| Project number: | 530603-TEMPUS-1-2012-1-LT-TEMPUS-JPCR |
| Short name of the project: | CENEAST |
| Full name of the project: | Reforming programs in the field of urban planning in the area of the Eastern Neighborhood |
| Duration of the project: | 3 years |
| Project start date: | October 15, 2012 |
| Project end date: | October 14, 2015 |
| Donor: | European Union |
| Direction of cooperation | Modernization of educational programs |
| Project coordinator (grantholder): | |
| Organization | Vilnius Technical University named after Gediminas |
 Arturas Kaklauskas | |
| Telephone/Fax | phone: 00370 5 274 5234 fax: 00 49 203 728 5966 mobile: 00370 5 274 5235 |
| Email: | arturas.kaklauskas@vgtu.lt |
| National project coordinator (Ukraine) : | |
 Pyatova Angela Vyacheslavivna | |
| Phone: | 406-80-19, 406-82-29 |
| Email: | a.piatova@kpi.ua |
| Work place: | OPCSB Department, IEE |
| Position: | Art. teacher |
| Coordinator (responsible person from Ihor Sikorsky KPI): | |
 Volodymyr Vasyliovych Prokopenko | |
| Phone: | 406-85-35 |
| Email: | progrek@gmail.com |
| Work place: | Department of EP, IEE |
| Position: | Docent |
The purpose and tasks of the project:
- To modernize the educational programs of bachelors/specialists, masters and postgraduate students with new modules on energy- and ecologically sustainable, rational and safe for health urban planning in universities of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine in order to improve the quality and relevance of education in universities of partner countries in accordance with labor market requirements.
- Transfer the practice of the Bologna Process in the field of education (curriculum, ECTS, innovative learning, etc.) from EU universities to partner country universities.
- Develop a virtual interuniversity network educational system (intelligent library, intelligent learning system, intelligent knowledge assessment system, access to electronic sources of scientific and educational information) to ensure cooperation between EU universities and partner countries in the field of education and scientific research.
- To contribute to the improvement of the competence of university employees of partner countries.
- To train 240 students during the implementation of the pilot project.
Expected results:
- Modernization of educational programs for bachelors/specialists, masters, postgraduates in the field of urban planning in accordance with the results of the project and after the end of the project.
- Creation of modules in accordance with the practice of the Bologna process, courses for university teachers in a specific field, educational methods and curriculum projects.
- Virtual Interuniversity Network Educational Center.
- At least 240 students trained during the implementation of the project, international scientific cooperation and maintaining the relevance of educational programs after the end of funding under the Tempus program.
- Dissemination of project results.
Description of the CENEAST project
12 universities are involved in the project, which will cooperate closely both on a European scale and on a national scale with the help of two associations. According to the tasks, the project is aimed at:
- updating of bachelor’s (specialist, master’s) educational programs and postgraduate programs according to new modules (directions) on the organization of an energetically and ecologically sustainable, affordable and healthy environment and buildings in universities of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
- dissemination of the results of practice and data on education, developed in the process of work in the city of Bologna, through a single educational network (such as the Internet).
- development of a virtual network interuniversity educational system.
- training of university personnel (at least 240 students).
Planned activities to ensure broader and specific goals of the project:
- Management (everything related to management).
- Modernization of bachelor’s, master’s and degree programs.
- Development and operation of virtual network interuniversity educational centers.
- Monitoring and reporting on results.
- Dissemination of results, completion of programs.
The specified measures, including the content of academic programs, information on the pedagogical approach, involvement of scientists, students and stakeholders, expected results are described in more detail below.
1. Management
The CENEAST “management” section will be divided into two parts:
- CENEAST administrative unit;
- CENEAST management and management group.
The CENEAST administrative unit includes a coordinator, a financial manager and a secretary. The CENEAST coordinator is formally the main contact person with the Tempus office and the only one for all project partners.
CENEAST management and management group (CMG) includes a coordinator, a financial manager, managers (responsible for the complex of works) and coordinators of partner universities. CMG is responsible for the project as a whole, including the implementation of the project plan for supporting educational and innovation activities, training, dissemination of information and budget (financial matters). Therefore, the CMG has a “vote” on the review decision, the authority to approve or disapprove any changes to the project plan, budget and distribution.
The chairman is the CENEAST coordinator. The coordinators of the partner universities are responsible for all activities within the universities, such as the development and implementation of bachelor’s/specialist, master’s programs and postgraduate programs. They have the right to make decisions on the modification of these measures, changes in budgets, but are obliged to notify and send reports to the CENEAST coordinator.
The heads of the complex of works are responsible for the final result, content and quality of their work.
Expected results of activities in general are: creation of CENEAST administrative unit, minutes of meetings, reports, interim reports, final reports, creation of discussion platform on CENEAST website, release of CD, summary of general results of the project.
2. Modernization of bachelor’s, master’s and degree programs
The modernization of these educational programs, the creation of a competent selection of studied disciplines and the schedule of classes, as well as the determination of the form and disciplines for the exam. Two meetings will be organized for the discussion, the meeting will be attended by two representatives from each partner university (one teacher will be responsible for the bachelor’s/specialists’ program, the other for the master’s and PhD programs) and one representative from the participating organization. The purpose of these meetings is to change programs and modules at partner universities. More precisely, it will affect the modernization and strengthening of interdisciplinary modules.
Modules that need to be changed will be determined through a thorough examination using the best global practices. In addition, the partnership will engage external experts to participate in an external advisory board. These experts are world-renowned specialists, managers and administrators with experience in ministries of education, ministries of the environment, specialists and consultants of leading industrial partners.
During the implementation of the project, the modules of 9 bachelor’s/specialist programs, 5 master’s programs and 2 PhD programs (16 modules in total) will be developed (including the structure and recommendations for educational materials).
Topics recommended for modules (programs) of bachelors/specialists:
- Introduction to the construction of a sustainable environment;
- Planning, investment and development of the architectural environment;
- Advanced technologies for the construction of energy-efficient buildings;
- Project management in the field of construction and management at the construction site;
- Energy audit of buildings (control of energy consumption);
- Energy efficiency in engineering systems;
- Sustainable reconstruction and restoration (repair of buildings);
- Introduction to “Renewable Energy Sources”;
- Building materials for creating a sustainable environment;
- Geographic information systems (GIS);
- Information modeling of buildings (BIM);
- Building operation and building management;
- Introduction to the discipline “Environmental quality, human health and anthropogenic environment”;
- Available anthropogenic environment (anthropogenic – in the sense built by man);
- Ecology of anthropogenic environment;
- Introduction to the discipline “Sociological methods”.
Topics recommended for modules (programs) of masters:
- The life cycle of a sustainable built environment;
- Architecture of certain urban areas and urban design;
- Introduction to “Renewable Energy Sources”;
- Building materials for building a sustainable environment;
- Geographic information systems (GIS);
- Information modeling of buildings (BIM);
- Building operation and building management;
- Introduction to the discipline “Environmental quality, human health and anthropogenic environment”;
- Anthropogenic environment is available;
- Ecology of anthropogenic environment;
- Introduction to the discipline “Sociological methods”;
- Climate, architecture and energy saving;
- Energy efficiency in an artificial environment;
- Renewable energy sources used in the construction and operation of buildings and structures;
- Passive houses and Sun City (solar panels in houses);
- Construction of energy-efficient structures in civil construction;
- Updating the existing human habitat;
- Development of the real estate market in accordance with the principles of sustainable development;
- Project management and human resource management in an artificial environment;
- Facility management strategy;
- Advanced technologies in facility management;
- The cultural side of sustainable economic development;
- Small and medium-sized businesses in conditions of sustainable development;
- Territorial sustainable development management bodies;
- Prerequisites for local development: “bottom-up” approach;
- Network analysis of local systems;
- Sociological methods used for sustainable development of cities;
- Quality of the environment inside buildings (taking into account comfort for human health);
- Technogenic problems in the 21st century.
Recommended topics for PhD modules (programmes):
- Theory of sustainable design;
- Innovations in the field of building a sustainable environment;
- Intelligent cities and intelligent architectural environment;
- “Smart” and biometric systems;
- The role and use of the Internet and other virtual networks in building a sustainable environment.
Reconstruction of bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral programs will include the development of modules (with the help of consultations of invited experts from Europe) in accordance with the Bologna practice, courses for university teachers in the specified field, the choice of teaching methods and the development of project programs (including quality control). .
The bachelor’s and master’s programs will be aimed at the initial training of specialists for further activities in the participant’s organization, as well as at monitoring the competence of specialists and their competitiveness on the international market. Government organizations, consulting institutions, large companies, and small and medium-sized businesses are selected as the target employer by default. However, graduates will have the necessary background to conduct research or continue their studies to obtain a PhD degree. Lectures will include compulsory and selective courses, in some cases. Pretesting will be used to determine specific courses that are required for specific students.
The developed materials will include a detailed description of the programs and course schedules (for 2-4 courses, selective courses are mandatory depending on the module), and textbooks on relevant topics in Russian.
Products and materials will be stored in the online database and will be used for the educational process.
3. Development and operation of virtual networks Interuniversity Education Center
The main task of this activity is the development of innovative virtual networks of the inter-university education center in order to open access to the modules offered under WP2. In addition, this center will also include the promotion of continuous learning in society as a whole, making traditional learning material accessible from the outside (to a variety of users from students, teachers – practitioners and politicians). 4 main components were identified as the main elements of the center:
- intellectual library;
- intelligent learning systems;
- assessment of students’ knowledge by the system;
- virtual research environment.
The development of the center is considered as a goal of the regional and national priority direction of higher education, which contributes to the development of international relations, increasing quality assurance, improving the management of education and services for students, creating and spreading knowledge in the field of education, research and innovation. After the development of the virtual network interuniversity educational center, one-week training courses will be held for the employees of participating universities and organizations. 36 teachers and 32 employees from the administrative sector will be trained during the implementation of the project (16 of them will take part in an internship, 16 will study remotely).
It should be noted that during the implementation of the project, according to the modernized curriculum, 240 students will study the modules listed above (76 for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate courses) for one year.
One of the most essential parts in the development/implementation of the project is the assessment of the competence (level) of graduate students and the level of research conducted as a result of academic exchanges, participation in trainings and the management process. In order to complete three cycles of the PhD system, the modules will be integrated into all the systems described above (40 PhD students will study for 12 months).
4. Monitoring and reporting on results
The purpose of this activity is to exercise full control over:
- by the process of developing and implementing modules, creating a virtual network interuniversity education system;
- according to the course of the experiment and the results in the university and in general;
- calculation of the total number of students participating in the program, the number of trained teachers and employees;
- the number of new practices approved by universities;
- feedback from students, teachers, administrative staff and interested parties;
- collection of feedback and results from interested parties (number of pupils, students, employed);
- recommendations based on monitoring results from independent parties.
Expected results include reports on CENEAST’s internal review of the results of all participating universities; CENEAST’s internal review of the results of the associations (P13 and P14) and the report on the results of the external review.
5. Distribution
It includes activities on interaction between partners and dissemination of the results of the project as a whole. Project progress and results will be reflected on the project website, project brochure and other publishing activities. A detailed description is given in point E4. During the implementation of the project, quality control will be carried out by the coordination group, following the requirements of ISO 9000.
Management will be based on continuous quality control of the indicators established at the beginning of the project and on the interim reports/indicators, the successes of the project indicated in this request. The success of the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Postgraduate programs will be assessed using self-assessment tools (including student assessment), but all general internal procedures designed to assess the organizational structure will also be used to monitor education. An external advisory committee will monitor the quality of the modules and their compliance with the project objectives.
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