The project consortium is composed of 3 universities, the National Mapping Agency and the Ministry of Education and Science of Kyrgyzstan, 3 universities, the Cadastre State Committee and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Armenia, and 4 European universities with departments specialized in complementary fields of GIT.The specific objectives of the project are:• To identify research and development needs of Kyrgyzstan and Armenia in the field of Geoinformation Technologies.• To create a Research Node in GIT per partner country to promote and harmonise collaborative innovation projects and joint research lines.• To improve and/or update research laboratories of GIT.• To train trainers from partner countries in relevant topics of GIT that have special interest for regional development of innovation and environmental protection.• To provide teachers and managers from HEI’s in partner countries knowledge and skills in transversal topics of higher education, such as quality assurance practices, innovation and entrepreneurship, curricula development by competences and learning outcomes, and others following Bologna process standards.• To create interdisciplinary postgraduate programmes (at master and PhD levels) that enhance the potential of GIT in different areas and degrees and focus research outputs on contemporary problems at regional and global scales.• To foster and strength the cooperation between university and industry in those topics identified as critical for the sustainable development of the partner countries.• To exchange and share experiences and perspectives between two countries, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, with lacks and potential in technical research development and similar recent historical background, that are facing socio-economic challenges and need to stimulate new strategies in research and development.

The Wider Project Objective:To strengthen the European dimension in qualifications of the tourist sector to enhance employability of graduates in the field of tourism in Russia and Kyrgyzstan.Specific Project Objectives:1. To harmonize qualifications and competences in the tourist sector in the Programme and Partner Countries on the basis of learning outcomes, occupational standards and sectoral qualification framework (SQF). 2. To improve qualification of the teaching staff of PCIs, involved in developing and implementing new curriculum, based on OS and SQF 3. To design a pilot curriculum in tourism for the 7th qualification level (Masters’ degree) based on OS, SQF and learning outcomes 4. To establish quality control and monitoring procedures at PCIs and enhance quality, relevance and convergence with EU initiatives 5. To disseminate project outcomes and best practices in higher education sector of Russia and Kyrgyzstan and to enhance networking among HEIs and professional associations across Program and Partner Countries6. To ensure effective and efficient project and programme managementThe project partnership was help RU and KG PCIs improve the quality in tourism education by modernizing their educational systems and strengthening intellectual, cultural, social, scientific and technological potential. The project was allow for reforming qualification systems and developingOccupational Standards and Qualification Framework for the tourist sector in RU and KG. On the basis of OS and SQF partners was jointly develop a pilot innovative second cycle curriculum in tourism focused on 7th level learning outcomes, professional competences and student centered pedagogical approach, which was meet the industry demand in employees’ qualifications. To enhance the EU dimension and to reference qualification levels to European qualification framework (EQF) partners was need to understand their own national qualifications landscape and explain allocation process at national and EU-level as was as reflect EQF and national contexts and objectives. Cooperation and dialogue of actors across vocational, higher and general education and social partner and private sector involvement play a bridging role. The partnership was work towards a ‘common language' to translate occupational standards into qualifications and understand and compare qualifications both at national and EU level.– Qualifications that have both national and international value are truly a global phenomenon. Recognition and transparency of all qualifications was make it easier for individuals to explain their skills and increase mobility in the national labour markets and across countries.The changes in the industry also creates demand from employers and practitioners for opportunities for employees to update or improve their qualifications, and hence there is growing interest in Mastres' programs. The full picture is that the above factors make it more likely that the changes carried through during the project was be sustained long after it has been completed and was be beneficial for the target groups. On the whole, the situation in the tourist dector was change for the better, since the tourist education will be structured around competences specified at each level, and the tourist industry will get specialists trained in accordance with the qualificitaions required.The project will contribute to the structural changes in tourist education and was produce the multiplier effect through the disemination activities. Ministries of Education in RU and KG direct involvement in the project was of great value in endorsing the project outcomes through accreditation process.

"Joint project for the modernization of educational programs in sustainable tourism. Sustainable development is a regional priority for China, Vietnam and Kyrghyzstan and personnal services (tourism) is a national priority for Kyrghyzstan.AIMS IN EACH COUNTRY :Reduce skill gaps in intermediate (production assistant, responsable of organisation) and top levels (sustainable development manager, project manager) by improving the employability of students and by perfecting corporate executives.Professionalize teaching programs in line with Bologna Process and the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and coorganize them with companies.Create professional Bachelor and Master degrees accessible in distance learning for sustainable tourism development and a longlife training program.ACADEMIC KEY PARTNERS :- South-West University ""Neofit Rilski"" (BG)- Public Interest Group of Grenoble Education Authority (FR)- International Telematic university UNINETTUNO (IT)- Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia (IT), withdrawn from the Project consortium- TEI of central Macedonia, incorporated in the newly founded Hellenic International University (GR)- Universidade do Algarve (PT)- Academy of finance and economics Bishkek (KGZ)- Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VN)- Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (CN)- Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi (IT)- The University of Aristotel, Thessaloniki (GR)- Portucalense University (PT)- Kyrgyz Economical University (KGZ)- Issykul State University (KGZ)- Hue College of economics (translating his Vietnamese name also as ""University of Hue - University of Economics) (VN)- Beijing Normal University (CN)- Sichuan Tourism University (CN)- Jinan University (CN)EXPECTED RESULTS :3 national strategic action plans20 teachers professionalized en UE6 job descriptions (job profiles), 3 professional Bachelors and 3 Master degrees programs (Accreditation Files), course contents and digitized resources available for distance learning.3 poles of excellence, resource centers for sustainable tourism.3 didactic cyberspaces810 students et 150 employees trained on site or in distance learning.9 double or joint diplomas"

REASONS: In order to respond to the:- Digital Transformation of Industries (Industry 4.0) which requires DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION with overtaking pace, the consortium will develop Concepts of adapting the educational system to the digital generation considering the specific conditions of each of the Central Asian countries;- EU Requirement to give the opportunity for EVERYBODY to learn at ANY time and at ANY place with the help of ANY lecturer, using ANY device – HiEdTec will create Centres for Innovative Education Technologies (IET Centres).- Digital Competence Framework for Citizens & Digital Education Action Plan– HiEdTec will support university lecturers to adopt effective digital teaching methods, open pedagogies & tools. MAIN PROJECT OUTCOMES AND PRODUCTS:- Sustainable academic network for sharing experience and exchange of good practices in the field of IET and didactic models;- 5 Concepts of adapting the education system to the digital generation in line with the specific conditions of each partner country (PC);- 15 IET Centres;- 45 active learning classrooms; - Virtual classrooms;- Handbook of implementing IET in PC HEIs;- Courses for trainers for the acquisition of digital skills and learning methods – 75 trainers trained;- Courses for lecturers for the acquisition of digital skills and learning methods – 600 lecturers trained;- 75 OERs;- 75 PowerPoint presentations of lectures suitable for delivery on an interactive electronic white board; - 5 Cloud-based Virtual Libraries of the digital educational resources.IMPACT:- The project products will be of benefit to all stakeholders in education: • National and university policy-makers in the field of education; • University academics who are trainers / lecturers / learners;- The project will help to turn the partner HEIs into innovative universities and to improve the quality of the trained specialists needed to perform the Digital Transformation of Industries.

"In the last years, with the contribution of European Cooperation Programmes, the EHEA became a reference point for policy dialogue between the EU and several regions of the world on higher education and its key role for employability of graduates. The growing global dimension of education, needs further actions for the enhancement of exchanges between the EHEA and other parts of the world, sharing goals and principles, as the transparent recognition of studies and qualifications. Within the EHEA, the implementation of ECTS (as credit accumulation and transfer), the fundamental shift from a teacher-centred to a learner-centred approach (SCL) and the use of learning outcomes and workload in curriculum design and delivery, as result of a long process and experimentation, increased the transparency and readability of the educational process and facilitated the recognition of mobility from institution to institution and from country to country as well as successful learning mobility between institutions of EHEA for short-term study periods (""credit mobility""). The recent acceleration of mobility between EHEA and other regions through the EM programme put a renewed and global perspective of “mobility” which showed the huge challenges that HE institutions and systems still need to face and manage. The students participating to EM projects are experimenting the same problems in recognition of studies abroad, that EU students and institutions had to afford at the first stage of Erasmus mobility.The project proposal intends to harmonise the credit allocation and grading system in 5 study areas jointly developed in previous projects in 23 institutions from 8 countries belonging to 4 different regions, besides EU, providing a reliable scheme for credit and grades transfer, and is based on previous experiences of the partnership in TEMPUS Programme in CA, Caucasus, Russia and Asia and EMA2 projects in the same regions, and on the new ECTS Guide and pilot project EGRACONS"