Erasmus+ BOOST Project kick-off meeting 20.02.2017-21.02.17
YEREVAN, Armenia – From February 20-21, a kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ Boost Project was held at the Khachatur Abovian Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU). The Project is coordinated by ASPU. The project is dedicated to fostering and promoting international dimension of the Armenian Higher Education (HE) through the development of national and institutional policy framework and tools. It is based on recommendations in the Yerevan Communique and European Higher Education Area (EHEA) Mobility Strategy 2020.
The purpose of the meeting was to:
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Develop a common understanding of the project objectives, rationale, tasks and outcomes;
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Discuss in details the working packages of the project and the universities coordinating the working packages;
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Clarify project management, administrative procedures and financial management of the project.
On February 20, welcome remarks were delivered by Ms. Karine Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Armenia by emphasizing internationalization as a trend among Armenian universities. Further, Mr. Ara Yeremyan, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, and Ms. Lana Karlova, National Erasmus+ Office Coordinator welcomed the kick-off participants prioritizing crucial role of Erasmus+ projects in Armenia’s education system and emphasizing the need for cooperation among other projects in this field. The EU partners of the consortium from Estonia, Portugal, Sweden, and Spain as well as Armenian counterparts representing ASPU, American University of Armenia, Shirak State University, Yerevan State Conservatory, Vanadzor State University, Ministry of Education and Science, National Information Center made introductory presentations on their institutions, as well as discussed the project goals, objectives, working packages and outcomes to be carried forward throughout three years.
With the aim of developing synergy with already existing projects on HEI’s internationalization, the agenda of the meeting also included a presentation on Erasmus+ “Harmony” project. It was agreed to share the mutual findings and capitalize on mutual experiences. Coherent management strategy and channels for effective communication to meet the project deadlines and cross-cultural challenges concluded the two-day meeting.