"Below presented project – Simulation in Undergraduate MEDical Education for Improvement of SAFEty and Quality of Patient Care (SAFEMED+) serves to tackle important issues, related to undergraduate medical education in Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine, which takes roots back from collapse of Soviet Union and crush of soviet educational system. Despite progressive steps, taken by partner countries towards adopting wester values and implementing up-to-date trends within educational systems as well, undergraduate medical education and practical training of prospective medical professionals particularly, yet remains to be a weak link on the regional level. Taking into consideration national and regional priorities, as well as common needs, was born an idea to develop a project, which would address existing common challenges, yet provide bespoke solutions for given concerns of participating institutions. The project SAFEMED+ was first introduced during KA-2 CBHE call 2016-2017, under name SAFEMED and with rather different formation of consortia, which was shortlisted and placed among reserve projects with best positive feedbacks and valuable recommendations for further improvement. Addition of ""+"" in acronym indicates addition of simulations to the essential body of the project, implying development of all necessary types of simulations, which may be used on the undergraduate stage of medical education, including standardized patients, mannequin-equipped clinical skills laboratory, clinical scenarios, OSCE examinations etc; in order to create a continuum of clinical competences across the curriculum, starting from the first year of studies in Competency Based Medical Education based Curriculum.The enhancement of patient care safety and quality by promoting simulated learning of Clinical Skills implemented in Competency Based Medical Education based Curriculum in Undergraduate Students is the primary impact of the SAFEMED+."

The overall aim of the proposed project is to improve quality of public health and social services in partner countries through educating qualified interdisciplinary specialists, researchers and academics.The objectives of the proposed project are:1. Comparative analysis of the PhD program structure across participating countries and respective universities and their compatibility with EU teaching schemes. 2. Planning and harmonization of PhD programs in Public Health and Social sciences in Partner universities. 3. Development of course contents, syllabi, learning outcomes and research plan, tailor-made for individual partner universities. 4. Website development, creation of online resources and e-learning courses for PhD students. 5. Training of staff in EU universities in teaching, IT knowledge, research skills and project supervision in EU universities.6. Establishment of a fully structured PhD program in Public Health and Social Sciences and call for PhD students as a pilot program. 7. Development and submission for approval to appropriate authorities the passport and code of specialty.8. Dissemination of project activities through website, interim and final conferences, paper publication. Through implementation of the project highly qualified professionals (researchers and academics) in public health and social services will be trained, that will have extensive interdisciplinary knowledge in particular fields addressing at the same time health issues of population, social determinants of health and applied social sciences. Scientifically proved explanations and solutions to the existing problems in the mentioned fields will eventually lead to the improvement of health and social services in Armenia and Georgia. Through this project the existing PhD programs will be harmonized, restructured and will contain specific educational components, relevant for each institution and each field of study, thus ensuring interdisciplinarity.

Twinning for the Armenian Research Infrastructure on Cancer Research (ARICE) aims to increase the research infrastructure capacities in the field of cancer research in Armenia, through integrating a robust pathology background with state-of-the-art biobanking to a research-ready data structure. This will be achieved by establishing close cooperation with the leading expert-institutions in the field (Medical University Graz, Charles University and IARC) as well as by facilitating spread of the competences at institutional, national and regional level. Cancer research infrastructure has been chosen as the focus because Armenia has a very high incidence and mortality of cancers, as well as a very high prevalence (according to incidence) among rare malignant diseases, while it underperforms in cancer research when compared to the EU average. ARICE will ensure cancer research infrastructure gets appropriate attention in order to support further local research in Armenia and in the wider Caucasus region, including former Soviet Republics. New scientific developments in the field of cancer prevention, in particular in biomarker research and large population-based investigations are in place to facilitate success in research in this field. The ARICE project is going to be an important step for reaching the set goals both efficiently and effectively. The competences acquired in this field during the project realization will be easily transferable to other fields of research related to medicine, biology and medical ethics, health-economics and biostatistics. Involvement of researchers from multiple specialities (physicians of different specialities, biologists, data management specialists) hosted by the Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) will ensure this smooth transfer of expertise.

Open science, open innovation, and openness to the world are set as one of the main research and innovation strategies in the European Research Area (ARA). Open science provides an effective framework for the enhancement of research transparency, dissemination, collaborations, and accountability. The academic community in Moldova and Armenia have recognized the importance and advantages of open science principles which is manifested through the numerous initiatives undertaken by the government bodies, faculties, libraries, NGOs, and journal publishers. However, in the absence of coordination, compromise on standards, and a solid legislative support, these initiatives seem isolated and ineffective from the global point of view. The main aim of the MINERVA is to develop conditions for the implementation of the core principles of Open Science at universities in Moldova and Armenia. The Project specific objective is threefold:1. To advance national and institutional guidelines, policies, and incentives related to the open science in Moldova and Armenia, 2. To establish digital repositories at all project`s partner HEIs in Moldova and Armenia and to foster their infrastructural development and interoperability, and 3. To build human research capacities in order to ensure the sustainable implementation of open science principles and enhance the social inclusiveness and accountability of publicly-funded research.MINERVA project plans to improve institutional HR policies and practices through a series of bylaw changes that will prepare researchers for the labour market and society by facilitating their career development. Further, it will enhance their level of competences through a series of practical trainings in transversal and transferable skills. Thus it will harmonize the management of university research potentials and foster regional cooperation in the Eastern Partnership Countries converging with EU developments in higher education sector.

The ARMDOCT project addresses an urgent need in Reforming Doctoral Education (DE) in Armenia in line with the Salzburg Principles with the emphasis on policy, legal framework (including by-laws) and institutional procedures supporting integrative and internationally-oriented doctoral studies involving universities, research institutions and industry.The action foresees:• strengthening strategic, infrastructural & human capacities in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Institutes of the National Academy of Sciences (SRIs), Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia (MESA); • development of national new policy and legal framework, including by-laws for doctoral education in Armenia and further approval by national Ministry for pilot implementation;• revision of institutional policies, procedures based on the redesigned national regulatory framework and design of the Institutional Handbook for Doctoral Education;• establishment and operationalization of 5 Doctoral Schools creating synergies between HEIs, SRIs and industry;The action is complemented by extensive dissemination & networking activities. The partnership of 15 members comprises 4 EU HEIs, 8 HEIs and 2 SRIs from AM and the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia. Expected impact on the international and national levels is seen as contribution to the reform and modernization of DE in line with the Salzburg principles enabling better integration to the European Higher Education and European Research Areas. The precise and clear institutional procedures and guidelines of DE will improve the transparency and accountability of the institutions. The involvement of MESA ensures project impact on policy level and provides modernisation at national development strategies.