MEETING WITH STUDENTS AT SAFAA

MEETING WITH STUDENTS AT SAFAA

State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia launched a series of meetings with the first- year students. The main aim of the meetings is to provide information on inclusive policy of Academy and conduct a survey among students to raise the existing problems connected to inclusive higher professional education.

During the meeting the students filled in the questionnaires, that should be summarized and taken into consideration for further improvements. The working group of INCLUSION project represented the main opportunities that Academy gives to its students, including financial support and opportunities for voluntary work.

It should be mentioned that ESPAQ students community has been established at SAFAA, so the coordinator of the community represented its main aim and functions, and also provided detailed information on how to become a member of ESPAQ.

State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia will continue the meetings with the first- year students of 8 academic programs.

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LOCAL MEETING IN YEREVAN

LOCAL MEETING IN YEREVAN

Local meeting was held within INCLUSION project in Yerevan, Armenia on July 23. Armenian partners of the consortium gathered at AUA to discuss the activities to be done before the vacations.

Being the coordinating institution, State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia, presented the report received from EACEA office in Belgium. The consortium members discussed the weak points of the project highlighted in the report and made some suggestions for the feedback. As a leader of Work package 4, American University in Armenia had a short presentation of the WP.

SAFAA and AUA looked through the equipment to be purchased within the project. They discussed the list with representatives from UNISON and MoES to get feedback for finalization.

The Armenian partners also discussed the design of national guideline. They have decided to have inter-institutional working team who would work on guideline, and have a working group on national level composed of all Armenian partners of E+ Inclusion project, who would meet periodically and discuss the development of guideline.

WORKSHOP IN LEUVEN

WORKSHOP IN LEUVEN

A 3-day workshop was organised withing INCLUSION project in Leuven, Belgium in June 27-29. Hosted by UC Leuven- Limburg University, the consortium members discussed the ways for developing teaching and learning methodology in terms of inclusive higher professional education. The workshop was held for PCU staff to enable them to act as online coaches.

The partners had to make a short video connected to the inclusive higher education. Each partner chose 2 topics and worked on the content of the video. During the first day the hosting university represented programs (like Camtasia for editing the video, YouTube for adding subtitles) so that to help the consortium members in the process of movie- making. The university staff also represented the main principles for video making.

During the second day the partner organisations and universities worked mainly individually on their videos. Leuven university provided editing rooms and studio to the INCLUSION consortium members for making the videos.

The third day started with coordination meeting managed by SAFAA, project coordinating institution, during of which financial and technical issues were discussed. At the end of the day, the partners showed their films and received feedback from others. The consortium members also discussed the main activities to be done after the workshop, including the draft and further development of national guideline.

LOCAL MEETING HELD AT AUA

LOCAL MEETING HELD AT AUA

Local meeting was held within INCLUSION project in Yerevan, Armenia on June 20. Armenian partners of the consortium gathered at AUA to discuss activities to be fulfilled during the  upcoming event and the  principles of national guideline for inclusive higher professional education.

State Academy of Fine Arts and American University of Armenia shortly presented their master plans for inclusive education designed for their universities and got feedback from the NGOs and ministries.

The Armenian partners of the consortium had a skype meeting with Susanna Karakhanyan, INCLUSION project coordinator, who gave some advice connected to the development of national guideline. The main suggestion was to creat a group, including members from each partner organisation that would be responsible for designing the national guideline. Ministries will support the working group with legislative background for inclusive higher professional education.

The consortium members also discussed the main activities to be done during the next meeting in Leuven, Belgium. They looked through the aganda of the meeting and made some comments. The list of suggestions for the meeting in Leuven was finalised and sent to the organisers for further revision.

P.S A 3- day workshop is to held for PCU staff in UCLL, Leuven. During the training the partners will discuss the ways for developing teaching and learning methodology in terms of inclusive higher professional education.

 

DISSEMINATION MEETING IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

DISSEMINATION MEETING IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

University of Travnik hosted the members of INCLUSION consortium for a two- day dessemination meeting, held in May 10-11. The consortium members gathered at Travnik University to discuss the activities implemented connected to the inclusive higher professsional education.

The first part of the meeting was dedicated to the master plans of partner country universities. The Armenian and Bosnian universities represented their master plans for inclusive higher education at their institutions. The master plans were discussed with the European and Armenian partners and received feedback for further improvements.

During the dissemination meeting the Armenian and Bosnian stakeholders of INCLUSION project had a fruitful debate on the current issues of inclusiveness in terms of higher education.  The NGOs and ministries of both sides participated in the discussion and expressed their aspect for making higher education much more inclusive.

The dissemination meeting at University of Travnik was concluded with a coordination meeting from the management team. Being the project coordinating institution, State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia had a  short presentation on financial and technical issues of INCLUSION project.

The consortium finalised their activities to be done up to the next meeting in Leuven, Belgium. The final institutional plans of the partner country universities will be presented during the next training, held in June 27-29.

INCLUSION LOCAL MEETING IN YEREVAN

INCLUSION LOCAL MEETING IN YEREVAN

Local meeting was organized within INCLUSION project in Yerevan on May 7. Hosted by AUA, the Armenian members of the consortium gathered to discuss the main principles of national guideline and institutional master plans for inclusive higher professional education.

The representatives from Ministry of Education and Science of RA and Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of RA made presentations on the legislative part of inclusive education in Armenia. They introduced the main documentation connected to the rights of students from vulnerable groups; such as disabled students, students having health problems, students of soldiers, parentless students and so on. The legislation should be the basis for institutional master plans of the universities. UNISON NGO, whose main aim is to support people with disabilities in promoting their human rights, made comments on what can be included in the master plans.

The Armenian part of the consortium shared with other colleagues the information and best practice gained during the study visit in London. They discussed the ways to adopt some approaches of inclusiveness of higher education from Roehampton University.

INCLUSION team finalized their activities to be done up to the next meeting, which will be held in Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina on May 10-11. During the two- day conference the universities will represent the final drafts on master plans.

DRAFTING MASTER PLANS FOR INCLUSIVE HIGHER EDUCATION

DRAFTING MASTER PLANS FOR INCLUSIVE HIGHER EDUCATION

Bosnian and Armenian partner universities of INCLUISON project have already started drafting their master plans for inclusive higher education.

Both groups completed the capacity building stage and conducted fact- finding, the results of which were discussed and verified with the European partners during the site- visits. Partner country universities provided fact- finding reports on roles, functions and ongoing initiatives at their universities.

The members of the work group participated in a workshop on master plans and institutional mechanisms development. Bosnian and Armenian members of INCLUSION consortium have already started drafting their master plans and national guidelines for inclusive higher education with the emphasis on HEI role. The final draft of the master plans will be represented during the dissemination conference to be  held in Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The dissemination conference is dedicated to the achievements and lessons learnt within the framework of INCLUSION project.

STUDY VISIT TO ROEHAMPTON UNIVERSITY

STUDY VISIT TO ROEHAMPTON UNIVERSITY

A 5-day study tour was organized within the framework of INCLUSION project on March 19 – 24. The Armenian partners of the consortium gathered at Roehampton University, London to discuss the main activities and best practice of Roehampton University connected to the inclusive higher education.

Representatives from State Academy of Fine Arts together with American University of Armenia, Ministry of Education and Science of RA, Armenian National Students’ Association, UNISON NGO studied the main approaches of master plan for inclusive education. During the study tour the representatives from Armenia started the discussions of master plan and drafted the main points that should be included in the document.

The British partners of INCLUSION project represented their training system organized for faculty members. The topics connected to discrimination, terrorism, equality, are mandatory for all the faculty members, especially for those who have just started their career as a lecturer. The Armenian partners visited the library and chapel of Roehampton University where, together with British colleagues discussed the issue of higher education of religious and ethnic minorities and the ways to make higher education as inclusive as possible for students belonging to that category. Moreover, the Armenian members had a fruitful discussion with the responsible person of disabled students and got acquainted with the ways and methods of helping students with special needs to be integrated into the educational process.

At the end of study tour a short film was shot with the participation of Armenian members introducing the main outcomes of the visit to British university. The film will be shown during the dissemination meeting to be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

UNT- Site Visit, Leuven, UCLL, March 2018.

UNT- Site Visit, Leuven, UCLL, March 2018.

Within the Erasmus + project, K2, “INCLUSION”, representatives of the University of Travnik (UNT) were at study visit in Belgium, Leuven on March 2018. (5 days of study visit).

The visit was attended by representatives of BIH consortium besides the SMOC, so there were partners from the University of Tuzla, Mr. Zlatan Buljko in front of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science of Federation BiH and representatives of the University of Travnik – Coordinator of the project “Inclusion” –Maya Djuric, head of the Office for International Cooperation at UNT- Selma Seta and student Nedzla Kadic.

The site visit took five days and included the work on the Master Plan for both Universities institutions. Working on Master plan is extremely important part of the “Inclusion” project, and it took consideration and preparations of the basic titles such: Management of the inclusive practice, institutional support for the inclusion practice, inclusive approaches for learning, teaching, and assessment…

Other part of work was based on the documentary film about Inclusion that each institution took part on and which would show the inclusive story of the both Universities.

Representatives also visited The Lifelong Learning Center “KU Leuven” where students, assistants and professors continued with their educational process.

INCLUSION Training in Leuven

INCLUSION Training in Leuven

Inclusion consortium members gathered in Leuven for two-day conference. Hosted by KU Leuven university, the consortium members discussed the activities carried out since the last training held in Yerevan, 2017.

During the first day of the training SAFAA, AUA, universities of Travnik and Tuzla represented the results of benchmarking carried out at their universities. The benchmarking tool enables the universities to distinguish gaps and plan impovement actions. The results were discussed  with European partners. Besides, ministry and student representatives make short presentations on the current situation and issues connected with higher education of students from under- represented groups.

Within WP3 a discussion was held concerning the implications for writing institutional guidelines and national / regional guidelines. First day ended with activity on identifying the main stakeholders while envisioning the strategy.

Second day  started with a workshop. Partner universities planed their road map and set priorities for their institutions 2018- 2019 and national guideline. Day ended with coordination meeting  managed by SAFAA, project coordinating institution, during of which financial and technical issues were discussed.