The workshop, which was part of the T-GREEN “Transforming Graduate Education for Green and Sustainable Future” was held in Krakow in November 2023. The project launched this year is co-financed by the European Union’s Erasmus+ program.
The main goal of the T-GREEN project is to reform graduate education in Armenian universities to align with the EU Green Deal and sustainable development goals. This includes transitioning from traditional to innovative, green, and interdisciplinary curricula, promoting student mobility, and establishing collaborative degree implementation strategies.
The workshop, which took place from November 21 to 24, 2023 at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, was attended by representatives from 17 universities and other organizations involved in the Project consortium. The representatives of the Krakow Jagiellonian University, specifically Prof. Radosław Rybkowski UJ Rector’s Deputy for Quality of Education, Prof. Wojciech Macyk, Dean Faculty of Chemistry and Dr. Marek Frankowics UJ Institutional Coordinator of the Project welcomed workshop participants, presented the main topics which have to be discussed during the activity as well as informed about the possibilities of having individual meetings and discussions with various UJ staff members and researchers.
Varazdat Hovhannisyan, head of the quality assurance and development center of the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia, coordinator of the T-GREEN project, thanked the representatives of the University of Krakow for the organization of the workshop and the warm hospitality, and in his speech emphasized the importance of the workshop in terms of ensuring several Project outcomes and developing the capacities of organizations involved in the project. He wished for a productive work.
During the workshop, discussions were held on European standards and practices related to curriculum development, with a focus on learning outcomes, ECTS, and quality assurance mechanisms. National regulations for double, joint, and multiple degrees, as well as microcredentials in EU countries, were also addressed. Additionally, the workshop explored topics such as “green education” and other issues related to the project’s implementation.
During the workshop, special attention was given to the host university’s experiences and achievements. Participants also had the opportunity to meet with Professor Armen Edigaryan, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at Jagiellonian University, to discuss various issues of interest to the European higher education community. These topics included the impact of artificial intelligence tools on educational processes and the potential use of micro-credentials.
The Armenian participants in the T-Green project include the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (coordinator), Eurasia International University (co-coordinator), the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, the National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance, Yerevan State University, Armenian State University of Economics, French University of Armenia, National Polytechnic University of Armenia, Armenian National Agrarian University, Goris State University, Gavar State University, “Erasmus Student Network Yerevan” NGO, and “Bridge of Hope” NGO.
The EU partners involved in the project are the International Hellenic University (Greece), Mikolas Romeris University (Lithuania), the Catholic University of Portugal (Portugal), and the Jagiellonian University of Krakow (Poland).