WORKSHOP AT RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY IN THE FRAME OF SMARTI PROJECT

From May 6 to 10, within the framework of Erasmus+ SMARTI[Support for Innovative Methodology, Approaches, and Tools for Teaching through the Medium of English in order to improve Educational Yield, Sustainability, and Internationalization]  project, a five-day training was held at Riga Technical University. The meeting was attended by 28 representatives from the EU and Armenian universities of the Project’s consortium, as well as the National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance (ANQA). 

Vanadzor State University was represented by the local coordinator of the SMARTI Project, Associate Professor Lusik Vardanyan, Assistant Professor Arine Danielyan, and Associate Professor  Vanane Mirzoyan. The meeting aimed to familiarize participants with the activities and teaching methodologies of Riga Technical University, discuss the modules previously developed by Armenian Universities, review the IMPACT plans, and address ongoing issues related to the development of the EMI pedagogical manual. 

On the first day of the visit, a steering committee meeting was held, chaired by the Project Coordinator, Gerard Cullen. He outlined the upcoming tasks and key issues, with a particular focus on developing and publishing the EMI pedagogical manual, as well as the process and reporting of external evaluations for the EMI Centers. The subsequent days of the workshop were packed with master classes on various topics: the internationalization of universities, the implementation of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), the development of EMI curricula, and both theoretical and practical approaches to EMI methodology in Digital Humanities. These sessions were led by leading experts in their fields, including Karlis Valtins, Inese Kokote, Igors Tipans, Gundars Alksnis, and Marina Serpinska. 

Karlis Valtins, Head of the International Cooperation Department at RTU, presented the framework for European academic programs aimed at developing clusters. RTU staff member Igors Tipans discussed the university’s internationalization process, the mobility of international students in recent years, and their tuition fees. Inese Kokote from RTU presented the “Technical Translation” academic course, detailing its objectives and structure. There was a thorough discussion on the structural and content-specific features of courses conducted on the MOODLE Platform, the development and implementation of EMI curricula, and the procedures for monitoring and assessing students’ academic progress. 

To familiarize participants with the environment supporting EMI education at RTU, Elma Eizenia, coordinator of international projects, organized a tour of various campus laboratories equipped with modern technology. Additionally, a cultural tour of Riga’s old town was arranged for the guests. 

All the meetings and discussions took place in a warm and interactive atmosphere. Representatives from different universities shared their successful experiences and new ideas. The workshop was productive and beneficial for both the academic and administrative staff.