Workshop in Bremen

 

In today's world, international cooperation is the basis for sustainable economic growth, imbalances and deficiencies overcoming, improving the quality of life, technology and knowledge innovation, environmental protection. Countries cooperate to find collective solutions and mechanisms aimed at overcoming common problems and achieving common goals within formal and informal institutions at regional and global levels.


International cooperation mechanisms create conditions for general analysis of the experience, identifying the best possible solutions and best practices in various areas of activity. The value of this interaction is undoubted.

International cooperation is an integral part of the activity of National Transport University (NTU) and an important tool in ensuring the quality of education and its compliance with international standards. Development is the strategic goal of the university. NTU international activity is aimed at improving the state of the university in higher education system of Ukraine and at further integration into the world educational and scientific space.

One of the priorities for the development of international activity of the University is its fruitful cooperation with European universities, research institutions and organizations within the framework of TEMPUS international educational projects.
National Transport University has participated in TEMPUS projects since 2006. The experience of scientists and students in implementing these projects allowed them to gain some experience and establish a reputation as a reliable and professional partner.

At present National Transport University is a national coordinator for the implementation of three TEMPUS projects: "Ecological Education for Belarus, Russia and Ukraine (EcoBRU)", "Centers of Excellence for Young RESearches (CERES)" and "Fostering the Knowledge Triangle in Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova (FKTBUM)".
On 17-21 February, 2014 the Technical University of Bremen (Germany) hosted a coordination meeting of the project "Ecological Education for Belarus, Russia and Ukraine (EcoBRU)" which is a logical continuation of the previous project "Environmental Management for Russia and Ukraine (UMRU)" and it is the intensification of international collaboration of scientists and university lecturers in the field of nature conservation.

The meeting was attended by over 50 representatives from 25 organizations, agencies and higher education institutions of Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia who are interested in improving and deepening the continuous environmental education at different levels of teaching. The main goal of the project is the development and implementation of common new programmes, testing and recognition of e-learning environmental courses for teachers of all levels of general, vocational and higher education as well as for state officials; adaptation and modernization of existing Bachelor's and Master's environmental programmes.

From the Technical University of Bremen meeting participants were welcomed by the Vice-rector for Intercultural and International Affairs Prof. Dr. Yasmin Karakasoglu, Dr. Klaus Ruth and Prof. Falk Howe.


The programme of a coordination meeting envisaged a visit to educational center Bau - ABC Rostrup dealing with training and retraining of construction workers. The Head of the Center Emke Emken and Melanie Campbell made a presentation and guided an interesting tour around production units. It made possible to evaluate the capabilities and achievements of the Centre in vocational training.
During the meeting the representatives of all project partners made informative and interesting presentations which showed possibilities and proved the necessity and relevance of the project.

Dr. Vyacheslav Nikitsin and Dr. Guido Kaufmann (Germany, Paderborn) presented the organizational structure of the project, explained its objectives and main tasks, work packages and planned results. They proposed to create a Project Management Board which should include the representatives of all partner countries.


Dr. Juris Benders (Lithuania, Riga) shared his opinion on the possible ways to achieve the goals and presented a list of references that may be useful to all partners in implementing this project.

On the proposal of project coordinators from the Technical University of Bremen during the working sessions of the meeting, the participants were shown a draft questionnaire to analyze and determine the necessity of environmental programmes for each partner organization.

The next meeting to discuss the first results of the project will be held on June 30 - July 4, 2014 in St. Petersburg.

 

 

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