"According to the action plan of EU concerning energetic efficiency, EU must reduce electric consumption by 20% and increase renewable energies by 20%. RF, UZ and MN were developed their economies mainly due to oil and gas production. However, in response to the crisis these countries manifest their strong interest in the construction of smart homes and cities for energy saving and improving the quality of life of urban residents. They approved the National Programmes in the field of renewable energy up to 2020. The analysis of the enterprises needs concerning recruitment of engineers in the sector of the technical building management in RF,UZ and MN showed that electrical or automation engineers only partially meet the needs of market. Smart Houses and Smart Cities require interdisciplinary competencies and leading skills.Thus the project is aimed to update and quality increase the curricula (BA&MA) in sphere of High-Tech Green Buildings and Smart Cities in RF, MN and UZ to meet the needs of sustainable development in a global world.New interdisciplinary model of engineers training and two cycles (MA, BA) of competence-based curricula will be created as the project result. The necessary infrastructure - Network ""Green Buildings"" will be carried out. Developed curricula and courses will allow growing R&D engineers with strong interdisciplinary skills: electronic-automation and computer from one side and energy and thermal of the building on the other part. They will be able to analyze the problem and find innovative solutions.This BA and MA programmes brings together students from different fields to study in interdisciplinary teams that increases understanding of different backgrounds and offers students opportunities to collaborate with research projects and companies. Students receive a wide conceptual design skills and it greatly increases employment opportunities."

Reason for the Project: The DIREKT project aims to instill best Information Literacy (IL) practices in higher education systems in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan & China. The project is much needed in order to up-skill library and academic staff specifically their transferable, pedagogical and lifelong learning skills in the Information Literacy field thereby developing capacity and affecting all stakeholders including students. The project aims for improved, more relevant University services in the Information Literacy area leading to better awareness, modernization and improvements in teaching and learning. Concise Description: Creation with Librarians and Faculty, of curriculum-integrated IL programs (embedded in the three cycle system (bachelor/master/doctorate), quality assurance and recognition of qualifications for the development of lifelong learning in higher education and in Society at large and incorporating appropriate electronic media. Development of training programmes supported by 7 ECTS modules- a DIREKT Curriculum for Information Literacy which will be embedded in curricula in PC universities and with involvement of external stakeholders to ensure maximum transfer effect to Society at large.Impact envisaged: As Information Literacy is a vital transferable skill for lifelong learning that transcends all academic disciplines what is truly special and unique about this project is that the results will benefit a huge learner group- all University staff, students and librarians and the effects will be felt in RF, KZ and Chinese Society through university links with external stakeholders.

EMI (English Medium Instruction) implies using the English language to teach academic MA and PhD in science, maths, medicine, engineering, IT etc in countries where English is not the official language and in which the students’ first language is not English. Armenian and Russian universities are attempting this at the moment as the description form explains. However, although the teaching of EMI non-language study programs is becoming a global phenomenon outside Anglo-Saxon countries the quality in Armenia and Russia is very uneven with little staff training. ● Evaluate RU and ARM practices in teaching academic content in English (EMI teaching) and EMI competence enhancement ● Study best European practices in teaching academic content in English (EMI teaching) and EMI staff competence enhancement● Create model and professional competences descriptor of university teacher of academic content in English.● Conduct efficient Start Off meeting to ensure full implementation of project goals, create management teams and Quality Control Plan.● Develop and set-up the network of EMI Training Centres including development of documentation, intake and training of staff for the Centres. People, knowledge and facilities are connected within the Centres, allowing for the creation of new connections and solutions on a sustainable basis.● Train PC universities staff in European best practices in both ESP (English Language Audit, ongoing support for weaker participants and soft skills for stronger ones plus ECTS training to bring participants up to CEFR B2 level) and in EMI best practice teaching.● PC partners develop and pilot (2 times) 9 EMI Staff pedagogical training Modules (see project descrip.) for trainee teacher students and for staff in Russia and Armenia using ECTS/Tuning Modular framework● Develop EMI Pedagogical (pdf and hardcopy) Handbook for all faculty use.Overall impact are outputs professionalism and internationalization

The Bologna process and EHEA brought necessary reforms to improve engineering education in Russia and Tajikistan. But despite obvious increase in attractiveness for young people engineering education is still facing many challenges. Drop-out rate among students majoring in engineering is almost 25%, employment rates for bachelor graduates decreases due to unwillingness of industry to employ engineers with 4 years of education, teaching staff is ageing and universities fail to create an effective system to retain young PhD graduates in engineering disciplines to perform teaching and research. One of the major unsolved problems behind these challenges is the deterioration of teacher training system in PC universities and irrelevance of teaching methods employed for engineering disciplines in Russia and Tajikistan. The answer to this problem is two-fold – modernization of pedagogic training of PhD students and development of sustainable system of lifelong education for university teachers of engineering disciplines. EXTEND seeks to promote a change in a system of pedagogic training of university teachers in engineering in RF and TJK through modernization of PhD programs curriculum and development of sustainable system of teacher re-training and consultation support by Network of Centres of Excellence in Engineering Education. The priority aim of the EXTEND project is to enhance the quality and the effectiveness of teaching. The project is targeted at solving of three specific problems: 1)The development of comprehensive model and descriptor of the competences of the university teacher of engineering disciplines;2) The establishment of Network of Centres of Excellence in Engineering Education (EXTEND centres) offering training courses, research and consultations in teaching engineering disciplines in PC HEI. 3) The development of training program for PhD students and university teachers in teaching engineering disciplines including MOOC.

The reason for the project is the multiple challenges faced by Russian and Kazakhstan university staff teaching vocational education. These include a lack of competencies and skills in TUNING Educational system and modern pedagogical teaching practices, the need to acquire key principles in vocational language teaching as well as the need to be an “integrated teacher” capable of combining both theoretical education and practical training, understanding quality assurance processes and mechanisms in vocational education, to secure opportunities to develop and retain practical skills of existing university vocational teacher staff. The main result after a Kick Off meeting with needs analysis, planning and QA training will be an initial EU training (after preparation) in English for Specific Purposes (terminology, soft skills, key writing) and general vocational pedagogical training with ECTS/ Tuning modular system inputs. Programme Countries then create a 10 module Pedagogical ECTS/ Tuning modular system which will be developed, piloted and integrated into existing university pedagogical vocational teacher training in each university. National Awareness Days explaining the objectives and status of the project will take place twice in each PC and promote dissemination and sustainability. Action Group will develop a ALLVET Strategic Plan ensuring post-project dissemination and sustainability. All modules will be downloadable on an online platform designed as not only a hub for academic activity but additionally for administration. We envisage very strong impacts as the Programme Country universities were selected for their interest in this project and based on EU partner experience a project like this will initiate key change.