Promoting Continuing Professional Education in Moldova (MD) in the sense of fostering Lifelong Learning is one of the priorities stated in the national Strategy Education 2020 and Code of Education. As a consequence thereof, teaching staff should be well prepared to these pedagogical challenges, which increasingly require the implementation of innovative and participative learning-teaching approaches enabling teachers to provide their courses more efficiently in different socio-pedagogical contexts, if primary, VET, HE, or LLL.Since pedagogy becomes more interdisciplinary, especially with a view to introduction of web & ICT technologies in teaching & learning, appropriate skills are increasingly required from teacher educators. Due to the lack of trainers both in MD, who can teach other to design and implement e-learning courses as well as to create learning situations in which trainees are encouraged to outline their own objectives and to operate with increasing autonomy, the present project proposal aims at developing and introduction of two new modules “e-teaching for teacher educators” and “Innovative pedagogical approaches”. These modules will be tested, accredited by National Agency of Quality Assurance in Professional Education, and integrated into the learning programs of CPE for teachers at participating Moldavan PU. To facilitate wider implementation of e-technologies in CPE, 5 existing CPE courses will be selected, redesigned according to the blended learning approach, tested, and serve as references for further modernization of curricula.Appropriate technical, didactical, methodical, and organisational support of teaching staff and trainees by creating and utilizing eLearning-based courses will be ensured by Centres of CPE (CCPE), which will be established and networked during the project life at MD PU. Network will be supported by e-platform to facilitate open exchange of e-learning/e-teaching experiences.

Our project is a response to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in a joint attempt to induce transformational change toward innovating curricula and promoting institutional reforms in HE Institutions in the 3rd country: Republic of Moldova (MD).It addresses the regional priority of sustainable growth and jobs, and fulfils the needs of local target group (students, teachers and practitioners), channels energy to generate solutions for lasting effects, improves peer-learning and transfer of experience, and strengthens the capacities of HEIs to be more responsive, especially in recent trends of a decline in human development, and economic inequalities exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis.The intervention mobilizes appropriate resources to accelerate the innovation capability of 5 (five) HEIs from the Northern, Central and Southern parts of MD through developing, testing, and adaptation of Innovative STEAM bachelor curriculum in Business & Administration enriched with active business involvement and European good practices. These are translated into impactful, measurable and scalable results and enhance the relevance of education with regard to the offer and uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) skills, address the issues of unemployment, equipping local beneficiaries with competences for innovation and sustainable growth, as per:•71 local firms involved in need analysis and set up of Innovative STEAM curriculum.•240 students in B&A benefited from Innovative STEAM curriculum, per phase, by which 8 % disadvantages students.•120 trainee students enrolled in modernized internships, per phase. •60 academic staff from MD with STEAM skills and knowledge of new university governance systems.These address the offer and uptake of local STEAM skills, in coherence with national priorities set by Moldova National Strategy for Education 2030, and contributing thereof to the fulfillment of overarching priority set by EU.

"The SMART Caffes project was concrete response to the challenges that address HEIs in Armenia, Moldova, Belarus.Its objective was to encourage students’ entrepreneurial intent and support open innovation approach in collaboration between companies and universities in creative, supportive and motivating environment - SMART Caffes. The core idea was to motivate students and young researchers to actively use their intellectual potential to generate innovative ideas. During this process student teams have had the opportunity to be mentored, guided and advised by company representatives and university staff.The following project outcomes are expected to be sustainable long after the end of the EU funding:7 SMART Caffes(SCs) and their network;4 new training modules elaborated for the teaching staff of SCs8 new trainings elaborated for students enrolled in SCsIT multifunctional platform SMART_CHANNELRevised curricula in 7 HEIsBook: ""From Idea to running business"" in EN, RO, RU, AM, BLRMarket for Ideas in EN and RO/or RU/or AM/ or BLRStart up competition and annual regional conference of EaPC students’ EXPECTED IMPACT is envisaged on:Institutional level: new teaching approaches implemented, teaching staff skills increased, entrepreneurial skills of students fostered, improved quality of education.Regional level: new model of a public-private-people partnership fits to EaCP created, strong Network of motivating environment for students (SMART Caffes) created, contact-building between entrepreneurs -students –HEIs improved.National level: the role of HEIs in society in each EaCP extend, different perspectives crossed, interactions between technologies & market fostered.European level: fostering the integration process of EaCP HEI into the European Higher Education Area, built as an area which using common tools. Thus, EaCP update their higher education systems making them more compatible with EU standards."

The aim of the QFORTE project is to contribute to deeper integration of Moldova into EHEA through the enhancing of quality assurance in higher education system.Specific Objectives:OB1: To promote and strengthen the QA culture in Moldova and to build national consensus of the key-actors on the development issues by Nov, 2023.OB2: To develop and advance a national legislative framework and stimulate regulatory changes on QA in HEIs in Moldova by Nov, 2023.OB3: To enhance the QA management of HEIs in Moldova through International institutional accreditation by Nov, 2023 OB4: To build the institutional capacities of HEIs in Moldova for efficient and effective implementation of QA reform by Nov, 2023.The project's key target groups are the representatives of the Ministries responsible for higher education; representatives of the Agencies for Quality Assurance, Bologna promoters at national level; heads and senior managers of universities. The secondary target groups are directors of QA departments, Bologna co-ordinators in HEIs, QA operational staff.QFORTE seeks to ensure that the views of the university sector are taken into account at national-level policy discussions on internal and external quality assurance. It also will support its members in developing internal quality systems and aims to promote institutional quality cultures.

Reason for the project: Reinforce and modernize libraries and improve the level of competencies and skills of library staff in HEI’s in Armenia, Moldova and Belarus. The level of competencies and skills of library staff is not of a high standard in the target PC's. Library staff need to be trained in modern library standards & practices. The main challenge they face is to transform themselves into modern electronic libraries through fostering deeper involvement of library staff in scientific research. A more proactive role for libraries in teaching and learning is needed. Libraries must be promoted as important Centres of information literacy and lifelong learning accessible to all learners to aid development of their critical thinking skills.Concise description: LNSS will develop modern Library Staff Development Training Programmes supported by 8 ECTS modules accompanied by online learning media and embedded in curricula in PC universities, Public Administration Institutes and disseminated to external stakeholders such as Public and National libraries to ensure maximum transfer effect to society at large.While the main beneficiaries of the project outputs/products/results are librarians and library staff in PC universities there will be different levels of positive impact. The results of the LNSS project will result in reform of Library Services in Armenia, Belarus and Moldova which will involve target groups Librarians, Academic Staff, Students, National & Public Libraries, Administrative and other non teaching staff as well as people with Special Needs and Disabilities. All Library users will benefit from the LNSS project and Curriculum. Library staff will be highly equipped both to provide quality library training to all stakeholders in critical areas such as Information Discovery & Avoiding Plagiarism and to manage and operate quality, modern library services to support teaching and learning.