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.

During most of the first decade of the 21st century, Belarus experienced strong economic growth (GDP in 2001-2008 grew on average by 8.3% annually) and made substantial progress in poverty reduction (poverty line declined from 30% in 2002 to 5% in 2010). However, since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, Belarus has experienced significant economic instability. Strong and robust economic growth and development in Belarus going forward will necessarily have to rely on the country’s human capital. For that, it is necessary to move upmarket through a steady increase in labour productivity, which in its turn requires and adequately prepared workforce. Improving the effective functioning of the higher education (HE) system is thus an important priority for the country. The main aim of ‘Fostering Competencies Development in Belarusian Higher Education’ (FOSTERC) has been to strengthen the use of innovative principles and approaches to teaching and learning in the Belarusian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for the improvement of graduates’ learning outcomes. FOSTERC has examined the curricular development focusing on graduates’ competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes). It has fostered competencies development for matching the social and economic demands and in turn to improve the overall quality of HE. Implementing the reforms, FOSTERC has supported the modernisation of governance, management and functioning of Belarusian HEIs, and the upgrade and improvement of teaching and learning methodologies. It has provided trainings, methodological tools and indicators for conceptualization of learning outcomes, and has integrated good practices and new methods into daily activities. It has also provided the necessary information and tools to facilitate the implementation of internal and external quality assurance assessments, supporting, at the end, the modernisation of Belarusian participating universities and being the reference of the modernisation of the rest of Belarusian HEIs.

Harmony project aims to contribute to development of a comprehensive internationalization strategies and their harmonization at EU and Partner Countries (Armenia, Belarus, Russia) within the framework of HEA in accordance with the main provisions of the Bologna Process through modernization of international relation management of the partner countries universities, promoting the academic mobility and correspondently, increasing the attractiveness of the higher education systems in these countries and EU. Project represents a comprehensive approach to much-needed strategies for the PCs HEIs that will start from comprehansive research of internationalisation level of HE, following EU best practice study to boost horizontally their internationalisation. The action foresees strengthening strategic, infrastructural & human capacities in HEIs of 3 PCs, implementation of Internationalization Action Plans in 7 HEIs and further approval by national Ministries which involvement ensures project impact on policy level and provides modernisation at national development strategies.At the project core there lays development of approaches to harmonization of internationalization strategies in HE, research and innovation through setting-up tool kits and their national approval. The specific objectives will be reached by actions at institutional, national & multi-regional levels across PCs like implementing a set training set, establishing Framework of a Comprehensive internationalization strategy, recommendations for harmonisation. The action is complemented by extensive dissemination & networking activities. The partnership comprises 6 EU HEIs, 2 HEIs from AM and BY and 4 RU institutions; and the MoES of PCs join them. Expected impact is seen as contribution to coherence between internationalisation strategies and EU development cooperation policies by considering principles of equity and PC ownership; use academic and research mobility as given direction of cooperation.

Armenia, Georgia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are currently facing economical difficulties as consequences of economic policy, recent international financial crisis, collapse of world oil/gas prices and economcal slow down in China and other emerging countries. The situation causes an urgent need to implement structural economic reform to transform traditional economy to diversified, knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy. However, present higher education in these countries does not have a strong link to innovation and entrepreneurship. It has failed to become the drivning force to create new innovative enterprises which lead to new jobs and economic growth.This project aims to enhance innovation competences and entrepreneurial skills in engineering education through university-business cooperation in order to support creation of new enterprises, new jobs and economic growth in the partner countries.The specific objectives of the project are to:- foster an innovation culture among partner university staff and students- establish 8 innovation centers at partner countries- provide training to 104 partner country staff on innovation and entrepreneurship - introduce innovation pedagogy in teaching and learning- define transversal innovation competences and develop tools to assess such competences- introduce new courses on innovation and entrepreneurship to engineering students- promote university-business cooperation- provide business incubator and start-up accelerator services to staff and students to develop successful businesses- organize an innovation competition to promote entrepreneurship- disseminate project results to other universities in the partner countries- help partner countriey to develop a national innovation strategyThe project is coordinated by Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden, with 2 more EU universities, 8 partner country universities, 4 education ministries as well as 1 NGO and 3 small private enterprises.

The DUALBEL project aims to support the Belarusian partner institutions (Ministry of Education, National Institute of Higher Education, Universities and Enterprises) in the development and implementation of the dual study model including the legal and organisational framework in the Belarusian higher education system. In this way, the project provides modernization impulses for the Belarusian higher education system by taking into account the interests of the Belarusian labor market, creating the framework for labor-market-adequate study programs at Belarusian higher education institutions and thus increasing the employability of university graduates.In the first half of the project period, a study will be carried out to survey existing approaches to dual studies in Belarus. The study, in connection with further training measures for Belarusian project partners on dual studies at EU universities, will provide the necessary contribution to the development work and creation of the Belarusian model of dual studies. Parallel to this, dual model curricula for academic and in-company training will be developed and examined by the Belarusian Ministry of Education and released for implementation. In the second half of the project period, the new dual curricula in defined fields of study will be tested and evaluated as pilot projects in cooperation with partner companies in Belarus and disseminated to other Belarusian universities. The project is coordinated by Deggendorf Institute of Technology. From the EU, Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences Pori, Latvian University Riga and University of Zilina are participating. In Belarus, the consortium consists of 11 universities, the National Institute of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Republican Institute of Vocational Education and 19 partner companies. The project is scheduled for a duration of 3 years.