Erasmus+
№609563-EPP-1-2019-1-DE-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP -
Internationalizing Master Programmes in Agriculture via English Medium Instruction
(IMPROVE _AGRO) (2020-2023)

The project is aiming at strengthening regional cooperation in the area of educating specialists for Agriculture and Forestry, via internationalizing Master programmes and development of inter-institutional partnership between Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia.

The goal is defined by the need for modernization and increase in quality of higher education in the partner countries, bringing professional knowledge and skills to international quality standards and meeting the demands of national and regional labor markets. In this way, the project will address major issues of sustainability and environmental security in the regions.

The project will integrate efforts of universities and companies in Germany, Greece, UK, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia.

The goal of the project is:  to contribute to modernization and increase the quality and availability of higher education in Kazakhstan, Mongolia  and Russia via internationalizing Master programmes in Agriculture and Forestry by bringing them to the EU quality standards, introducing English Medium Instruction (EMI) and blended learning delivery.


Coordinators

• On behalf of the EC: Prof. Dr. Matthias Hutz, University of Education, Freiburg, Germany.
• On behalf of the partner countries: Dr. Dr. h.c. Galina V. Telegina, Tyumen State University.

Partners

1. Freiburg University of Education, Germany 
2. Aston University, Birmingham, UK 
3. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece 
4. Tyumen State University, RF 
5. Altai State Agricultural University, Barnaul, RF 
6. Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University, RF 
7. Kazakh National Agrarian University, Almaty, Kazakhstan 
8. S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State University, Kazakhstan 
9. Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 
10. National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 
11. LLC “Centre for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering”, Tyumen, RF 
12. Tobolsk Complex Scientific Station, Tobolsk, RF 

Specific Project Objectives (SPO)

1. Contribute to development of a new model for internationalising Master programmes in the area of Agriculture and Forestry based on English Medium Instruction (EMI) and blended learning delivery.
2. Enhance teaching capacities at the PC HEIs via re-training staff and modernising teaching resources using a multidisciplinary approach.
3. Design a trans-institutional e-platform for master students to improve access to teaching/learning resources internationally.
4. Create potential for internationalization via increasing international academic mobility.

Project Activities

1. Consultations with relevant professional and administrative organisations to coordinate their needs and ensure high quality of the educational product.
2. Delivering staff development courses for the partner countries’ participants.
3. Developing and implementing new modules for the Master curricula, to be delivered via English Medium Instruction (EMI) and blended learning, corresponding to international quality standards. 
4. Academic Mobility.
5. Designing and maintaining an e-learning capacity.
6. Management and quality control activities.
7. Dissemination of results 

Duration: 3 years

The size of the grant:  997 611 Euros


Tyumen State University is a participant of a prestigious national project ‘5-100’ aimed at increasing competitiveness of Russian universities globally. Among the strategic goals of TyuSU is making an input into the world research agenda for agriculture, environmental protection and bio-security, promoting ‘customer-tailored’ and accessible education for the best and highly motivated students in Russia and abroad. TyuSU has become an initiator for creating one of the first in the Russia Research and Education Centre of the international level.

Freiburg University of Education offers various teacher training programmes and has excellent experience in delivering Master courses in German, English and French via the Blended Learning mode. FUE places great emphasis on the acquisition of intercultural competence, in particular from a European perspective and has strong links with numerous universities in Europe and beyond.



Contacts

Prof. Dr. Matthias Hutz
Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg
Institut für Anglistik
Kunzenweg 21
D-79117 Freiburg
Germany
Tel.: 0761-682-511
Email: hutz@ph-freiburg.de

Dr. Dr. hc. Galina V. Telegina
Regional Institute for International Cooperation
Tyumen State University
625003, Tyumen, Russia
6, Volodarskogo street
Email: gtelegina@utmn.ru