The project European Reflection in Fresco originated as a strategic partnership for vocational education and training among four educational institutions; three tertiary vocational teacher training schools (CZ, GE, PL) and a non-governmental association Les Passeurs de Fresques (FR), whose main focus of activity is to popularize the ancient art of fresco painting. The main objective of the partnership is the exchange of good practices. The project participants are teachers/instructors as well as students, though each of them take part in different stages of the project.The principal idea is derived from the social and educational value of European cultural heritage and as the name of the project suggests, its content is focused on the art of the fresco, reflecting social, historical, cultural, and philosophical dimensions of Europeanism. The results are achieved in a unique and innovative way; by means of mutually linking the past 'hands-on' technique of fresco painting, which is based on real manual labour, and utilizing digital graphic design skills of the 21st century. These activities join together in a project which aims to support and develop future educators in personal as well as professional qualities essential for their future occupations.The actual output of the project is realized through the mutual exchange of knowledge and practices; teaching and learning the art of fresco and practical knowledge and skills in digital graphic design. There are generally four stages of the project. During the first stage, students and teachers in mutual interaction generate ideas and associations connected to Europeanism and re-blend them into artistic concepts. In the second stage, these concepts are completely or partially worked out in graphic design software making use of various graphic design elements and tools. Consequently, these artworks are displayed in school and/or town facilities, and take part in a two-round public contest. During the third stage, the winning design is implemented as a fresco in a public or school ground location. And finally, based on the practical project experience, each school implements an extended selection of facultative art subjects; an art course with elements of fresco technique, and an art course with elements of digital graphic design. These courses are planned as intensive project-based activities with a focus on creative and technical skills that can be utilized in the further professional careers of educators. All of the activities described above will take place in each of the schools separately under the tutelage of art teachers, with the assistance of ICT teachers and with the strong active support and collaboration of the French association Les Passeurs de Fresques.During the past three decades, human society has gone through rapid changes caused by technological advances, and the demands laid upon individuals are enormous. Current education is undergoing a process of redefining its concepts and goals, aiming for growth of versatile individuals equipped with skills which enable them to succeed in the world of the 21st century. It has been predicted that future generations will not enjoy the luxury of having a single life-long profession. Educational academics emphasize the importance of developing one’s imagination, creativity and transferable skills, including elementary manual skills, to enhance the psychomotor and cognitive development of the brain and its versatility. As well as the development of fine motor skills, training in manual activities also enhances one’s patience, focus and concentration, precision, attention to detail, time management skills, and convey an aspect of high motivation to produce an outcome of material nature. All of these aspects are present in the art technique of fresco, which can be easily transformed and applied in conditions of school environment by being carried out on training panels, and still not losing anything from its educational value.On the other hand, contemporary life is more and more connected to digital technology. Educational processes and the people involved cannot ignore this socio-economic phenomenon and allow it to pass them by. As well, as a result of modern technology, more and more information takes the form of graphic representations. Visual literacy and the ability to offer educational content in visualized forms should become an elementary part of an educator’s skill set.Both art syllabi, an art course with elements of fresco as well as an art course with elements of graphic design, may be adjusted to the needs and abilities of various social groups, beginning with children, through youth, adults and seniors, including people with special needs, socially maladjusted persons and other groups engaged in therapies. Both activities may lead to rehabilitation and resocialization on a much deeper level as the combination of art and manual labour has been proved to bring the best results.

Social, political and economic demand for sustainable solutions forces organizations to balance the impact of their activities on environment and to develop sustainable strategies for their product and service offerings, supply chains, manufacturing and transport, among other business related issues. The project Green Solutions for Business and Industry aims at sharing good practices in Green Business educational process with close connection to industrial enterprises. The project focuses in particular on Sustainable Solutions in Green Logistics and Transportation. This includes everything related to the forward and reverse flow of products, information and services between the point of origin and the point of consumption, business process scenarios in sales and distribution, core business processes, business objects and organizational units, as well as new approaches in new product development, shipping, billing, customer service, sales support and market research with the help of the most sophisticated technologies.Searching for green future solutions is a topic solved by not only business organisations. Specialists are also needed in many other areas across the economy. Therefore, the participating higher education institutions are ready to satisfy demand for newly educated employees, technicians, candidates for management, knowledgeable economists or lawmakers, those educated in the area of green and sustainable business. One of the key objectives of the project is to assist participating higher education institutions to refine and develop curricula, which address the issue.The partners of the projects are ŠKODA AUTO VYSOKÁ ŠKOLA, o.p.s, Czech Republic.; OSTBAYERISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE REGENSBURG, Germany; ŽILINSKÁ UNIVERZITA v ŽILINĚ, Slovakia; SEINAJOEN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY, Finland; HOCHSCHULE FUER TECHNIK AND WIRTSCHAFT DRESDEN, Germany; WYZSZA SZKOLA BANKOWA we WROCLAWU, Poland. The participants, students and academia alike, work in the international environment, cooperate with industrial companies and businesses, apply and further develop their theoretical knowledge, together with language skills and multicultural awareness.The project is focused on 1) innovations in course syllabi and developing new updated educational material to be used across the partner institutions; 2) developing new green solutions supported by academia and, more importantly, in cooperation with professionals and experts from businesses.Undertaken main activities are 1) Six transnational meetings, two per year, to communicate directly within the realisation team, set the tasks, work on collaborative assignments, plan ahead and prepare the intensive programmes for students; 2) Intensive Programmes for students – summer/winter schools each year of the project – where students, academia and professionals work together on case studies and practical issues; test and refine new educational sources; suggest discuss and test green solutions; 3) Collaborative work of the academia on intellectual outputs, in particular the monograph but not only; 4) International Conference held during the final part of the project; 5) Dissemination activities to promote the project, introduce the project´s result, involve other parties into the project on local, national and international levels. The project helps participants to understand and deal with company values using the balance of economic and environmental efficiency. The intellectual outcomes was presented during the planned international conference in which all participants will demonstrate and share common results and benefits of the project work. Planned intellectual outputs were accomplished successfully; what is more, planned reader (a textbook) is presented in the form of scientific publication, a monograph. Encouragement and promotion of green and sustainable business education and application of green solutions represent the contribution and added value of the project. From the long-term perspective the project is sustainable and will continue through future cooperation of partners´ institutions, companies and also other subject that acquainted with the project and its results during the international conference and other events in which the academia participated.