GOVERN

EU Tempus GOVERN Project «Support for University Autonomy and Accountability: Higher Education Management System in Line with the Principles of the Bologna Process and the Development of Effective Implementation of Changes Purposes» is a national 3-year project the main aim of which is to support the HEI autonomy and accountability.

The key results of the GOVERN Project will be the capacity building of the HEI management higher and mid frame to be able to implement the plan of Bologna activities, the harmonization of management system with the strategic and structural management, budget affairs, new approaches of human resources management, implementation of educational plans criteria and standards and student mobility, education plans and sector management.

The academic programs’ indicators and criteria and student mobility are considered one of the main components of the Project.

On 15-16 January 2014, the Project kick-off meeting took place in the National Gallery of Armenia the coordinator of which is the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts.

During the 2-day meeting the inputs by the 22 Project partners were presented, also the Project methodology, next steps and management issues were discussed.

Project Partner HEIs

• Leuven University, Belgium
• Republican Union of Employers of Armenia
• World University Service, Austria
• Bath Spa University, Great Britain
• Koblenz University, Germany
• Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia
• Yerevan State University of Linguistics and Social Sciences, Armenia
• Armenian State University of Economics, Armenia
• National Agrarian University of Armenia
• Vanadzor State Pedagogical Institute, Armenia
• Northern University, Armenia
• Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction, Armenia
• Gavar State University, Armenia
• RA Ministry of Education and Science, Armenia
• Education Quality, Armenia
• National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance, Armenia
• American University of Armenia
• Center for European Studies and Initiatives, Italy

In the frame of the Tempus GOVERN Project on 6-8 October 2014 a training course was held in the Leuven University, Belgium, which was attended by administrative staff of different RA universities. From the Yerevan State Medical University N. Shahverdyan, Dean of General Medicine Faculty, L. Yesayan, Dean of Stomatology Faculty, and Sh. Afrikyan, Deputy Dean of Pharmacy.

On the first day of the training course the procedure of establishment of master’s educational programs was discussed. The whole project must be based on the modules and must be finalized with the master’s thesis defense.

The key difference is that the presented master’s educational programs are foreseen for PhD education, while in our University it is implemented in the pre-diploma phase. Upon request by the participants the training organizers reflected upon the credits once again. Our attention was paid on the circumstance that the module (subject) duration must be at least 3 credits.

The 2^nd day of the training was devoted to the procedure of drafting the «Handbook for a Student». This handbook must be developed for each educational program and must be handed out to each student from the very first day. The handbook should not only involve educational program and the plan, but also the rights and responsibilities of the student. The participants were introduced with one example of Student Handbook, and was given a task t o draft a relevant and similar handbook by each university by the month of December.

On the 3^rd day of the training course a visit to Leuven University’s «AGORA» training center was organized where the student-centered project design was introduced.

The 3-day training course carried interactive character and was accompanied by active discussions, was full of important information and all the participants were satisfied.

On 13-15 November the next meeting of the Tempus GOVERN Project was held in Palermo, Italy. The meeting was dedicated to the topics of «University Management Systems and Strategy», «The Role of ECTS in the Project Structure», «Quality Assurance Criteria», «Student Support Projects», «Student-Centered Approach».