The Project Title: “Change in Classroom: Promoting Innovative Teaching & Learning to Enhance Student Learning Experience in Eastern Partnership Countries” (PRINTeL)The main goal of the project is to enhance student learning experience in Armenia, Georgia and Belarus by promoting development and innovation in teaching and learning (T&L), supporting integration of instruction with technology, and dissemination of good practices. This goal is achieved through the accomplishment of the following objectives:1. Strengthening Teaching Staff Development Centres (TSDC) in PC universities through enhancing capacities of staff and trainers, modernizing infrastructure and introducing innovative teacher training programmes. 2. Building up capacities of partner country higher education institutions (PC HEIs) teaching staff by developing their innovative and technology-enhanced T&L skills and competences.3. Establishing Virtual Academy of Teaching & Learning (VATL) as an international community of teachers interested in applying innovative T&L methods and tools and using open educational resources (OER).4. Promoting awareness on the types and methods of innovative and technology-enhanced T&L and disseminating best practices.The following outcomes and outputs are achieved as a result of the project implementation: • 30 staff and 100 trainers of the PC HEIs’ TSDCs have been trained on organization and operation of present-day TSDCs and on innovative technology-enhanced T&L and online instructional methods. • 4 new TSDCs have been established in the PC HEIs and the 5 existing TSDCs have been modernised and strengthened with new technology, trainers and teacher training and counseling programmes. • 18 technologically-enhanced Active Learning Classrooms (ALC) for teacher trainings and 9 multimedia Lecture Capture Studios (LCS) for video-content building have been established, 5 new teacher training courses on innovative and technology-enhanced T&L are introduced in the PC HEIs TSDCs. • Over 4,500 university teachers have been trained in innovative and technology-enhanced T&L methods, online instructional tools and technics, and OER development. • Virtual Academy of Teaching & Learning (VATL) has been established (https://vatl.ysu.am/ ) as an online interactive experience sharing and mutual learning platform to promote innovative T&L practices, creating digital educational content, and serving as an OER depository. • 5 Virtual Ccommunities of teaching practice, Annual virtual forum on innovative T&L and 9 Institutional annual award programmes for the excellence in T&L and promoting development and awareness on innovative pedagogy are created. • 800 copies of the good practice Teacher’s Handbook on Innovative and Technology-enhanced T&L are published and an e-version is made available in the project website: http://printel.am/uploads/page/pdfs/Teacher's%20Handbook__.pdf

Striving to reform Belarus high education system according to the Bologna process, the Ministry of Education of Belarus set the target for HEIs to reform curricula from the existing system “5 plus 1” to the system “4 plus 2”, which should comply with the Bologna system principles. However, decreasing a training period from 5 to 4 years for physics specialists causes a certain risk providing an impact on the labor market, because it is a challenge for research institution and enterprises due to supply of specialists with a qualification different from that of the previous graduates. The project will upgrade master-level education in the field of physics (functional nanomaterials and photonics, applied physics, etc.) in four universities of Belarus according to Bologna practices in physical science, to enhance the quality and relevance of education by modernizing study programs, focusing on the use of ICT, and through networking activities to the labour market needs. The main results:• Developed, tested and formally approved curricula for master-level in physical sciences in accordance to labour market needs basing on Bologna practices• Developed didactic materials (e-Books, guides for laboratory works, lecture synopsis, etc.) for upgrading master-level education in the field of physical sciences • Readiness for transition from existing “5 plus 1” to a new training system “4 plus 2” (4 years for bachelors and 2 years for master students study)Learning and teaching methodologies, including learning outcomes and ICT based practices (flexible learning, blended courses, virtual and real mobility, practical placement, etc.) will be developed and validated during the project. Labour market needs will be taken into account. Modernized master-students study programs with 2-years training cycle will be tested during two years: one year during the project, the second year after the project will be finished. The curricula will be in English, Russian and Belorusian.

Belarus is in the process of building nuclear power generation with two reactors envisaged: construction of the first will be completed this year, construction of the second will finish in 2020. Higher Education in nuclear safety and radiation protection will be of utmost importance, hence appropriate curricula need to be developed and set in place. Aim of this project is the development of curricula at the Master level, in line with Bologna principles, to be accredited by the Ministry of education and adopted throughout the Country. To this aim, a number of Belarusian University, covering practically all the regions of the Country, have been involved in the project, and will serve both as developers and as “testing facilities” for the new curricula. The EU Universities involved all have a long-lasting and deep experience in the field, and have developed in the past their own curricula in the field. The expected results will be innovative two-year study program, including a special attention to practical training effected with a two prong approach: new, up to date didactic laboratories to be set up in all the Belarusian partner HEIs; traineeships in institutions and companies active in the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection. Special attention shall be focused on “training the trainers”, i.e., professional instruction and internship for the teachers-to-be. Ideally, a first generation of teachers will be formed during the three years of the project, and this first group of fully trained teachers will continue the work raising the new generations of instructors. The end result will be a Country-wide education framework in the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection. The impact on the Country is quite clear: the capability of handling the new nuclear industry safely and effective; the wider impact for Europe will be that a newcomer in the nuclear industry can be trusted to be capable to manage its nuclear potential.

The project is aimed to enhance quality of HE with employment focus in content by enhancing internal QA for teaching/learning & improving teaching staff performance at BY Universities for them to respond to the increased demands of society/economy. It has objectives to enhance QA policy-making & procedures for work with teaching staff to ensure quality in HE through the establishment of Centres for Academic Development & Teacher Training (CADTT) at each BY partner; optimise pedagogical performance of teaching staff via the development of an in-service university teacher training programme for university staff who need pedagogical training; increase quality of students’ performance at University & at work places through application of innovative education methods to ensure transition to student-centred practice-based & market-oriented education; apply QA system at BY Universities for identifying staff in need of pedagogical training; & introduce new regulations on teaching staff employment at BY Universities. Managerial, academic staff & students are the target groups in the project. Labour market, the other Universities in the country are the major stakeholders.The major outcomes & outputs achieved in the project – CADTTs, internal system of QA, innovative methods of education, In-service University Teacher Training Programme, & regulation for staff employment, will be the tools for producing impact on the target groups & stakeholders. An important aspect of the project is the development of pedagogical interaction & networks for staff in the EU, TK & BY. The main impact will be on the university management system in what concerns QA for teaching/learning & teaching staff performance-staff & students will be the target group. Innovative education methods will expand the impact. The society's stakeholders-other BY universities & labour market will be final beneficiaries of the wider impact – graduates’ enhanced skills for better employment & performance at work.

"MODEST project aims at modernization of doctoral education in Science in Partner Countries. Wider project objective is ""To enhance cooperation capacities of Higher educational institutions of Partner Countries in the field of Doctoral Studies within European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and European Research Area (ERA)"" and specific objectives are:- Improve quality and employability of doctoral graduates of PC HEI's by modernizing doctoral education towards interdisiplinarity, internationalisation, enhancing mobility, using new teaching methodologies in line with Salzburg Principles, BFGU recommendations- Facilitate successful adherence with Bologna reforms and its instruments by organization of special training sessions for academic and administrative staff of HEI's in PCs- Improve up-skills of research and educational staff by retraining them on new teaching methods and create modern learning and research environment based on student centred approach, competence based program development- Improve structure and internal capacities of services of doctoral education and reseach by setting up Doctoral Training Centers in PC HEI’s; ensure their sustainability and cooperation with EU partners by establishing a professional network using modern ICT tools. To meet these objectives, the project will make use of the analysis of best EU practices and of the needs of PC to develop training materials and organize intensive retraining of HEI’s staff. Structure and content of DTCs will be worked out, including set of regulatory documents, instructions for DTC creation, programs and materials for DTCs and interdisciplinary Summer schools for doctoral students. To ensure sustainability, a web-platform and Virtual Network environment will be developed using participatory approaches and ICT methodologies. Synergy with other European initiatives will be sought via participation of consortium members in EU networks and organizations (Coimbra Group, EURASHE, etc)."