14 October 2021, Yerevan State University, Armenia 

"ERASMUS+ Info-days at YSU"

On October 14, 2021, within the frameworks of ERASMUS+ info-days the presentation of projects aimed at ERASMUS+ Activity 1 “Credit Mobility” and ERASMUS+ Activity 2 “Capacity Building” realised at Yerevan State University (YSU) was held on the initiative of YSU International Cooperation Office. In the course of the meeting both university-coordinated “PRINTeL” and other projects, such as “ABIONET”, “DOCMEN”, “GEOTAK”, “DPPHSS”, “ARMDOCT”, “PROMIG”, “TOPAS”, “KA1 IGM” were presented and their upcoming tasks, registered results and future undertakings were introduced as well.

A. Budaghyan, PRINTeL Project Coordinator, Director of YSU Quality Assurance Centre, in the course of the presentation reported in details about the PRINTeL Project, which is aimed at the promotion of contemporary methods and forms of teaching and learning (T&L) at Eastern partnership 9 universities and the introduction of innovations in this sphere, together with the involvement of ICT new technologies in the teaching process; the aim, main objectives and work packages of the Project were also presented. According to the Project Coordinator's report, 4 main objectives were outlined in the Project, namely, reinforcement of teaching staff development centers, teachers’ capacity building in innovative teaching, creation of T&L virtual platform and promotion and dissemination of innovative T&L experience. He also stated that since the launch of Project both YSU and other 8 PC universities have had significant achievements in all the mentioned areas. Presently, at 9 universities of Eastern partnership, including YSU, as a result of trainings realisied with the support of 5 EU univertsities and their direct consultations, reconstruction programmes of teaching staff development centers were reviewed and integrated which is a serious step in the issues of reinforcement and re-equipment of the mentioned centers.

A. Budaghyan remarked as well that 4550 teacher trainers, teachers and TSDC workers were trained, which also implies that annually around 50000 students get educated accordingly.

While answering the questions of the audience Project Coordinator A. Budaghyan mentioned that considering the successful experience of the Project as well as the effective and beneficial cooperation observed within the circles of the Project, the partner universities expressed their wish of making the PRINTeL Project continuous.

17-19 April 2019, Yerevan Expo Center, Armenia

“Education and Career EXPO 2019”

The 19^th international professional expo entitled “Education and Career EXPO 2019”, that has already become traditional, took place at Yerevan Expo Center on April 17-19, 2019 and a number of representatives from Yerevan State University (YSU) were honored to participate in this event.

Among the representatives from different YSU faculties (Faculties of Biology, Chemistry, Radiophysics, European Languages and Communication, Psychology, History and others), centers (Center of European Studies, YSU Information Technologies Educational and Research Center) and administrative centers, YSU Quality Assurance Center, as the coordinator of EU funded ERASMUS+ PRINTeL project, which faces one of the challenges of higher education, was given a particular place at the EXPO. In the course of the event the PRINTeL project was presented as an example of advanced innovative teaching and learning enterprise contributing to the enhancement of education that is compatible with the demands of modern world.

On the second day of the Expo, April 18, the representatives of YSU Quality Assurance Centre presented the PRINTeL project in details as well as reported about the achievements of the Project that proved to have reached significant numbers: 96 retrained instructors and 1700 trained teachers. The main aim of spreading the idea of innovative teaching and learning was explained and rendered via official leaflets of the Project to the visitors and participants of the EXPO.

The PRINTeL project with its main aims and ideas of modern innovative education attracted wide circles of participants and visitors who were representatives of various HEI teaching staffs of Armenia.

It is, however, noteworthy to mention that the concept of technology-enhanced education deserved special attention from university and high school students as well, who found that innovative teaching and learning is among the most demanded and desirable components to be attributed to the general system of national education. 

“Education and Career EXPO 2019” ended on April 19, 2019.

20 November 2018, Georgian Technical University, Georgia

II National Distance Learning Conference

On 20 November, at Hotel Courtyard Marriott was held the Second National Distance Learning Conference, where GTU Professor Zaza Tsotniashvili (Faculty of Engineering Economic, Media Technology and Social Sciences) presented a paper on the topic: “Advantages of Blended Learning”.

It should be noted that Prof. Tsotniashvili had been participating in TOT Training Courses on Innovation Pedagogy within EU funded Erasmus+ project PRINTeL, organized by the project partner Graz FH Joanneum Gesellschaft (Austria) in November, 2018.

   

Prof. Zaza Tsotniashvili shared his experience and best practice gained through above mentioned TOT training courses to the Conference participants. About 80 representatives of defense and security as well as education sectors took part in the event. GTU Professor’s presentation about blended learning advantages based on the project PRINTeL activities became rather interesting to the audience. 
Based on the information spread by the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, the aim of the conference is to gather organizations, teaching centers and universities working and interested in the field of distance learning in the defense and security sector, share experiences and discuss the perspectives of collaboration in relation to the development of the field opportunities. 

National Distance Learning Conference was organized by Defense Institution Building School, with the support of the Ministry of Defense of Norway and Jefferson Institute, USA.

For more information, please, refer to: http://gtu.ge/Eng/News/?ELEMENT_ID=11193, http://gtu.ge/News/11190/.

6-7 November 2018, Erasmus + Information Days in Armenia

On the 6-7th of November, 2018 within the frames of Erasmus+ promotion and dissemination campaign in Armenia the National Erasmus+ Office organized the Erasmus+ Information days in the Armenian National Agrarian University, Yerevan.

The first day was mainly devoted to Erasmus + international credit mobility programmes.

Mr. Vardan Urutyan, Rector of ANAU emphasized in his opening speech the important role of Erasmus+ programmes in higher education in Armenia. Mr. Samvel Karabekyan, the Adviser to the Minister of Education and Science highlighted in his welcoming speech the role of the programme in terms of the reforms in the higher education system of the Republic and mentioned that it is the time for substantial changes.

Ms. Lana Karlova, NEO-AM Coordinator, emphasized the importance of the two-day event due to which the participants will learn about the grants and strategic cooperation opportunities and will come up with new ideas and programmes. She also emphasized the importance of making our country more attractive for foreign students to continue their education here.

Guests from Poland and Belarus shared their successful experience concerning International Credit and Academic Mobility Projects. Ms. Dorota Rytwińska’s (Coordinator of National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme in Poland) presentation was about the management and selection of International Credit Mobility Projects. Mr. Aleksandr Rytov, Head of International Programs and Projects Office of Belarus State University, presented the tools of the effective management of academic mobility in the framework of ICM to the participants.   

The second day of the event was devoted to the discussions concerning capacity building opportunities, cooperation and best experience exchange in HEIs. In her speech Lana Karlova mentioned about the opportunities of the Erasmus+ Programme for higher education institutions, and the progress of the projects funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme in Armenia. Among the presented projects the PRINTeL project coordinted by Yerevan State University also received particular attention. With its main objective of promoting innovative and technology-enhanced teaching and learning the PRINTeL Project was listed among 6 ongoing Erasmus+ CB projects - Harmony, LNSS, BOOST, Inclusion, C3QA, eDrone - that concerned HEI governence reforms.

Following Mr. L. Karlova, Mr. Aleksandr Rytov presented the guests the practical and most successful tools of project development applications for the 5th Call of CBHE.

Afterwards the panel discussion with Rectors from five Universities of Armenia on Erasmus+ CBHE took place, during which some existing problems of the field were raised and solutions to them were suggested.

At the end of the two-day informative days Armenian-Polish contact session took place during which ties between the representatives of Armenian and Polish higher education institutions were established.

In her final speech Ms. Lana Karlova emphasized the effectiveness and productiveness of the two informative days aimed at the development of the higher educational system in Armenia.