The project aiming at strengthening cooperation between Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia, addresses their shared problem: the need for modernization of HEIs in Agriculture and Forestry (A&F). In this way it will address the highest priority for the A&F sector in all three PCs –shortage of specialists, capable of bringing A&F to international standards. The project is also consolidated by the cross-cutting theme of internationalisation and environmental issues. The consortium includes 10 academic and 2 non-academic partners (an enterprise and a research institute). It integrates both experienced in EU projects and new partners.The wider objective is to contribute to empowering of HEIs in KZ, MN and RU by harmonising Master programs in A&F with the EU quality standards and internationalising them via English Medium Instruction (EMI).To achieve this goal, the following specific objectives are envisaged:To develop a model for modernising and internationalising Master programs in A&F via EMI and blended learning (BL);To enhance teaching capacities of the PC HEIs;To design a trans-institutional multidisciplinary e-learning platform for BL delivery of the new modules;To raise awareness of the A&F problems;To create potential for internationalization.As a result of the project the following outcomes/outputs will be achieved:- A model for modernising and internationalising Master programs in A&F via EMI and BL; - Teaching capacities of the PC HEIs enhanced: staff trained, the teaching environment at PC universities modernized;- The MA programmes for A&F developed/modernized, with harmonized, ECTS -tuned modules based on blended learning and EMI, supported by a digital library of course materials;- the e-learning platform designed and installed;- quality of teaching and management at PC institutions improved;- wide dissemination achieved, including agriculture and forestry problems awareness in the society at large.- efficient management of the project implement

The project addresses the demand of educating doctoral students on high quality and international standards to increase knowledge based solutions for sustainable agriculture and future farming systems – a topic of national, cross-regional and international relevance.Large agricultural areas characterize the landscapes and economies of Russia and Kazakhstan and both countries see the innovative development of this sector as a priority. Compared to this, skilled labour and innovation potential is lacking. As a reaction, a number of initiatives target to build up human resources on all levels (farm workers, specialists, managers) and as well to improve higher education institutions (HEIs). Despite the progress in joining and pursuing the Bologna process, brain drain of young talents and deficient and outdated educational offers for PhD studies impede the goals of HEIs to become international competitive. The consortium of 5 EU partners and 4 Russian and 4 Kazakh agricultural universities together with consultative and expert partners from accreditation, research and private business in Russia and Kazakhstan therefore specified the following objectives.(1) to develop and establish four post-graduate modules at 8 HEIs in different regions to qualify doctoral students on inter- and transdisciplinary contents and approaches relevant for agricultural research and innovation;(2) to increase the human capacity, literature base and equipment of partner institutions to provide doctoral education according to international standards and best-practices;(3) to strengthen international and interregional academic exchange and research cooperation among project partners;(4) to establish a network on doctoral research and education in the agricultural field targeted on the exchange of best practices with a wider audience.Overall the institutional capacity increases to tackle education and research demand in the area of sustainable agriculture and future farming systems.

The project aims to develop and implement the sustainable dual study undergraduate program in Agroecology at three universities in Kazakhstan as well as to establish lifelong courses for professionals. In the modern agriculture, developing resource-saving technologies for the cultivation of agricultural crops, methods for producing high-quality crop products, effective ways of reproducing soil fertility, and methods of agroecological monitoring allows not only to survive despite all challenges, but also to successfully deal with fierce competition. The main goal of the project is to reduce the gap in the structure, volume and quality of labour resources from the real requirements of specific farms/enterprises and to educate professionals with competencies related to modern technologies. The (re)design of the educational program in agroecology in Kazakhstan through establishment of sustainable, internationally oriented dual study program will make students better prepared for all challenges facing agriculture in the future. After adequate preparation and curriculum development, the program (new bachelor and lifelong courses) will be implemented. Special attention will be paid to quality control and monitoring and dissemination and exploitation of project activities and results. The beneficiaries of the project outputs are: students (about 100 students per year: PSU and KazNAU 40 students per year, KEnEU 20 students per year), teachers, participating universities, companies, professionals (around 10 per year), and higher education system in Kazakhstan as a whole. More precisely, not only the Kazakh system of higher education, but society as a whole will benefit greatly, since through dual higher education the problems of providing qualified personnel to the agricultural sector are solved. The Kazakh authorities will solve the problem of providing rural regions with highly qualified personnel, as graduates return to agricultural companies that paid for their studies

"In the last years, with the contribution of European Cooperation Programmes, the EHEA became a reference point for policy dialogue between the EU and several regions of the world on higher education and its key role for employability of graduates. The growing global dimension of education, needs further actions for the enhancement of exchanges between the EHEA and other parts of the world, sharing goals and principles, as the transparent recognition of studies and qualifications. Within the EHEA, the implementation of ECTS (as credit accumulation and transfer), the fundamental shift from a teacher-centred to a learner-centred approach (SCL) and the use of learning outcomes and workload in curriculum design and delivery, as result of a long process and experimentation, increased the transparency and readability of the educational process and facilitated the recognition of mobility from institution to institution and from country to country as well as successful learning mobility between institutions of EHEA for short-term study periods (""credit mobility""). The recent acceleration of mobility between EHEA and other regions through the EM programme put a renewed and global perspective of “mobility” which showed the huge challenges that HE institutions and systems still need to face and manage. The students participating to EM projects are experimenting the same problems in recognition of studies abroad, that EU students and institutions had to afford at the first stage of Erasmus mobility.The project proposal intends to harmonise the credit allocation and grading system in 5 study areas jointly developed in previous projects in 23 institutions from 8 countries belonging to 4 different regions, besides EU, providing a reliable scheme for credit and grades transfer, and is based on previous experiences of the partnership in TEMPUS Programme in CA, Caucasus, Russia and Asia and EMA2 projects in the same regions, and on the new ECTS Guide and pilot project EGRACONS"

Agricultural activities significantly affect all components of natural environment and thus directly influence living of population around the world. Agricultural sector significantly contributes to national economies of Central Asian countries which have inherited major environmental challenges from the Soviet era. Moreover, extensive irrigation agriculture is responsible for more than 90% of the water consumption by humans in this region. However, a great potential for economic growth and well-educated human resources predetermine Central Asian countries to be important partners for cooperation with the European Union. This fact is also declared by the European Commission in its Multiannual Indicative Programme Regional Central Asia 2014-2020. The aim of this project is to contribute to the enhancement of the theoretical approach towards the land management and environmental protection through developing innovated programme curricula in the field of “Environmental protection and Land Management” – in the context of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) principles. In continuity with this aim the main objective of the project is to enhance the level of competencies and skills of the HEIs in Central Asia (Uzbek and Kazakh universities) by providing them with innovated programme curricula in the field of “Environmental protection and Land Management”. Alongside the main objective, the following partial objectives are:1. to develop an innovated programme curricula within the related study programme in order to improve a quality of education in Central Asian countries in the field of environmental protection and land management in the context of new CAP;2. to increase an awareness of students from Central Asia on legal tools supporting environmental friendly agricultural practices;3. to create a partnership of European and Central Asian higher education institutions which will benefit from mutual support of education in the subject fields.