The general aim of the proposed project is to enhance the quality of higher education by developing and implementing technology - enhanced teaching and learning in Georgian Higher Education Institutions. It aims to empower academic staff at Georgian HEIs in the innovative educational technology adoption in curriculum reform and course design; to improve the level of competences and skills in HEIs by developing new and innovative education programmes and providing trainings for academic staff to enhance their digital competences and skills’; to diversify the delivery methods, including on-line/blended teaching.The specific objectives of the project are: To Design and pilot new online/blended courses for GE HEIs BA and MA programs in line with EU best practices; To Design and conduct F2F/online/blended professional development training courses for GE HEI faculty and online instructors; To develop a common platform for online teaching and learning for GE HEIs; To disseminate best practices at institutional and national level via online platform, in-service teacher trainings and National Conference.The main target groups are students, academic staff and pre-/in-service teachers. All the activities within the project are planned in a way to address the needs of these target groups, which lead to the achievement of the overall objective of the project - to enhance the quality of higher education by developing and implementing technology - enhanced teaching and learning in Georgian Higher Education Institutions.GE institutions within the proposed project consider extremely important to develop and implement technology-enhanced learning and innovative teaching and learning strategies for the capacity building in higher education and creating conditions for learning and teaching in digital environment.

Georgia ratified the UN Convention on the right of persons with disabilities in 2014; However PwDs still experience unequal approach and their rights are frequently violated. Low professional competence of school teachers towards working with pupils with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN ) is one of the main factors influencing quality of inclusive education in Georgian schools. Till now no university in the country has an academic program in special education - at the same time there are about 1500 special teachers working in schools- without proper knowledge and academic diploma/certificate. The training program in inclusive education carried out by the National Centre for Teacher Professional Development is an only way for teachers to enhance professional competence in this regard. With existed curriculum GEO HEIs cannot deal with two main challenges the country has towards inclusive education - (1) Special teachers' proper education - providing them with academic knowledge and diploma/certificate and (2) subject teachers’ low competence towards working with pupils wit SEN - ensuing them with proper education at the university and provide with related continuing education programs. The project is focused on development new academic modules in special education that will be integrated in teacher education program at four GEO HEIS - graduates from the program, future subject/general school teachers will have a proper knowledge to work with pupils with SEN. In addition the certificate program in special education creates opportunities to prepare special teachers with academic knowledge and diploma; short term training programs gives opportunities to school/ field practitioners to refresh professional capacity in inclusive education. And finally strong network of professionals (academicians, school practitioners, NGO/DPO and state agencies) arranged with the frame of the project will create good background for better police and practice.

"Substantially obsolete industrial infrastructure in Georgia and Ukraine poses existential challenge for these countries’ economies under conditions of global transformation, often referred to as 4th Industrial Revolution. The gap between availability of advanced technologies coupled with ubiquity of information on the one side and lack of experience in re-setting of business models for an enterprise in Georgia and Ukraine on the other side is bridged in HEIn4 via reinforcing the role of HEIs in Industrial transition through:- building capacities in HEIs (human resource and institutional units);- delivery of tailored business management courses for industrial personnel;- launching consultancy services for industrial companies (large and SME);- setting new taught modules for Master students;- establishing of new forms of collaboration between HEIs and industry.Following major outputs will be produced:- Higher Education 4.0 Concept will summarise pedagogical strategy;- Case Studies will represent the EU practices to wider audience;- short courses will be delivered to upgrade industrial staff;- taught module ""Industry 4.0 Business Management"" will be developed and embodied to official Master programs;- recommendations for updating Engineering curriculum will deliver insights on the new transdisciplinary competencies required for operating the factories of the future and how this can be addressed in higher engineering education;- Virtual Factory Learning Labs will be set in each HEI complemented with their international network as a focal point of collaboration in the Industry 4.0 context.Major long lasting and sustainable impacts will be delivered as follows:-Reinforced role of HEIs in 4th Industrial Revolution;-Industry will attain skills, knowledge and expertise vital for competitiveness;-Employability of graduates will be enhanced;-For academics new opportunities of professional development will be delivered."

"The project envisaged training of qualified climate managers. For this purpose, project teams will study best EU practices, select and train staff, update existing Master degree programs in environmental protection and management by developing an interdisciplinary training module in climate change prevention, adaptation and mitigation. The aim of the project is to help the universities of Georgia, the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine to become centers for the development of research of climate management to accelerate integration into the global climate market and to meet global climate regulation requirements by acquiring best European practices in the field of climate change prevention, adaptation and mitigation.The specific objectives of the project are as follows:1. Update the existing master desgree programs by developing an interdisciplinary training module ""Climate Management"".2. Establish consulting Climate Management Centers at partner universities and ensure their sustainable development.3. Facilitate the development and strengthening of institutional capacity of partner universities aiming to develop recommendations for the industrial, transport, energy, tourism sectors and local authorities in the sphere of climate change prevention, adaptation and mitigation.Indicators of progress in the project implementation are the following:1. The number of high-quality, multi-skilled specialists trained for comprehensive addressing of the challenges of climate change prevention, adaptation and mitigation.2.Good national organizational structure for professionals in climate change prevention, adaptation and mitigation.3. Qualitatively organized system of support of the development of climate regulation programs at national and regional level."

Georgian HEIs have gone through significant changes, but 3M has so far occupied a minor place in their development agenda because they focused on the infrastructural development for their teaching and research. The project looks at this neglected issue, with the aim of expanding the cultural, social and economic contribution of HEIs through 3M activities. It acts at different levels: it secures the official support and encouragement for the regulatory bodies in favor of 3M and includes it as an integral role of the universities, for which they become accountable. The Ministry of Education and Science issues a position paper on 3M that clarifies the role of 3M and underlines the importance as one of the 3 main goals of the universities, along with teaching and research. The National Centre for Education Quality Enhancement updates the national QA system to integrate the 3M of universities adding criteria to the accreditation system and methodologies for assessment.Each of the 8 universities validates its strategy for 3rd mission development: Top management impetus is assured, resources are allocated and institutional support is granted, formalized in the annual activity plan of each institution. In each HEI, experts are trained to 3M strategic planning and 3M implementation and management. Based on the directions of the strategic plan, key activities are selected for implementation in each institution. All categories of 3M activities are covered (cultural, social and economic). These pilots validate the methodology and accelerate the cultural change in the universities, demonstrating the contribution that the institution makes to its environment through its third mission. Guidelines presenting the key learning points and best practices are developed and shared during the final conference of the project. They stimulate replication of the process (strategic planning and implementation in the other Georgian institutions.