Karlshochschule is coordinating the EU-funded Erasmus+ project Re-Direction, which involves 16 partners from Georgia, Ukraine, Greece, and Germany. Last week, all partners gathered with 35 participants at Karlshochschule to get to know our university and the city of Karlsruhe, discuss the project work, and strengthen personal relationships among all participants.
It was a great honor to welcome this fascinating partnership, and we are particularly thankful for the attendance of those partners coming from Ukraine who had to undertake a several days travel to cross the border. The participation of two representatives from the Ukrainian and Georgian ministry of education shows the importance of this project for European cooperation and the added value of integration of non-European partners into the European higher education landscape.
The two-day meeting started with an official welcome from one of the city’s mayors, Bettina Lisbach, who emphasized that the project directly supports Karlsruhe's international relations, particularly the twin city partnership between Karlsruhe and Vinnytsia. One of the Ukrainian universities, Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical, is part of this collaboration with Karlsruhe.
The meeting was also an important moment to reflect on the achievements of one year of cooperation. Partners discussed the findings from the extensive desk research on skills gaps in Georgia and Ukraine and reviewed the specific challenges faced by the partners institutions regarding the three horizontal areas of the project: digital transformation, sustainability and inclusivity.
The inclusivity expert Lila Sax dos Santos Gomes was invited to implement a workshop on inclusivity and diversity. Partners particularly discussed the aspects of identity linked to gender, physical and mental ability and analyzed factors that shape access to and experience within higher education environments.
Later, partners were invited to a "Meet and Greet" event with students and academic staff of Karlshochschule. With over 50 attendees, including staff from various organizations in Karlsruhe, the event facilitated the creation of new personal relations. Additionally, it provided an opportunity to engage in discussions about the current situations in Ukraine and Georgia from political, social, and legal perspectives.
Through intensive discussion groups, partners progressed in the task of updating the selected courses regarding the horizontal project topics inclusivity, digital transformation and sustainability. For instance, all partners selected two sessions from the generic course on “Inclusive Communication” that will be integrated into the Ukrainian and Georgian course program starting next winter semester.
Other topics such as the Re-Direction MOOC platform, the Re-Direction Consultation Committee or the upcoming dissemination events of partners were agreed.
A partner dinner at a traditional German restaurant, along with a guided city tour, provided partners with insights into German culture.
Thanks to the co-funding of the European Union, such an exciting meeting is possible, which is a great opportunity for Karlshochschule International University to strengthen its international cooperation.
Karls' role in this project is to coordinate the extensive partnership, which aligns directly with our commitment to both local and international engagement and mutual learning. We believe that it is our responsibility to support our international colleagues who stand up for democratic values even in times of very difficult geopolitical situations and under pressure of war or threat of imprisonment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Education and Culture Executive Agency can be held responsible for them.
The project web-page: https://re-direction.org/
The project Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563411968827
The project Linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/re-direction-project/
#redirection #ErasmusPlus #inclusivity #sustainability #digitalization
It was a great honor to welcome this fascinating partnership, and we are particularly thankful for the attendance of those partners coming from Ukraine who had to undertake a several days travel to cross the border. The participation of two representatives from the Ukrainian and Georgian ministry of education shows the importance of this project for European cooperation and the added value of integration of non-European partners into the European higher education landscape.
The two-day meeting started with an official welcome from one of the city’s mayors, Bettina Lisbach, who emphasized that the project directly supports Karlsruhe's international relations, particularly the twin city partnership between Karlsruhe and Vinnytsia. One of the Ukrainian universities, Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical, is part of this collaboration with Karlsruhe.
The meeting was also an important moment to reflect on the achievements of one year of cooperation. Partners discussed the findings from the extensive desk research on skills gaps in Georgia and Ukraine and reviewed the specific challenges faced by the partners institutions regarding the three horizontal areas of the project: digital transformation, sustainability and inclusivity.
The inclusivity expert Lila Sax dos Santos Gomes was invited to implement a workshop on inclusivity and diversity. Partners particularly discussed the aspects of identity linked to gender, physical and mental ability and analyzed factors that shape access to and experience within higher education environments.
Later, partners were invited to a "Meet and Greet" event with students and academic staff of Karlshochschule. With over 50 attendees, including staff from various organizations in Karlsruhe, the event facilitated the creation of new personal relations. Additionally, it provided an opportunity to engage in discussions about the current situations in Ukraine and Georgia from political, social, and legal perspectives.
Through intensive discussion groups, partners progressed in the task of updating the selected courses regarding the horizontal project topics inclusivity, digital transformation and sustainability. For instance, all partners selected two sessions from the generic course on “Inclusive Communication” that will be integrated into the Ukrainian and Georgian course program starting next winter semester.
Other topics such as the Re-Direction MOOC platform, the Re-Direction Consultation Committee or the upcoming dissemination events of partners were agreed.
A partner dinner at a traditional German restaurant, along with a guided city tour, provided partners with insights into German culture.
Thanks to the co-funding of the European Union, such an exciting meeting is possible, which is a great opportunity for Karlshochschule International University to strengthen its international cooperation.
Karls' role in this project is to coordinate the extensive partnership, which aligns directly with our commitment to both local and international engagement and mutual learning. We believe that it is our responsibility to support our international colleagues who stand up for democratic values even in times of very difficult geopolitical situations and under pressure of war or threat of imprisonment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Education and Culture Executive Agency can be held responsible for them.
The project web-page: https://re-direction.org/
The project Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563411968827
The project Linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/re-direction-project/
#redirection #ErasmusPlus #inclusivity #sustainability #digitalization