The main aim of the current project is to enhance business-HEI cooperation in consortium countries by changing the paradigm of education in line with Bologna process requirementsThe current world economic situation and ongoing social changes, create special needs for education systems to satisfy. Growth of competition and widespreading of IT has a significant impact on educational process and increased the need for closer ties between business activities and university knowledge. But the real progress is slow due to the growing gap between the expectations of employers and competencies of graduates, as well as the obstacles in making a link between businesses and universities in partner countries. The absence of State level benchmark of such cooperation in partner countries leads to huge and unnecessery controversy. In order to change this situation, the current project is aiming to achieve the following sub-goals:-To locate gaps between partner universities experience in cooperation and interconnection of the study process with business practices and corporate supervision;-Identify the current professional and learning outcome structure required by modern employers in partner countries through in-depth research;- To introduce a new system of HEI – Business interaction based on leading practices of European Universities with combination of practical-oriented teaching and thorough involvement of business into the study process;-To retrain teaching staff for fulfilling new roles in the changed learning environment and applying active teaching methods in shaping the future employee capacities;- To contribute to elaboration of new generation of methodological documentation supporting the HEI-Business interaction systemThe impact of current goals achievement would remove the obstacles of bringing the academic and business practices together, increase graduate employment in partner countries and contribute to spreading of advanced European values in the society.

The Wider Project Objective:To strengthen the European dimension in qualifications of the tourist sector to enhance employability of graduates in the field of tourism in Russia and Kyrgyzstan.Specific Project Objectives:1. To harmonize qualifications and competences in the tourist sector in the Programme and Partner Countries on the basis of learning outcomes, occupational standards and sectoral qualification framework (SQF). 2. To improve qualification of the teaching staff of PCIs, involved in developing and implementing new curriculum, based on OS and SQF 3. To design a pilot curriculum in tourism for the 7th qualification level (Masters’ degree) based on OS, SQF and learning outcomes 4. To establish quality control and monitoring procedures at PCIs and enhance quality, relevance and convergence with EU initiatives 5. To disseminate project outcomes and best practices in higher education sector of Russia and Kyrgyzstan and to enhance networking among HEIs and professional associations across Program and Partner Countries6. To ensure effective and efficient project and programme managementThe project partnership was help RU and KG PCIs improve the quality in tourism education by modernizing their educational systems and strengthening intellectual, cultural, social, scientific and technological potential. The project was allow for reforming qualification systems and developingOccupational Standards and Qualification Framework for the tourist sector in RU and KG. On the basis of OS and SQF partners was jointly develop a pilot innovative second cycle curriculum in tourism focused on 7th level learning outcomes, professional competences and student centered pedagogical approach, which was meet the industry demand in employees’ qualifications. To enhance the EU dimension and to reference qualification levels to European qualification framework (EQF) partners was need to understand their own national qualifications landscape and explain allocation process at national and EU-level as was as reflect EQF and national contexts and objectives. Cooperation and dialogue of actors across vocational, higher and general education and social partner and private sector involvement play a bridging role. The partnership was work towards a ‘common language' to translate occupational standards into qualifications and understand and compare qualifications both at national and EU level.– Qualifications that have both national and international value are truly a global phenomenon. Recognition and transparency of all qualifications was make it easier for individuals to explain their skills and increase mobility in the national labour markets and across countries.The changes in the industry also creates demand from employers and practitioners for opportunities for employees to update or improve their qualifications, and hence there is growing interest in Mastres' programs. The full picture is that the above factors make it more likely that the changes carried through during the project was be sustained long after it has been completed and was be beneficial for the target groups. On the whole, the situation in the tourist dector was change for the better, since the tourist education will be structured around competences specified at each level, and the tourist industry will get specialists trained in accordance with the qualificitaions required.The project will contribute to the structural changes in tourist education and was produce the multiplier effect through the disemination activities. Ministries of Education in RU and KG direct involvement in the project was of great value in endorsing the project outcomes through accreditation process.

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.

The project consist of 17 universities: 5 from Program Countries: FR, DE, LV, EST, BE; 4 from KZ, 4 from RU and 3 from BY; two stakeholders of related field: 2-from KZ, 1- from RU and 1-from BY and P1 spin-off company- P6 from DE. The overall objectives of the proposal are: to support the modernisation of the higher education (HE) in space exploration and intilligent robotic system in the targeted Universities in BY, KZ, RU through innovation of two cycles curricula in line with the new development in the area, the labour market demand and according to the Bologna Process and best practice. In relation to the output/outcomes: review/analysis of the current programmes/curricula (BA, MA) in space technologies and robotic; to upgrade current programmes/curricula inclusive ECTS; to develop a set of 14 new core curricula and 7 transferable modules; adopt/accredit on institutional/national level; to develop, publish, purchase the new tutorials, handbooks, syllabi; to develop WEB based platform; to prepare a set of documentation for ROBOLAB purchase/install the equipment; to retrain academic/non-academic teachers in new curricula and methodology; Master Classes in new curricula held in ROBOLAB; pilot teaching students in new curricula using ROBOLAB establishment; developing a set of documentation/purchasing/installing equipment; staff training/pilot operation/networking of TETRO; to address the envisaged impact: promotion of closer exchange between HEI community and labour market to meet the needs of labour market to improve training in space technologies and robotic to foster employability of educated youth and to enable networking between various stakeholders on this issue. Academic content: 21 curricula and module inclusive ECTS using updated teaching techniques and modern learning environment.