Integrating Dual Higher Education in Moldova and Ukraine / COOPERA

617490-EPP-1-2020-1-MD-EPPKA2-CBHE-SP

Priority: Strengthening of relations between higher education systems and the wider economic and social environment

Project duration: 15.01.2021 – 14.01.2024

• COOPERA project web page
• COOPERA Facebook.MD
• COOPERA Facebook.UA
• Recommendations for the preparation and implementation of educational programs of dual form
• Preparation and Piloting of educational programs of dual form

Coordinator: Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova Republic of Moldova

Co-coordinator in Ukraine: «KROK» University

Partnership:

Moldova:

1. Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova
2. Technical University of Moldova
3. Free International University of Moldova
4. Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova

Ukraine:

5. Uzhhorod National University
6. KROK University
7. V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
8. Odessa National University of Economics
9. Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

Programme country partners:

10. Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, GERMANY
11. Universitat de Lleida, SPAIN
12. Varna University of Management, BULGARIA
13. Akademia WSB, POLAND
14. European Policy Development and Research Institute of Maribor, SLOVENIA

COOPERA project Summary

The current social environment and high youth unemployment afflicting Europe, has led European policy to favor education seeking to promote the employability of young people. The crisis and the effect it has on the high unemployment rates, especially among the youth, has led some countries to give great importance to dual education at all educational levels and to speed up policies and reforms for the development of this system of education.

The key feature of Dual (cooperative and work-integrated) Higher Education (DHE) is the unique combination of theory and practice. The university's curriculum combines higher education and on-the-job training at numerous partner companies, aiming to provide both academic skills and work-related expertise. In that regard, the academic content conveyed in classroom is complemented with workplace experience, so that real-life situations immediately test the effectiveness of classroom theory and vice versa.

The project aim is to integrate Dual Higher Education (DHE) in the Partner countries in general, and to improve individual employability and development, increase suitability and continuity between the demands of the professional world and the initial training of university students, and achieve of greater economic efficiency and social integration, in particular.

Project goals and objectives:

Wider objective:

• The project aim is to integrate Dual Higher Education (DHE) in the Partner countries in general, and to improve individual employability and development, increase suitability and continuity between the demands of the professional world and the initial training of university students, and achieve of greater economic efficiency and social integration, in particular.

Specific project objectives:

• To identify needs and specific requirements of companies in different industrial sectors and businesses for DHE and to find companies willing to participate in pilot implementations of DHE during the project;
• To develop a flexible and generic Dual Higher Education Model (DHEM) to support different needs and interests of employers, higher education institutions (HEIs) and students in different industrial and business sectors and to provide recommendations to HEIs for implementation of Dual Higher Education;
• To test the specific DHE models generated from the developed generic DHEM, by realizing their pilot implementations during the project and to analyze achieved results;
• To propose changes to legislation/regulations to adapt Dual Higher Education in the Partner countries.

Activities:

• Preparation,
• Flexible and generic dual higher education model (DHEM),
• Creation of legal and other conditions for implementation of DHE,
• Pilot testing of the flexible and generic DHEM,
• Quality assurance and monitoring,
• Dissemination, Exploitation & Sustainability,
• Project management.

Expected results:

• Report on review of needs and recommendations regarding DHE based on the companies’ needs;
• Flexible and generic Dual Higher Education Models developed;
• Guidelines on DHE implementation;
• Documents on description and concept of the specific DHEMs;
• Material for specific Dual Study Programs elaborated;
• Analysis of the results of pilot testing of each of specific DHEM;
• Final conference proceedings.

The Project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union.