The project proposal “Competences for International Innovation Projects – CompIIT” addresses the need in Armenia for graduates who are able to work in the virtual cross-border projects of the digital era. The international business community (same as government and society, e.g. EU cooperation) are organized in projects which are mainly conducted in online collaboration, not just since COVID. Graduates need to learn how to work in interdisciplinary, international and intercultural teams, with specific communication competences (in English), a dedicated project competence and a digital literacy in IT tools for collaboration, communication and project management. Universities in Armenia are expected to move towards project-based learning (PjBL) patterns but they lack such formats in the curricula. Furthermore, they lack the industry-university cooperation to make such projects realistic, innovative and work-place related. CompIIT addresses these needs with 3 core deliverables: a Virtual Project Campus as a digital infrastructure with IT tools and courses, 3 transdisciplinary project formats for the curricula: innovation project, cross-border project, start-up project, and the ProCom Language and Communication School as a virtual entity. The partners will form Open Communities of Practice (OpenCoP) on each outcome which work iteratively and agile, also beyond project runtime. With KU Leuven as one of the most innovative European universities and FH Dortmund as one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Germany, two EU partners with strong background in digital transformation, industry-university cooperation and innovation projects are members of CompIIT. In Armenia, the European University of Armenia is the strongly international anchor towards Europe while the Goris State University (GSU) addresses more remote, rural areas. The Yerevan Telecommunication Research Institute CJSC (YeTRI) is a strong multiplier into many HEIs in Armenia.

The aim of the All4R&D project is to accelerate research, innovation, knowledge and technology transfer in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Armenia through enhancing strategic academia-industry alliances. The specific project objectives are: • To reinforce existing and to establish new university structures – Cooperative R&D Units together with industry; partners in the areas of knowledge creation and transfer, research and innovation, commercialisation of R&D results;• To develop a methodology for collaboration and open innovation and establish web based platform focusing on knowledge transfer, innovation and networking potential;• To test and review the model of collaboration between universities and companies through pilot projects; and• To enhance career development and employability of students and alumni by offering new and innovative opportunities in research and education.The following stakeholders are potential users of the project results:1.Academic and research institutions2.Industry partners (private companies, especially those who have strong research and innovation potential)3.Students and alumni4.Government agencies, ministries, public enterprises; business and professional associations5.Investing agencies and third-party fundsThe excellence of this project will be provided by developing and application of a unique approach of establishing specific, wide-ranged, interactive, comprehensive connection between academia and industry, one being an inspiration and a confirmation to the other. Through synergetic partnership of 13 organisations the academia-industry alliances will be built in holistic approach which will provide vital human capital, with skills and competences needed today. Our motivation was the understanding that when companies and universities work in tandem they can push the frontiers of knowledge, and become a powerful engine for innovation and economic growth.

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.