Micro-credentials for Higher Education systems of Georgia and Armenia: South Caucasus lighthouse project (Micro-GEAR)
Project number
101127144
Duration
36 months
Grant
999,804.00 €
Applicant (Coordinator)
Georgian Technical University, Georgia, Prof. Karlo Kopaliani
Local
partners
Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies of NAS RA, Lilit Sahakyan, lilit.sahakyan@cens.am
Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia
National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation
Yerevan State University Foundation
Eurasia International University
National Information Center for Academic Recognition and Mobility
EU partners
Giraf PM E.K., Associazione Cimea, Italy
Universita degli Studi Europea, Italy
Universidad Carlos Iii de Madrid, Spain
Universitat des Saarlandes, Germany
Other Partner
Countries
The University of Georgia, Georgia
Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, Georgia
National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, Georgia
Georgian Research and Educational Networking Association, Georgia
Project
Summary
Micro-GEAR is supporting structural reforms in the higher education sector of the South Caucasus region, primarily focusing on Georgia and Armenia, with the aim of introducing and facilitating the broad proliferation of micro-credentials as a tool for improving relevance, quality and flexibility of higher education. In line with the European Council’s Recommendation on a European approach to microcredentials for lifelong learning and employability, the project will update the National Qualifications Frameworks in both countries, build national consensus over principles of micro-credentialing, stimulate educational activities leading to micro-credentials and facilitate their mutual recognition. In order to validate the suggested reforms, to provide feedback to the policy level, as well as to facilitate the proliferation of micro-credentials, the project will implement the pilot programme covering the capacity building on micro-credentials and the development of educational units leading to micro-credentials. Finally, the project dissemination and sustainability activities will spread the obtained results to all relevant education and training providers in the beneficiary countries and wider in the region. The Georgian and Armenian partners involved are: Ministries of Education, National Accreditation Agencies and ENIC Centres, Higher Education Institutions and representatives of training providers. On the European side, the project consortium includes 3 Higher Education Institutions with complementary competences, the Italian ENIC-NARIC Centre and a Quality Assurance Expert Company.