The first online National Online Kick-Off Meeting of the 7 newly selected Erasmus+ Capacity Building Higher Education (CBHE) projects took place on 17-18 March 2021. It hosted over 120 participants from 20 countries: Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Russian Federation, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and the United States. 

This two-day meeting was dedicated to the presentation of 7 Erasmus+ CBHE projects selected under the Call for proposals 2020 and aimed to provide an opportunity for new and experienced project teams to network and share good practices in running capacity-building projects under the EU funding scheme.

On March 17, the webinar kick-started with welcoming words and support messages delivered by the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Mr. Karen Trchunyan, the Head of the Delegation of EU to Armenia H.E. Andrea Wiktorin and the Rector of French University in Armenia (UFAR) Mr. Bertrand Venard. Mr. Trchunyan prioritized the impact of capacity-building projects not only on individual and institutional levels but also on the national level. The Deputy Minister also highlighted the ownership and commitment of the Ministry towards reaching tangible project results, as well as monitoring the progress of Armenian HEIs in disseminating best practices country-wide. H.E. Wiktorin once again stressed the EU’s commitment to supporting Armenia’s reforms in the field of higher education and added that ratification of CEPA agreement by all EU Member states and its entry into force as of 1 March 2021 intensifies the scope of cooperation not only on the political plane but also in certain social sectors, where education is among the prioritized ones. Professor Bertrand Venard highlighted the impressive support from the EU to Armenia as well as the great intellectual capacities of Armenia, including those of UFAR, the university being involved in 10% of the funded projects and coordinating the recently selected one.

Next, the Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office Ms. Lana Karlova presented Armenia’s participation and place in CBHE according to the Eastern Partnership regional statistics. The webinar also hosted representatives from the Educational Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) Ms. Belen Enciso and Mr. Stephan Wynants who are responsible for the overall management of CBHE projects in Armenia. Project Officer Ms. Enciso presented the roadmap to sustainability and impact as the cornerstone of successful project results. 

Next, the Armenian representatives of 4 newly selected CBHE projects SAH, SMARTI, SAFEMED+, and WBL4Job presented their planned activities, teams, expected results and measures to be undertaken for securing project impact on institutional, national, and regional levels. 

Finally, the first day was concluded with a joint presentation by the NEO Programme Officers Ms Edith Soghomonyan and Ms Ani Torosyan who shared practical tips on the operational and financial management of CBHE grants. 

On March 18, the panelists also addressed the potential threats and challenges related to the implementation, operational and financial management of the CBHE grants in Armenia, their quality assurance, and the ongoing national legal framework adjustments. The Head of the National Center for Quality Assurance of Professional Education (ANQA) Mr. Ruben Topchyan made a presentation on how to ensure the quality of CBHE project result with a focus on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and their role in transforming the organizational culture. Then, Ms. Karlova spoke about the monitoring exercises that help projects to keep on track and deliver the expected results and outcomes. 

Local coordinators of 3 newly selected CBHE projects: TACEESM, CONNECT, and GEOTAK briefly presented the rationale of their projects and discussed their thematic specifics and impact. 

Finally, the Advisor to the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Mr. Samvel Karabekyan presented the innovations and amendments of the Draft Law on Higher Education and Science to be adopted in the coming week or two.

The presentations and YouTube links to the recordings of the two-day event are available below.