Trainings and Coordination Meeting in the frames of Erasmus+DeSIRe
Within the framework of the Erasmus+ KA2 (CBHE) project DeSIRe “Development of Soft Skills at Higher Education Institutions of Armenia and Georgia in Compliance with the 21st Century Labour Market Requirements”, training sessions on the design and implementation of three learning modules and one Massive Open Online Course (MOOC-1), as well as a Project Coordination Meeting, were conducted at Dresden University Technology (TUD) in the Federal Republic of Germany from March 24 to 28.
Goris State University (GSU) was presented by the following participants: Naira Safaryan, Head of the Department of External Relations, Cooperation, and Media, and the local coordinator of the project; Naira Mezhlumyan, lecturer at the Chair of Foreign Languages, project member, and trainer; and Nelli Baghdagyulyan, lecturer at the Chair of General Pedagogy and Special Education, project member, and trainer.
The working week included various interactive training sessions and workshops covering the topics: “Media and Digital Literacy Skills,” “Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion,” “Essential Entrepreneurial Skills: Initiative and Proactivity,” and “Reflective Thinking and Evaluation Skills.”
The training participants engaged in both theoretical and practical activities, with particular emphasis on applying the aforementioned skills in the teaching and learning process.
The experts from the EU partner universities of the project shared their experiences with the participants and introduced tools that will help representatives of the consortium member universities develop soft skills modules and MOOCs aligned with the demands of the 21st-century labor market and integrate them into their professional activities and university curricula. During the practical sessions, participants applied theoretical knowledge in hands-on tasks.
According to the project action plan, following this training, four working groups (one trained participant from each university) will be formed to develop training module packages for in-house soft skills training within a two-week period.
On March 27, a Project Coordination Meeting was held, where the local coordinators of the consortium’s member universities and organizations presented the work they had carried out. Naira Safaryan presented the actions implemented within WP7 on behalf of GSU. Discussions also took place regarding the procurement of equipment and the establishment of soft skills labs.
As part of the program, participants also had the opportunity to tour the Saxon State and University Library (SLUB), gaining insight into its extensive resources, advanced digital services, and innovative learning environments. The visit provided valuable perspectives on modern library management and academic support systems.
The working and training week concluded with final discussions and instructions on future actions. The training participants were awarded certificates.
