Dissemination

• Dissemination plan

CONCORTIUM COORDINATED BY VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY TOGEATHER WITH ESTONIAN PARTNERS AND THREE ALGERIAN UNIVERSITIES IS STARTING IMPLEMENTATION OF ERASMUS + CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT FOR DEVELOPING QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The European Union grant of EUR 834.590 is awarded to the ERASMUS + Higher Education – International Capacity Building project “Internal quality assurance system for agriculture and biosystem engineering related HEI of Algeria” submitted by the consortium of six universities including Aleksandras Stulginskis university as project coordinator and Vytautas Magnus University from Lithuania (both universities after the merger make one university as from the 1^st of January 2019 and actually Vytautas Magnus University will coordinate the project) , Estonian Life Science University and three Algerian universities, namely the National Higher Education School of Agronomy (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie d’Alger (ENSA)), the National Higher Education School of Hydraulic (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Hydraulique, Blida (ENSH)) and the National Higher Education School of Biotechnology (and Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Biotechnologie Taoufik Khaznadar (ENSB)). The project shall run for 36 months as of 15-11-2018 and shall end on 14-11-2021.

The project reflects the priority of Algerian Government to implement the quality assurance system in higher education. This system was not in place till now. The HEI’s are having as a target to set up their institutional quality assurance systems and to put in place all necessary measures.

The main objective of this project is to enhance the management, governance and innovation capacities, as well as the internationalization of HEIs.  Project is national joint project. Three Algerian HEI’s in the field of agriculture and biosystem engineering, as beneficiary partners, in collaboration with  partners from Lithuania and Estonia will work on:

• offering new institutional capacity in internal quality assurance system (IQAS) within recipient HEI. This system will be developed by local Algerian experts previously trained in European partner institutions;
• transfer of European experience for local staff during training sessions in European universities and following update of skills in real case situations in implementing and testing the IQAS at home institutions;
• Algerian partner institutions will get the guidance and piloting in preparing self-evaluation reports and will go through external pilot evaluation by an European evaluation institution with the following sharing of experiences and lessons among partners and other stakeholders;
• exploitation of project results will include transferring of project recommendations to national policy makers in higher education contributing to the national policy and methodology of quality assurance in HEI in Algeria.

Specific objectives of the project:

1. To develop internal quality assurance system (IQAS) within recipient HEI based on European and international standards;
2. To build adequate capacity of recipient HEI to implementing IQAS;
3. To prepare recipient HEI for external evaluation by the Algerian Ministry of Education;
4. To contribute to the national policy of quality assurance in higher education.

The first meeting of the project QUALS partners

The first training meeting of the project partners took place in Lithuania, Kaunas, Vytautas Magnus University on June 17-21. During the first visit, the project partners from Algeria met with VMU leaders and scientists, visited the research laboratories of the VMU Agricultural Academy (VMU AA), discussed with their scientists and searched for possible areas of cooperation.

Delegation headed by Douadi Kheliffi, Director of the Algerian National School of Bitology, at VMU AA visited Laboratory of Biofuels, Laboratory of Biogas, Laboratory of Agrobiology, Greenhouse, Aquaculture centre, Laboratory of structures and materials.

Guests also visited the Lithuanian Center for Quality and Evaluation of Studies, where they met the Lithuanian system of science and studies. Guests had the opportunity to attend the Graduation ceremony at the VMU Agricultural Academy, to visit Raudondvaris Manor, located near Kaunas.

A working meeting of project partners was crowned by a picnic at the Academy, where the leader of the Algerian delegation produced a traditional Algerian couscous in traditional Lithuanian folk music.

More about the project:

The European Union grant of EUR 834.590 is awarded to the ERASMUS + Higher Education – International Capacity Building project “Internal quality assurance system for agriculture and biosystem engineering related HEI of Algeria” submitted by the consortium of six universities including Aleksandras Stulginskis university as project coordinator and Vytautas Magnus University from Lithuania (both universities after the merger make one university as from the 1^st of January 2019 and actually Vytautas Magnus University will coordinate the project) , Estonian Life Science University and three Algerian universities, namely the National Higher Education School of Agronomy (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie d’Alger (ENSA)), the National Higher Education School of Hydraulic (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Hydraulique, Blida (ENSH)) and the National Higher Education School of Biotechnology (and Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Biotechnologie Taoufik Khaznadar (ENSB)). The project shall run for 36 months as of 15-11-2018 and shall end on 14-11-2021.

The project reflects the priority of Algerian Government to implement the quality assurance system in higher education. This system was not in place till now. The HEI’s are having as a target to set up their institutional quality assurance systems and to put in place all necessary measures.

The main objective of this project is to enhance the management, governance and innovation capacities, as well as the internationalization of HEIs.  Project is national joint project. Three Algerian HEI’s in the field of agriculture and biosystem engineering, as  beneficiary partners, in collaboration with  partners from Lithuania and Estonia will work on:

– offering new institutional capacity in internal quality assurance system (IQAS) within recipient HEI. This system will be developed by local Algerian experts previously trained in European partner institutions;

–  transfer of European experience for local staff during training sessions in European universities and following update of skills in real case situations in implementing and testing the IQAS at home institutions;

– Algerian partner institutions will get the guidance and piloting in preparing self-evaluation reports and will go through external pilot evaluation by an European evaluation institution with the following sharing of experiences and lessons among partners and other stakeholders;

– exploitation of project results will include transferring of project recommendations to national policy makers in higher education contributing to the national policy and methodology of quality assurance in HEI in Algeria.

Specific objectives of the project:

1. To develop internal quality assurance system (IQAS) within recipient HEI based on European and international standards;
2. To build adequate capacity of recipient HEI to implementing IQAS;
3. To prepare recipient HEI for external evaluation by the Algerian Ministry of Education;
4. To contribute to the national policy of quality assurance in higher education.

Project activities are structured in 5 Work Packages. Their cover activities, with methodologies and main outcomes as follows:

WP1.Preparation. This WP will cover the tasks and activities which have to identify the state of art of the Algerian HEI IQAS and specifically identify the situation in participating Algerian HEI. The analysis will be done for all three Algerian HEI using joint template elaborated by project experts. The plan for the preparation of IQAS will be drafted and adequate equipment resources related to project would be delivered. Main outcome -Problematic in target country regarding quality assurance identified.

WP2.Development. This WP deals with the complex activities related to capacity building of local experts which will be engaged in IQAS preparation process. The experts will then be developing IQAS being guided by Programme countries experts. It includes training of right staff members for implementing IQAS at each institution. Main outcome -IQAS implemented in recipient HEI.
WP3. Quality plan. Pilot evaluation of ENSA study and research quality assurance system and preparation for external evaluation of Ministry Education of Algeria. That includes the institutional self-assessment and external services of pilot external evaluation of study and research of selected pilot HEI by European University Association. Main outcome -recipient HEI prepared for evaluation by the Ministry of Education.

WP4. Dissemination & Exploitation. The overall objective of this WP is to promote, disseminate and exploit project and its results widely and effectively to relevant stakeholder groups.  To effectively disseminate results, an appropriate process at the beginning of the project will be designed. This will cover why, what, how, when, to whom and where disseminating results will take place, both during and after the project period. Exploitation is transferring successful results to appropriate decision-makers at local and national systems, and convincing individual end-users to adopt and/or apply the results. Results should be sustained after the project has finished. Main outcome-Project outcomes available to policy makers
WP5. Management.The objectives of this work package are to ensure that the project objectives are reached and milestones are achieved within the given project life time, to coordinate beneficiaries activities and monitor the work plan with regard to time, results, risks and costs. to ensure the quality control and manage a communication flow between beneficiaries and with the European Commission by setting up communication infrastructure and defining a clear and efficient communication flow between its bodies and relations between them. Main outcome-Project results, outcomes and impact achieved.

TRAINING VISIT TO LITHUANIA BY THE GROUP OF ALGERIAN TEACHERS FROM THREE ALGERIAN PARTNER UNIVERSITIES ENSA, ENSB AND ENSH AS PART OF QUALS ERASMUS + HIGHER EDUCATION – INTERNATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT “INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM FOR AGRICULTURE AND BIOSYSTEM ENGINEERING RELATED HEI OF ALGERIA”

The group of 11 Algerian teachers from all three Algerian partner institutions in Quals Erasmus + Higher Education – International Capacity Building Project “Internal Quality Assurance System for Agriculture and Biosystem Engineering Related HEI of Algeria” have visited Vytautas Magnus University for a training visit at the end of October 2022. This visit was related to the implementation of the quality assurance system at the Algerian partner institutions. This visit had to happen in 2020 but due to pandemic could be arranged only at the end of the project in 2022. Similar group of Algerian teachers had a visit to Estonia as well.

The programme of the visit was combined with some meeting of the Transform4Europe International conference takin place in VMU at the same time. The training participants from Algeria benefited and joined many conference events, plenary session presentations and workshops. They had a chance to share their experiences and make new contacts.

The training in VMU included meetings with VMU Vice-rectors Simona Pilkienė and Vilma Bijeikienė, Head of Study Quality Unit Izabela Savickienė, Head of Communication and Technology Transfer Centre Edvinas Samys, Head of Business incubator Inga Adamonytė and others. Visit to Business incubator brought new ideas about possible future project application.

Meetings at the VMU Agriculture Academy with the Chancellor Astrida Miceikienė and Director of Bioeconomy Research Institute Rytis Skominas as well as visits to some research laboratories presented many common areas of activities and interests for further cooperation.

Participants learned how the agribusiness in Lithuania is run by visiting the EWA Company. They were met by the director Gediminas Kvietkauskas and his staff. The overview of the market of agro machinery and of business strategy and sales was complemented with driving the largest tractor, which was tried by several guests.

The training also included meetings and discussions in Vilnius in the Study Quality Assessment Centre SKVC, which was just few weeks ago performing pilot evaluation at the ENSA within our QUALS project as a European accreditation agency. Participants had a lot to discuss about how to ensure that the quality assurance process would be a permanent at the life of an institution of higher education.

The training programme had also many cultural visits and events. They are compulsory part to understand better each other.

CONCORTIUM COORDINATED BY VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY TOGETHER WITH ESTONIAN PARTNERS AND THREE ALGERIAN UNIVERSITIES COMPLETED IMPLEMENTATION OF ERASMUS + CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT FOR DEVELOPING QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS OF ALGERIA

The European Union grant of EUR 834.590 was awarded to the ERASMUS + Higher Education – International Capacity Building project “Internal quality assurance system for agriculture and biosystem engineering related HEI of Algeria” implemented by the consortium of five universities including Vytautas Magnus University as project coordinator, Estonian Life Science University and three Algerian universities, namely the National Higher Education School of Agronomy (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie d’Alger (ENSA)), the National Higher Education School of Hydraulic (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Hydraulique, Blida (ENSH)) and the National Higher Education School of Biotechnology (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Biotechnologie Taoufik Khaznadar (ENSB)). The project started in November 2018 and ended on 14^th of November 2022.

The project results  for the Algerian stakeholders were presented at the Final Conference  which took place in Algiers on 7^th of November 2022. Around 80 participants from  Algerian universities and other higher educational institutions, including project partner institutions took part at the conference. The members of the project expert teams shared their experiences and main project results. These results are  of high value not only for participating institutions but also  for other Algerian institutions and  authorities. Project partners  have got training of their staff in European universities, prepared and implemented internal quality assurance systems, also have been trained and guided for running self-assessment reporting  and external institutional evaluation at their institutions. The Lithuanian Study Quality Assessment Centre which is an European accredited agency has  come with international panel of experts and run for the first time external institutional evaluation at ENSA using the European methodology and guideline. ENSA has got positive evaluation results and multiple recommendations which have been shared and discussed  at the conference.

Many of  recommendations  related to  strategic planning  and governance  have been addressed to the ministry responsible for the higher education in Algeria. The representative of the ministry  was taking part at the conference and  was happy to hear the results of the project and noted that they reflect the priority of Algerian Government to implement the quality assurance system in higher education and  that the exploitation of project results by national policy makers in higher education will contribute to national policy and methodology of quality assurance in HEI of Algeria.

• Dissemination report