CURRENT PROJECTS

1. EU projects

Erasmus project Acces to Lifelong Learning in Higher Education - ALLinHE 2011-2014

The ALLinHE project is a Lifelong learning programme project (action: Erasmus), co-financed by European Commission. It includes 10 partners - 8 partners are from European countries and 2 partners are from South Korea. It started in 2011 and will terminate in 2014. The project focuses on social inclusion for all in European learning and working environments. It develops validation of prior learning (VPL) approaches to link project target groups - under-represented groups and non-traditional learners (migrants, persons aged 50+, ethnic minorities, handicapped persons) - to HE learning opportunities. Planned project outcomes are:
- a nationally contextualized VPL model for the target groups in the partner countries (the so-called multi-targeted VPL model);
- a comparative analysis of the VPL approaches for the target groups in HE and in the partner countries;
- a pilot of the multi-targeted VPL model with the target groups;
- a training program for HE professionals to learn how to work with the multi-targeted VPL model;
- a transversal analysis of new VPL approaches resulting in a handbook that highlights best practices for the HE professionals;
- an ALLinHE network focused on research, tests and evaluations of inclusive VPL practices;
- an European Academic Credit Bank System - following the model of Korean Academic Credit Bank System - a result of a functional competence-based databank for all credits
accumulated during different education processes held by Korean partners.

Project web site: www.allinhe.eu

Leonardo da Vinci project Observal-Net 2011-2013

The Observal-Net project is a Lifelong learning programme project (action: Leonardo da Vinci), co-financed by the European Commission. It includes organizations from 10 European countries. It began in 2011 and will last for 2 years. The project intends to set up a network of organizations - stakeholders in validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNIL) in Europe. The core of this setting up is the formation of national working groups in all participating countries, with each of these groups charged with carrying out several key national stakeholders forums, the aim of which is to form recommendations, proposals, solutions pertaining further development of activities of these stakeholders. These national networks are supplemented by a transversal network made up of three expert committees and dealing with the following three themes:
- the role of grassroots initiatives in supporting VNIL and strategies towards their mainstreaming
- success factors in the implementation of VNIL in employment settings
- the competence profile required for VNIL advisors.
Besides, there is another - the fourth - committee made up exclusively of policymakers and the aim of which is to share strategies on VNIL at high level. The project is a successor of the Observal project and thus is based on the database of cases of good or bad practice of VNIL in European countries, which is a part of a wider database created in the framework of the Observal project. The project also contributes back to the same database by preparing reports on annual situation regarding VNIU in each participating country.

Project web site: http://observal-net.eu/homepage

Grundtvig partnership Adopt your heritage - ADHER 2009-2011

The Adopt your heritage - ADHER project is a Lifelong learning programme (Grundtvig subprogramme) project, co-financed by European commission. The two-year project, which began in 2009, includes organisations from Turkey, Romania, Slovenia, Lithuania, Italy and Greece. The main objective of the project is to increase the mutual understanding among different cultures, namely by improving the knowledge of people about heritages of (different) cultures, whereby innovative ways of education/training are used. To improve the knowledge of people about cultural heritages can, of course, mean also to create new employment opportunities and, consequently, to contribute to the economical development (first of the region these people and this heritage belong to). On the other side, here it is a matter of the possibility of conservation of cultural heritage in a way which at the same time means the contribution to the economical development. The project includes mobilities of trainers and trainees (as participants of the training on cultural heritages) to other (partner) countries with the main purpose of exchanging the information on the situation regarding cultural heritage in different countries.

Project web site: www.adyourhe.com, www.adher.mii.lt

Leonardo da Vinci partnership Mentoring as vocational training method for third sector organizations - MIND.TS 2009-2011

The Mentoring as vocational training method for third sector organizations - MIND.TS project is a Lifelong learning programme (Leonardo da Vinci subprogramme) project, co-financed by European commission. The two-year project began in 2009 and includes organisations from Poland, France, Italy, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta and Spain. The main objective of the project is the development of an info-training course about the mentoring method and its promotion among non-profit organisations. In this way, the project contributes to the development of professional skills among workers of non-profit organisations by using innovative methods of training.

Project blog: mindts.wordpress.com

Leonardo da Vinci project Consult in Europe 2006-2008

Management consulting is in Europe and also in the world on the rise. At the same time, older managers and enterprise leaders, because of different circumstances, often do not find or only hardly find new job as managers; however, they can transfer their knowledge and experiences to the field of consulting to enterprises. The CiE project - which, as the european international Leonardo da Vinci programme project, includes 14 partners from 9 EU countries - supports the possibility of employment of these people in the management consulting sector - in a way, that, with the analysis of the consulting market needs and competences needed by the new older consultants, a form of (formal and informal) training of these people for their successful passage to the management consulting sector is developed.

Project web site: www.consultineurope.eu

Leonardo da Vinci project European Observatory of Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning 2007-2010

The main goal of the project - which, as the european international Leonardo da Vinci programme project, joins institutions representing different educational sectors (higher education, vocational education and training, and adult education) from 24 EU countries - is to create a database on validation of non-formal and informal learning in european countries, including four types of data:

(1) »Official documents« (official documents, regulating validation of non-formal learning in the country

(2) »Case studies« (studies of examples of good or bad praxis of validation of non-formal and informal learning, from different sectors)

(3) »Annual national reviews« (annual state of play of the implementation of validation of non-formal and informal learning in the country)

(4) »Publications«.

EuropeAid project Support to Reform of General Education in Bosnia and Hercegovina: Education Quality Assurance in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2008-2009

Overall objective of the project is to contribute to establishment of high quality education system through reform of education institutions responsible for development and assessment of standards for primary and secondary education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Specific objectives of the project are:

- to support functioning of the state education agency responsible for development and assessment of standards for pre-primary, primary and secondary education, and

- to develop an efficient and functional system of education quality assurance.

European Commission (EuropeAid) project Support to Reforms of Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in consortium with GOPA and LSN, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2009-

The overall objective of the project is to advance the reform of the education system to be able to respond to the needs of the labour market in order to combat unemployment and to support the development of economy and society. Specifically, the project should increase not only academic mobility within B&H and abroad, but also mobility of labour force within European labour market through Diploma recognition according to the Lisbon Convention, and support institutional development of B&H universities in order to increase cost-effectiveness of their administrative and management operations by introducing a model of integrated university.

EuropeAid project Regional Network of Local Learning Institutions, with the Croatian Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education as the main partner, Croatia, 2010-

This project is a part of the wider endeavour in Croatia to ensure continuous improvement of the education system. The project is designed to strengthen the capacity of the Adult Education (AE) system at national level with a special focus on a selected number of the ten most vulnerable counties. The activities are centred within four components:

1. Improvement of the capacity of adult education institutions in the ten selected counties

2. Assistance in disseminating information on the methodology for modernizing existing and/or designing new short AE programmes

3. Support for the implementation of the grant scheme (GS) operation "Regional Network of Local Learning Institutions"

4. Awareness-raising activities for potential adult learners regarding adult education training programmes and regional networks established

2. Worldbank and other donors projects

Project Capacity for Universal Basic Education in Nigeria 2008
and
Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria project 2008-2011

Project Capacity for Universal Basic Education in Nigeria - succeeded by the Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria project - supported the nigerian government in the development and drafting of the education sector situation snalysis, the federal 10-year education sector plan, the vision 2020 and the national framework for education. This support was carrying out by designing and undertaking an assessment of primary and secondary teachers' subject and pedagogical knowledge in relation to the school curriculum, and by identifying areas needing remediation.

Project Teachers' Development Needs Assessment in Kano, Kaduna, Lagos and Jigawa State, Nigeria, in the Education Support Programme in Nigeria Project, Nigeria, 2009-2010-

A study of teachers' development needs in Kwara state found that the levels of teachers' subject knowledge and pedagogical skills have to be improved, because they are largely responsible for poor pupil performance. Formal teacher qualifications are not necessarily a guide to competence. The aim of the study is to assess levels of teachers' knowledge and competences in all five ESSPIN states. The assessment would aim to identify the development needs of teachers. Support is provided to the four states: Lagos, Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa in the following:

- design and undertake an assessment of primary and JSS teachers' subject and pedagogical knowledge in relation to the school curriculum, and identify areas needing remediation.

- provide the initial results of the teachers' assessment to the Kwara Ministry of Education, within an agreed time frame, and ensure that lessons learnt from the implementation of assessment process are captured.

World Bank Teacher Education Improvement Project (TEIP), Component 2: Upgrading Academic and Professional Teaching Qualification of Under-Qualified Class Teachers for Grades 1-4, Palestine, 2011-

In support of the Teacher Education Strategy (TES) - instigated by the Palestinian Ministry of Educations and Higher Education (MoEHE) as a critical support to the Education Development Strategic Plan (EDSP), the World Bank is funding a Teacher Education Improvement Project (TEIP) with two component parts:

- Component 1 aims at improving the quality and relevance of the school experience component of teacher education (the teaching practicum).

- Component 2 will support the provision of programs to facilitate the upgrading of the large proportion of practising teachers (cca. 75%) who are currently under-qualified in their academic and/or professional teaching qualifications and who do not meet the new standards for teacher certification. Component 2 of the TEIP will be piloted at four universities in the West Bank and one in Gaza involving about 2000-2500 under-qualified, grade 1-4, class teachers, in about thirty schools adjacent to the institutions involved.