Regional TAM seminar “Developing and Implementing Joint Master’s Degree Programmes: Current Challenges and Prospectives” (25-26.04.2024, hybrid)
On April 25-26 HERE regional seminar “Developing and Implementing Joint Master’s Degree Programmes: Current Challenges and Prospectives” was held at the Yerevan State University. The seminar was organised by the National Erasmus+ Office – Armenia in cooperation with Kristine GEVORGYAN, Higher Education Reform Expert (HERE), YSU Center for European Studies, Coordinator of Master’s programmes, and the National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine within the framework of Erasmus+ Technical Assistance Missions.
25 participants joined the seminar on the first day offline, and 103 participants online. The seminar of the second day was attended by 9 participants offline and 56 participants online. Participants included policy makers, higher education reform experts (HEREs), faculty and administrative staff, curriculum developers, and international relations representatives of higher education and research institutions. The seminar was moderated by Kristine GEVORGYAN.
On April 25, the seminar launched with the welcome speeches of Lana KARLOVA, Coordinator of the National Erasmus Office – Armenia, Ruben TOPCHYAN, Director of the National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation (ANQA), Ofelya ZAKARYAN, senior specialist of the international cooperation department of the Higher Education and Science Committee, and Svitlana SHYTIKOVA, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine.
The key speaker of the seminar was Ulrike KRAWAGNA, responsible person for the management of the Joint Programmes and the “CIRCLE” Erasmus Mundus Joint Master degree programme at the University of Graz.
During the first day of the seminar, Ulrike KRAWAGNA presented the stages, formats, advantages, possible challenges and solutions, communication and management mechanisms of Joint Master’s programmes. Next, Galyna GRABCHUK, a representative of the Institute of High Technologies, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, presented the structure of the Joint Master’s programme implemented by the university, the challenges that are rising during the preparation and implementation phases, as well as the ways to overcome them.
Anzhelika MUSAYELYAN, head of the International Relations Division, the Armenian State University of Economics, presented the Double Degree programme developed in the frames of the project “Internationalisation through Advanced Digital Education in Asia and the Caucasus” funded by DAAD and implemented with the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences in Zwickau, the structure of the programme, duration, the procedure for selecting students, the curriculum and financial obligations in particular.
Kristine GEVORGYAN talked about the project “Developing Joint Master’s Programme in European Studies: Law, Governance and Communication” (DEGES), and it is still the only Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s degree programme in Armenia. She presented programme development process, challenges the consortium faced, evaluation system, considering the inclusiveness factor in similar programmes, and legislative regulations.
The seminar of the first day was finalised by Anna KHVOROSTIANKINA, head of the Law Department, the Eurasia International University, presenting the structure of the Double Degree programme “Security and Human Rights” at the Eurasia International University jointly implemented with the University of Tuscia, Italy, as well as the curriculum content, obstacles encountered during the implementation phase and mechanisms of their mitigation.
After summarising the first day’s discussions and addressing some questions of participants, Ulrike KRAWAGNA referred to the process of document preparation during the Joint Master’s programmes, presented the procedure for receiving applications, defining target groups, resource acquisition and financing strategy.
Next, the participants were divided into 4 groups to discuss the specifics of the development and implementation of Joint Master’s programmes in Armenia and Ukraine based on the SWOT analysis method. As a result of the discussion, the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats of Joint Master’s programmes were highlighted, and Ulrike KRAWAGNA gave suggestions for solutions.
Afterwards Iryna ZOLOTARYOVA, representative of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance of Ukraine and higher education reform expert (HERE), presented the successful experience of Joint Master’s programmes in Ukraine, its accreditation and shared some advice for the participants.
The seminar concluded with a round of discussions and feedback from the key speaker, higher education reform experts and the seminar participants.
Presentations and Materials are available via the link.
Video materials are available via the link.
Prepared based on materials from the National Erasmus+ Office in Armenia.