future work lives. CLUVEX has a high momentum in the post-COVID-19 situation, where we do not know how soon face-to-face communication will be normalized, and the sustainability of traveling is questioned in a world aiming at carbon neutrality. Thus, the VE cooperation complements the ongoing physical mobility opportunities in the field of climate change research and the ensemble of political decisions and issues, where Neighbourhood East has an especially important role on a global scale and new Climate Messengers could be much-needed expertise in labor markets.

The specific objectives of the project are to design an innovative curriculum and management mechanisms for a joint MA program in PS among EaP countries via the European Approach for Accreditation of JP (Bologna Declaration, Yerevan 2015). The developed Joint Program (JP) will comply with EU quality standards and acquire accreditation for the joint MA program in PS on international and national levels through the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) and national quality assurance agencies in partner countries.

The program envisages the training of teaching and administrative staff of universities for the joint Master's program with the specialization "Politics" for the implementation of multifaceted, innovative management and teaching methods, as well as to strengthen the capabilities of universities by creating a joint virtual educational space.

The program aims to engage in international political science through outreach, and collaborative research.

Project Duration: 36 months (January 2024-September 2027).

Project coordinator: Institute of Public Relations of Georgia.

Project participants:

1. Yerevan State University (RA)

2. Eurasia International University (RA)

3. Paris Laudron University of Salzburg (Austria)

4. St. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje (Macedonia)

5. Ivane Javakhishvi Tbilisi State University (Georgia)

6. Lviv Ivan Franko National University (Ukraine)

7. "Kiev-Mogilev Academy" National University (Ukraine)

Associate partners:

1. Bishkek OSCE Academy (Kyrgyzstan)

2. European Neighborhood Council (Belgium)

3. Academy of Open Administration (Georgia)

4. International Political Science Association (Canada)

5. Georgian Political Science Association (Georgia)

6. LOUAIZE - University of Notre Dame (Lebanon)

More details about the program are here: https://erasmusplus.am/course/curriculum-development-joint-ma-program-i…

ReGard is a three-year project that aims to create a green and sustainable environment that will improve educational quality and progress for undergraduate students in Armenia and Moldova.

Twelve universities from five countries participate in the project.

Information about the project kick-off meeting here: https://shorturl.at/fnuzC

"Erasmus+" program: 617695-EPP-1-2020-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP

"Development of post-university interdisciplinary educational programs in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan and strengthening of research networks in the field of global information technologies 2021-2024" ("GEOTAK") project

The goals of the project are:

- to develop post-graduate higher education programs in the field of global information technologies (GIT),

- to strengthen the existing relations between Armenian and Kyrgyz higher education institutions, industry, and management in the field of research and innovation,

- to formulate the requirements of Kyrgyzstan and Armenia in the field of research and development in the field of information technology (GIT), which is widespread in the world,

- to create a research project network for each participating partner country, through which it will be possible to coordinate and implement innovative projects and joint research projects,

- to carry out actions in the direction of improvement and (or) re-equipment of GIT research laboratories,

- to train experts from partner countries on GIT topics that are of special interest from the point of view of regional innovation development and environmental protection,

- to provide teachers and organizers of the educational process in partner countries with knowledge and skills on various topics of higher education following the standards of the Bologna process,

- to create a research project network for each participating partner country, through which it will be possible to coordinate and implement innovative projects and joint research projects,

- to develop and strengthen cooperation between universities and the implementation of joint projects, which will become important bases for sustainable development in partner countries,

- to create prerequisites for the exchange of experience and perspectives between partner countries, the aim of which is to solve existing socio-economic problems and to stimulate the development of new research strategies.

The organizations included in the project are:

1. Polytechnic University of Valencia - UPV, Spain (program coordinator),

2. Royal Institute of Technology - KTH, Sweden,

3. University of Ljubljana, Slovenia,

4. Free University of Brussels, Belgium,

5. National Agrarian University of Armenia,

6. National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia,

7. Yerevan State University,

8. Cadastre Committee of the Republic of Armenia,

9. Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia,

10. Kyrgyzstan State University of Construction, TranSports and Architecture,

11. Kyrgyzstan State University of Geology, Mountain Affairs and Natural Resources,

12. Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic,

13. Osh Technological University, Kyrgyzstan,

14. Cartographic-Geodetic State Service of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan.

The interregional approach of the project is based on the combination of information technology, innovation, and research fields between Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, as well as on the belief that the exchange of perspectives will increase their mutual potential and contribute to the development of the sector.

Official website of the project: https://geotak.webs.upv.es/.

Yerevan State University participates in the "Erasmus+ KA-2 TOPAS" program "Practical training with the theoretical orientation of agricultural studies".

TOPAS aims at filling the gap within a common former Soviet-inherited agricultural sciences higher education system in these countries and practical training in real working environments to provide a better match between job market needs and the qualifications offered.

The goals of the project are:

• to impart up-to-date and flexible theoretical and practical knowledge to new graduates and alumni,

• to ensure transparency in the implementation of various programs of agrarian management,

• to promote cooperation between universities and stakeholders (farms, agricultural associations and industry organizations);

• to organize and implement practically oriented courses in the working environment,

• to provide participants with the ability to analyze labor market requirements and make decisions.

The relevance of the project and the effectiveness of its implementation are evaluated by pre-defined indicators, which refer to the development and the results obtained. The proposed indicators, such as evaluations related to students, professors, and employers, make it possible to determine the degree of satisfaction of the participants with the courses they attended. 

These indicators of satisfaction are as follows:

• a scaled assessment of the new curricula and new qualification requirements to determine the degree of satisfaction of employers and lecturers;

• the scale assessment of the lecturer's teaching abilities, which determines the degree of student satisfaction,

• the assessment determining the satisfaction of students with the knowledge they received,

• the student's assessment of the lecturer's use of modern teaching technologies,

• the assessment of the lecturer's satisfaction with the availability of modern teaching technologies.

According to the requirements of "TOPAS", a survey was conducted in the universities participating in the program, followed by a comparative analysis of the results. Three different questionnaires for students, professors, and employers have been developed in advance for conducting surveys. The conducted research made it possible to evaluate the degree of satisfaction of the three parties participating in the surveys with the use of teaching technologies, the level of knowledge obtained, the relevance, and practical orientation.

The research conducted at YSU was published in the "Newspaper of the Engineering Academy of Armenia" and was presented at scientific conferences organized within the framework of the "TOPAS" project.

Fulfilling the requirements of the program, YSU participants prepared:

• agrarian economics online teaching courses,

• agrarian database management information system,

• A mobile application for online agrarian data transmission (farm field data transmission to the server).

The PowerPoint Presentations presented by YSU participants within the framework of the "TOPAS" project are:

• Restructuring of agricultural economy education in YSU.

• Master's program in Data Science for Agriculture Business.

• Data collection for Machinery-Data.

• Assessment of teachers' activities to organize student-centered classes at YSU.

• The Desktop application has been written in Scala programming language.

• Distributing among students envelopes with results of assessments related to their written answers to previous questions (peer learning).

• Distributing classroom study materials one week before the lecture and discussing these with students during the lecture (flipped learning).

Coordinator of "TOPAS" program at YSU: Aram Arakelyan.

 Creation of the "Armenian Network of Excellence in Bio-products Science and Technology" (ABioNet) of "Erasmus+ KA2" 

586136-EPP-1-2017-1-EL-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP

The goals of the ABioNet project are:

• to develop new master's programs in partner universities,

• to integrate modules into student startups based on bio-based production and generator of connections between bio-production and educational fields,

• to develop short-term training courses for various stakeholders that will enable them to acquire skills in the development and production of bio-based products.

The transformation of doctoral education in Armenia in line with the requirements of the academic industry and current EU practices (ARMDOCT)

Official Website:  http://armdoct.com/media/

The project is aimed at the creation of postgraduate programs in public health and social work at partner universities, contributing to the integration of medical and social approaches in the regulation of public health issues.

1. Project name:

Postgraduate programs in public health and social sciences

(Doctoral Programs in Public Health and Social Sciences (DPPHSS))

2. Project number: 597977-EPP-1-2018-1-AM-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP(2018-3051/001-001)

3. Duration of the project: 2018-2021                                       

4. Project coordinator: Yerevan M. Heratsi State Medical University

5. Project participants:

Yerevan M. Heratsi State Medical University, RA,

Yerevan State University, RA,

Tbilisi State University after I. Javakhishvili, Georgia,

University of Georgia, Georgia,

Babes-Bolyai University, Romania,

University of Gothenburg, Sweden,

Upper Austrian University of Applied Sciences, Austria,

Slovak Medical University, Slovakia,

RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports

Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Georgia.

6. Project Description:

The project is aimed at creating postgraduate programs in public health and social work at partner universities, contributing to the integration of medical and social approaches in the regulation of public health issues.

It is the sequel of the previous project implemented from 2010 to 2013. The latter was aimed at creating master's programs in public health and social work at partner universities.

After the successful implementation of the mentioned project, there was a need to ensure the sequence and logical development of educational programs, which were planned to be implemented through this project.

7. Main goals of the project:

• to establish postgraduate programs in public health and social work at partner universities, to promote the cooperation of public health and social work specialists in the regulation of public health and social issues,

• to ensure the continuity of the previously implemented program and the continuous development of public health and social work education.

For detailed information, visit the project’s website: http://dpphss.am/

The general goals of the Modest project are to expand the level of cooperation in postgraduate studies between higher education institutions of partner countries in the European Higher Education and Research Platform.

1. Name of the project:

Modernization of Doctoral Education in Science and Improvement of Teaching Methodologies (MODEST)

2. Project number: 598549-EPP-1-2018-1-LV-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP

3. Duration of the project: 2018-2021

4. The project coordinator: University of Latvia

5. Program participants

1. University of Latvia, Latvia

2. Yerevan State University, RA

3. National Polytechnic University of Armenia, RA

4. Armenian State Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan, RA

5. Brunel University of London, United Kingdom

6. Yliopisto University of Helsinki, Finland

7. Jagiellonian University, Poland

8. National Technical University of Belarus, Belarus

9. Polotsk State University, Belarus

10. Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, Belarus

11. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Russia

12. Kazan National Research Technological University, Russia

13. Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography, Russia

14. Federal state educational budget of the institution of higher professional training, Russia

6. Project description:

The general goals of the Modest project are to expand the level of cooperation in doctoral studies between higher education institutions of partner countries in the European Higher Education and Research Platform.

The main goals of the project are:

• to improve the quality and employability of postgraduate graduates in higher education institutions of cooperating countries, modernizing the internationalization of postgraduate education, as well as increasing the level of mobility, following the Salzburg principles and BFGU advice, using new teaching methods, 

• to facilitate the coordination of tools and organize special training courses for academic and administrative staff of higher education institutions of partner countries who are engaged in the training of postgraduates, following the Bologna process, 

• to develop the skills of research and educational staff, train them in new teaching methods, create an environment for modern teaching and research based on a student-centered approach, and the development of competitive programs

• to create postgraduate training centers in higher education institutions of partner countries, to improve the structure and internal potential of doctoral education and research services, as well as to ensure their sustainability and cooperation with EU partner countries.

7. Total budget: €983,975

For detailed information, visit the project's official website: https://www.modest.lu.lv, https://www.emodest.eu/

Workshop within the Erasmus+ MODEST project (May 27-28, 2020, Zoom platform)

On May 27-28, 2020, within the framework of the Erasmus+ MODEST project (on the Zoom platform), a remote seminar titled "Organization and Management of Postgraduate Training and Research Methodology" was held, the organizers of which were the Universities of Helsinki (UHEL) and Brunel University of London (BUL). All partner universities of the MODEST project took an active part in the implementation of the seminar.

The event was originally planned to be held at Hyytiälä Forest Research Station (Finland), but due to COVID-19, it was moved to a virtual platform.

In total, more than 160 participants were registered, of which 130 actively participated in the seminar. The participants were international scientists-professors, researchers, teachers, candidates of science, managers, and employees of various organizations (from 14 partner universities).

The workshop consisted of 5 sessions conducted in an oral and deliberative format.

In the 1st session, the experience of using technologies in Latvian, Polish, British, and Finnish extended education, organization and evaluation of scientific activities of graduate students, effective remote planning and supervision of research activities of graduate students and Master's students, as well as administrative organization of training of graduate students were discussed. During the 2nd session, the representatives of the universities of Armenia, Belarus, and Russia of the Erasmus+ MODEST project presented the needs of postgraduate students, proposing to create postgraduate training centers, where the management of the aforementioned centers would be organized through homework assignments. The 4th session was dedicated to the presentation of the Erasmus+ MODEST project process (14 items) developed by the international team, which consists of three phases: research, teaching and education, cooperation, and communication. In the 3rd and 5th sessions, an exchange of experience was carried out.

At the end of each day, participants were given an individual online survey about the effectiveness of the workshop.

The full video recording of the seminar and additional information will be available soon at this link: https://www.emodest.eu/index.php/meetings/11-training-on-organization-a…- methodology.

Over the summer, inter-university teams will continue the process of revising the courses for the aforementioned program.

2On July 16, 2020, the second discussion seminar with the participation of "Erasmus+ MODEST" doctoral students took place, which was about stress management.

The topics of discussion were stress, what are the types of stress, and how stress can affect the body, thinking, emotions, and actions. The seminar allowed the participants to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the causes of stress, to improve their stress management skills, so that in the future, in different situations, it will be possible to overcome it. The participants also focused on the fact that stress appears not only as a result of negative feelings but also of positive emotions and events, such as, for example, marriage, education, etc.

The representatives of member countries of the "Erasmus+ MODEST" program participated in the seminar.

More details can be found: at https://www.facebook.com/modestmodernization/posts/3079340982184445

«Erasmus+ MODEST» (8-15 December 2020)

We inform you that on December 8 and 15, 2020 (starting at 14:00 Helsinki time) a presentation on the situation of network development of PhD courses will be held by the partners of the "Erasmus+ MODEST" project on the "Zoom" platform (https://helsinki.zoom.us/j/476604639): C "Communication and Collaboration" and A "Research".

More details: https://www.emodest.eu 

https://www.facebook.com/modestmodernization/posts/3476829989102207

https://www.facebook.com/modestmodernization/posts/3483712338413972 

https://www.facebook.com/modestmodernization/posts/3493636390754900

https://www.facebook.com/modestmodernization/posts/3493636390754900

MODEST zoom event on PhD courses development for Strand-C “Communication and Cooperation”

MODEST zoom event on PhD courses development for Strand-A “Research”

MODEST zoom event on PhD courses development for Strand-B “Teaching and Learning”

Webinars and lectures have been/will be held for PhD students in the MODEST program (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hxzpwEaK6fCFIHy5asiWo42rw-Ck2iyX/view?…).

Another lecture will take place on February 4 (at 10:00 LV time), to which you can register here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14q76Ul59_TbqF504oIeHCsJH6y1s-GXO/view? usp=sharing:

On February 11, 2021, an annual meeting was held within the framework of the Erasmus + MODEST program, during which the program training held during 2020 was discussed, as well as the next steps planned for 2021 were discussed and highlighted.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, last year was quite busy for the entire team, as activities were carried out in the field of Doctoral education development, for example, an analytical report on European coordinating and strategic documents was developed: doctoral education in Finland, Latvia, Poland, and the United Kingdom, general attention was also paid to postgraduate (doctoral) education in Russia, Belarus and Armenia).

Creating a network of graduate students, the team has launched its first activities.

In addition, 8 webinars were held on some current postgraduate topics, for example, stress management, work-based learning, organization of postgraduate training centers, etc.

The MODEST team has begun to work closely with the ARMDOCT program, as the goal of both programs is to strengthen the quality of postgraduate education.

As the program coordinator Inga Skendere mentioned, the main goal of 2021 will be the development of doctoral education training centers, the creation and strengthening of pilot courses, and the student network. In addition, summer schools will be organized according to students' needs. Despite the difficulties, the team is very positive in organizing and implementing future activities and programs.

An important work was the development of training courses tailored to the needs of universities, such as research methodology and research design, project formulation, project management, and funding sources, as well as the marketing of research, management skills, etc.

The goal of the Erasmus + MODEST project is the scientific modernization of doctoral education between European countries and Armenia, Belarus, and Russia.

The more comprehensive goal of the project is to expand the opportunities for postgraduate (doctoral) education within the framework of the European Partnership (EHEA) and European Research Cooperation (ERA) between the universities of the partner countries.

You can find out more details from the links below:

https://www.emodest.eu,
https://www.facebook.com/modestmodernization:

On March 18, 2021, at noon (LV time, "Zoom" platform), the Erasmus + MODEST (Modernization of Doctoral Education in Science and Improvement of Teaching Methodologies) the next webinar on "Research Methodology: "from hypothesis setting to publication"(one-hour duration) will be held.

The webinar will cover topics such as planning research hypotheses and literature in Scopus and Web of Science databases, daily research activities, and processing research results. In the end, the research results will be discussed, and the successful ones will be submitted for publication.

To participate, you need to register using the following link: https://forms.gle/ACfi5PnmfjPgQC6y5.

The goal of the Erasmus + MODEST project is to modernize doctoral studies in the field of natural sciences in European countries, as well as in Armenia, Belarus, and Russia.

The aim of the project is active inter-university cooperation in the European Research Region (ERA).

On April 8, 2021, at 15:30, the MODEST (Modernization of Doctoral Education in Science and Improvement of Teaching Methodologies) project's webinar entitled "Research Commercialization" will take place.

Governments and academic institutions have recognized the importance of research in the late twentieth century. Currently, one of the main drivers of economic growth is knowledge, which requires large investments in education and training.

Within the framework of the MODEST project, the training course "Commercialization of Research" was developed. During the course, the learning and experience of the pilot program participants will be presented.

Dilbar Sultanova (KNRTU, Russia), Andrey Materukhin (MIIGAIK, Russia), and Tatyana Kalganova (BUL, UK) are the speakers.

The webinar is intended for colleagues as well as staff, faculty, and students from other universities who are interested in incorporating similar courses into postgraduate courses.

To      participate: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VPT1Xt5BlJl3CS09bZgeMCH4ghbqcnkU/view?usp=sharing,
https://zoom.us/j/92276804586?pwd=eWRmaXVXbHBWckR5N3JKUWsxdGVIUT09 (Meeting ID: 922 7680 4586, Passcode: 292115)

On May 20, 2021 (at noon Yerevan time) within the framework of the "Erasmus + MODEST" (Modernization of Doctoral Education in Science and Improvement of Teaching Methodologies) project, a webinar on "Salzburg basics: structural development 3rd stage" will be held.

During the webinar, the participants will receive a step-by-step study on the implementation of the Salzburg principles, as well as identify the existence of study problems in Armenian universities and try to offer solutions.

The head of the YSU Scientific Policy Department Yeranuhi Manukyan will conduct the webinar.

Scientists, graduate students, as well as representatives of research centers can participate in the webinar.

To participate (Zoom)

https://zoom.us/j/96056469247?pwd=N1c0N0wwRlY1cVl2azRCblY3UkltUT09 

Meeting ID: 960 5646 9247

Passcode: 572470

A webinar titled "Research Commercialization" will be organized within the framework of the Erasmus+ MODEST program, which will take place on May 25, 2021 (at 5 PM (LV time)).

The process of knowledge commercialization will be explored during the webinar. Highlights of the webinar will also include an overview of commercialization research, best practices, and common university mistakes.

The speaker is Reinis Lasmanis, who previously worked at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia as Head of Science Commercialization and has extensive experience in science commercialization. He has evaluated more than 100 start-up and science-based business ideas from public research institutions. As a guest lecturer at Riga Technical University, he teaches the course "Startup Development" for Latvian and foreign students.

https://drive.google.com/file/ (for registration)
https://zoom.us/j/94620340719 (zoom-link)
Meeting ID: 946 2034 0719
Passcode: 146548:

Kazan National Research Technical University (KNRTU) organized a partnership meeting within the framework of the Erasmus + MODEST program from June 1-4. The event was organized in a mixed format. Representatives of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, Yerevan State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography, and Russian State Pedagogical University were present at the meeting. On June 1, the opening ceremony of the first doctoral training center (DTC) was held at the Department of Foreign Languages ​​of Professional Communication at KNRTU. There was also a virtual visit to the University of Latvia.

On June 2, representatives of the participating universities presented a series of presentations. The speakers reported on the courses developed for doctoral students. During the meeting, the participants visited the Department of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry. A cooperation agreement was signed between the National Polytechnic University of Armenia and KNRTU. On June 3, the participants of the meeting presented their reports and then discussed the next steps.

More details can be found at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/modestmodernization/posts/3980504892068045:

MINERVA project aims to contribute to the implementation of the basic principles of accessible science in the universities of Moldova and Armenia. Public science, innovation, and openness to the world are some of the main targets of the research and innovation strategy in the European Research Area (ERA).

1. Name of the project:

Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia (MINERVA)

Co-funded by the Erasmus + Program of the European Union

2. Program number: 597912-EPP-1-2018-1-MD-EPPKA2-CBHE-SP (2018-2935/ 001-001)

3. Duration of the project: 2019-2022

4. The project coordinator: Academy of Economics of Moldova

5. Project participants:

1. Moldovan Academy of Economics

2. University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Moldova

3. State Technical University of Moldova

4. Council of Rectors of Moldova

5. Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of Moldova

6. Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi

7. State University of Economics of Armenia

8. Yerevan State University

9. Yerevan State University of Linguistics and Social Sciences after V. Brusov 

10. RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports

11. University of Liège, Belgium

12. Marconi University, Italy

13. University of Valencia, Spain

14. Cote d'Azur University, France

15. University of Montpellier, France

16. Institute for European Policy Development and Research, Slovenia

6. Project description

The MINERVA project aims to contribute to the implementation of the basic principles of accessible science in the universities of Moldova and Armenia. Public science, innovation, and openness to the world are some of the main targets of the research and innovation strategy in the European Research Area (ERA).

Public access to science is an effective basis for research transparency, dissemination, effective collaboration, and accountability.

The academic community of Moldova and Armenia has already recognized the importance and advantage of the principles of accessible science, which are manifested through many initiatives implemented by government bodies, educational systems, libraries, non-governmental organizations, and publishers of scientific journals.

However, the non-coordinated nature of the innovative and research activities of the mentioned structures, the incomplete mutual understanding of the standards, and the lack of clear legal support make these initiatives ineffective and isolated from the point of view of global integration.

As a result of the implementation of the MINERVA project, the institutional capacity development policy of human resources is planned to improve through some legislative changes that will contribute to the preparation of researchers for the labor market and society and their career development.

7. Project activities are:

• To develop national and institutional policies, regulations, guidelines, and incentives for Moldova and Armenia for publicly accessible science;

• To create university digital repositories in all Moldovan and Armenian partner universities of the project and promote their infrastructural development and interaction,

• to support the development of the research capacity of scientists through the sustainable implementation of the principles of accessible science,

• to expand public engagement and increase accountability, especially in publicly funded research.

8. Total budget: €979,989.00

For detailed information, visit the official website of the project: http://minerva-project.ase.md/en/ 

"MINERVA"

On October 7-8, 2021, within the framework of the MINERVA project, the international conference on access to education was held at YSU. Details attached.

October 20, 2021 

INFORMATION SESSION ON RESEARCH AND OPEN SCIENCE 

On October 20, 2021, within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) program, an informative seminar on research management and publicly accessible science was held for YSU employees and students.

During the information seminar, the concept of publicly available science was presented, its technical problems were highlighted, and the idea of ​​publicly available information and its standards were also presented.

October 27, 2021 

INFORMATION SESSION ON RESEARCH AND OPEN SCIENCE 

On October 27, 2021, within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) program, an informative seminar on research management and publicly accessible science was held for YSU students.

During the information seminar, the concept of publicly accessible science was presented, its technical problems were highlighted, and the idea of ​​publicly accessible information, its standards, publicly accessible journals were also presented.

November 11, 2021 

INFORMATION SESSION ON MINERVA PROJECT 

On November 11, 2021, within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project, an information seminar on the MINERVA program was held for YSU employees.

During the informational seminar, the general description of the MINERVA project was given, its goals, and the final results of the project were presented.

November 17, 2021

ORGANIZE AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT SESSION 

On November 17, 2021, within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science Capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) program, an informative seminar on career development and organization was held for YSU students and employees.

During the seminar, ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID), the program, the main ways of its application, as well as its importance, were presented.

November 25

INFO SESSION ON MINERVA 

On November 11, 2021, an informative seminar on the MINERVA program was held for YSU students within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science Capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project.

During the informational seminar, the general description of the MINERVA project was given, its goals, and the final results of the project were presented.

NOVEMBER 29

SEMINAR SESSION ON HRS4R

On November 29, 2021, a meeting discussion with YSU young researchers and graduate students took place in the research classroom 406 of the Faculty of Radiophysics of YSU in a hybrid format.

During the meeting, the steps taken and current activities within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project were presented.

The opportunities of the "HRS4R development program" and the changes that will be indicated at the end of the program at the Yerevan State University were also presented at the meeting.

December 14, 2021

SEMINAR SESSION ON HRS4R FOR STAFF

On December 14, 2021, within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science Capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project, an information seminar on Human Resources Strategy for Researchers was held for YSU employees.

The GAP analysis and action plan were presented during the seminar. Issues of working conditions and social security, as well as supervision and management, were discussed.

December 16, 2021

SEMINAR SESSION ON HRS4R FOR STAFF

On December 16, 2021, within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science Capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project, an information seminar on Human Resources Strategy for Researchers was held for YSU employees.

Ethical and professional aspects, as well as issues of training and education, were discussed during the seminar.

January 19, 2022

INFORMATION SESSION ON RESEARCH AND OPEN SCIENCE 

On January 19, 2022, within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science Capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) program, an informative seminar on research management and publicly accessible science was held for YSU students.

During the informative seminar, the concept of publicly accessible science, its assessment, public access, application, and essence were presented.

February 9, 2022

INFORMATION SESSION ON RESEARCH AND OPEN SCIENCE 

On February 9, 2022, an informative seminar on research management and accessible science was held within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science Capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project.

During the informative seminar, the strategy of publicly accessible science was presented. Strategy priorities and strategic goals were discussed.

Monitoring and evaluation of the strategy was also introduced.
 

May 18, 2022

INFORMATION SESSION ON RESEARCH AND OPEN SCIENCE

On May 18, 2022, within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project, an informative seminar on research and publicly accessible science was held for YSU employees and students/researchers.

During the informative seminar, MINERVA goals and activities, open science concept, open science assessment, as well as YSU's open science strategy were presented.

September 14, 2022

INFORMATION SESSION ON RESEARCH AND OPEN SCIENCE

On May 18, 2022, within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project, an informative seminar on research and publicly accessible science was held for YSU employees and students/researchers.

During the meeting, the institutional policies and incentives of open science, the works carried out by the YSU team, the steps towards the implementation of the academic ethics and plagiarism prevention program, and the creation and operation of the research base at YSU were presented. Institutional policy and monitoring of Open Access was also presented.

September 19, 2022

SEMINARS FOR RESEARCHERS, JOURNAL EDITORS, AND POSSIBLE FUNDERS IN YSU

On September 19, 2022, an informative seminar was held for YSU researchers and journal editors within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project.

During the meeting, the prospects for the creation and development of YSU databases and open access platform, the steps of implementing the academic ethics and plagiarism prevention program, the creation and operation of the research base at YSU, as well as the methodology of scientific publications were presented.

September 28, 2022

Training for Researchers

On September 19, 2022, a seminar discussion was held for YSU researchers within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project.

During the meeting, the strategy of publicly accessible science, the platforms of publicly accessible science, its SWOT analysis, as well as the Ethical Standards of research, and the Charter of Intellectual Property, were presented.

October 9, 2022

SEMINARS FOR RESEARCHERS, JOURNAL EDITORS, AND POSSIBLE FUNDERS IN YSU

SEMINARS FOR RESEARCHERS, JOURNAL EDITORS, AND POSSIBLE FUNDERS IN YSU

On October 9, 2022, an informative seminar was held for YSU researchers and magazine editors within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project.

During the seminar, the institutional policies and incentives of open science, the works carried out by the YSU team, the international scientific databases and opportunities for researchers, and the steps towards the creation of the YSU research platform were presented.

October 20, 2022

TRAINING FOR YOUNG RESEARCHERS ON SKILLS

On October 20, 2022, a seminar discussion on various skills was organized for YSU young researchers (postgraduate students and applicants) within the framework of the MINERVA (Strengthening Research Management and Open Science capacities of HEIs in Moldova and Armenia) project.

The seminar discussion presented transferable skills, how to develop the analytical and critical abilities of researchers, and how to use international scientific databases as well as the YSU research platform.

Project number:  585760

In 2017, within the framework of the ERASMUS+ program funded by the European Commission, Yerevan State University presented "Change in the Classroom: The project "Supporting Innovative Teaching and Learning to Improve the Student Learning Experience in the Eastern Partnership Countries" which was approved and received three-year funding for 2018-2020. 

The project is aimed at solving one of the main tactics of higher education, which is the development and innovation of teaching and learning methods, as well as the introduction of new technologies into the teaching process. In the modern world, this is also a major problem in the global system of higher education.

The main goal of the project is:

• To improve the student learning experience in partner countries and support the development and innovation of teaching and learning, support the integration of teaching technology and research and the dissemination of best practices.

To achieve the stated goal, the project aims:

• To contribute to the strengthening of faculty training centers in partner universities by developing the capacity of staff and trainers, modernizing infrastructure and introducing innovative faculty training programs.

• to increase the capacity of the teaching staff of partner universities by developing their innovative teaching skills and competencies,

• to establish a virtual teaching and learning academy as a virtual platform for professors and students interested in using and sharing open educational resources;

• to promote the dissemination of innovative and modern methods of teaching and learning in universities of partner countries.

The partners of the project are some of the leading universities of Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and Austria.

For detailed information, visit the project's official website: https://printel.am/

http://www.ysu.am/uploaded/ARM_PRINTeL_1st_Webinardocx_1.pdf

The project consists of 16 universities: four from the participating countries (Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, and Italy), four from Kazakhstan, four from the Republic of Armenia, four from Israel, as well as two stakeholders in the relevant field: 1 from Kazakhstan, the other from Israel, and one from the ECM spin-off company based in Germany.

The overall objective of the project is to support the modernization of higher education (HE) in microelectronics at target universities in RA, Kazakhstan, and Israel to new developments in the field, labor market demand, and the Bologna Process through a relevant two-stage curriculum innovation.

The outcomes of the project are:

• to review/analysis of current programs/curriculums (BA, MA) in the field of micro-, nanoelectronics,

• to renew Microelectronics, including ECTS current programs/curriculum,

• to develop 11 new core curricula and 3 transferable modules on micro- and nanoelectronics, including soft skills, aligned at the institutional and accredited national level;

• to develop, and publish new textbooks, manuals, curricula,

• to develop a Web platform,

• to prepare documents for MicLabs, acquisition/installation of equipment, training of academic/non-academic teachers in the field of new curriculum and methodology, conducting master classes on new curricula implemented in MicLabs,

• to pilot-train students in the new curriculum using Miclabs, the establishment of MicSO, improvement of equipment procurement/installation documentation,

• staff training, MicSO networking,

• to promote a closer exchange between the university and the labor market to meet the needs of the labor market;

• to improve training in micro/nanoelectronics, to promote the employability of educated youth. Academic content: 14 curricula and modules, including ECTS in the field of micro-nano electronics, using updated teaching methods and a modern learning environment.

DOCMEN aims to:

• improve the quality of higher education institutions and expand the connection between the labor market and society,

• develop the level of competition and skills in universities through the development of new and innovative educational programs,

• support the modernization and internationalization of target universities in RA, Israel, and Kazakhstan in the field of microelectronics through the innovation of a two-stage curriculum;

• analyze educational requirements in the field of micro- and nano-electronics through problem and job analysis and review of the current curriculum;

• update the current curriculum in the field of Microelectronics,

• develop, implement, and accredit the curriculum, including ECTS,

• improve the connection between partner countries' universities and the labor market.

11 core curricula/modules:

• New modeling of ULSI devices and techniques,

• ECAD for Microsystems,

• bio-nanoelectronic devices for biosensing,

• nano/microelectronic interfaces for brain research,

• Nanoscale integrated circuit design,

• nanomaterials,

• packaging technologies in the field of microelectronics,

• "Microelectronics technologies as alternative energy results",

• technologies and applications of superconducting materials,

• practical training program in the field of microelectronics and data transmission,

• Innovative solutions to microelectronics engineering problems using the TRIZ method.

3 transferable curricula/modules:

• effective communication with groups, technical presentation skills,

• survival in the labor market (career management),

• project management (business planning, marketing, performance).

For more information, visit the following website: http://www.docmen-project.pl/

Project number:  574273

ERASMUS+ CBHE project entitled "Implementation of a quality assurance system for level 3 higher education in line with European integration to promote the internationalization of research, C3QA"

The purpose of the "C3QA" project is to develop and test a policy concept and toolkit for quality assurance of 3rd-degree education, particularly postgraduate programs, as well as practical mechanisms and procedures, which will be further implemented in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Ukraine.

The program includes 20 institutions from Armenia, Spain, France, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Poland, and Ukraine, including higher education institutions, quality assurance structures, and the ministries of education and science of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Ukraine.

For detailed information, visit the project's official website: http://c3-qa.com

On July 10-14, the international workshop of The Erasmus+ CBHE project "Transforming Graduate Education for Green and Sustainable Future" funded by the European Union was held at the International Hellenic University (Greece).