On 16/12/2021, a meeting was organized for the dissemination of the results and experience of the participants in the working visits to Poland (October 25-29, Akademia WSB, Dąbrowie Górniczej) and Spain (November 09-12, University of Lleida, Catalonia) within the ERASMUS+ project “Integrating Dual Higher Education in Moldova and Ukraine – COOPERA”, reference number: 617490-EPP-1-2020-1-MD-EPPKA2-CBHE-SP, funded by the European Union. COOPERA is a project with impact at national and regional level, coordinated by ASEM, having as partners 3 institutions from the Republic of Moldova (ASEM, TUM and ULIM), the Ministry of Education and Research and 10 institutions from the EU and Ukraine.
The main objective of the project is to integrate dual higher education in the partner countries through improving work capacity and individual development, increasing the compatibility and continuity between the requirements of the professional environment and the initial training of university students, and achieving a greater economic efficiency and social integration.
The dissemination meeting took place online, on the Teams platform. The event was attended by the project coordinator from TUM – the director of the University Center of the TUM Erasmus+, univ. prof., Dr. Larisa Bugaian; the vice-rector for Didactic Activity, assoc. Prof., Dr. Vladislav Reșitca; the director of the Career Counseling and Guidance Center (CCOC), Radu Melnic; the dean of FCIM, Dr. Dumitru Ciorbă; the head of the ISA department, assoc. prof., Dr. Ion Fiodorov; the head of the IIS department, assoc. prof., Dr. Viorica Sudacevschi; the Deputy Chief of IIS, assoc. prof., Dr. Silvia Munteanu; the head of the Automatics and Informatics program, Dr. Irina Cojuhari, and the teachers from the study programs Automatics and Informatics and Robotics and Mechatronics – programs in which dual education will be implemented.
During the meeting, Mrs. Larisa Bugaian spoke about the project, its purpose and objectives, and the particularities of its implementation at TUM.
Vice-rector Vladislav Reșitca pointed out several benefits of this project, both for the students from the targeted programs and for the university in general.
Ms. Silvia Munteanu recounted the most important moments of the visit to Poland at WSB University: cooperation with business partners and the legal framework of dual education, dual education models, practical education in the context of the academic quality assurance system, dual education in Logistics and IT programs, the visit to the Krakow Technology Park – Hub4Industry, ASTOR Robotics Center. The practical forms of study include several concepts: student-centered education, problem-based education (PBL), student projects based on practical applicability, cognitive science and human-machine interface, etc. At WSB University, several dual education models are approved: three days at the university, two at the company; 50% of the study process takes place at the University, and 50% – internships at companies. It is worth mentioning that students complete internships every year, but, by choosing a dual program, they are accepted by companies starting from their third year at university, the internship taking place at a different company each time. Thus, the acquired skills are more diverse and the student has the opportunity to explore and decide where he would like to work.
Mr. Ion Fiodorov shared his experience at the University of Lleida, Catalonia – one of the leaders in the implementation of dual education in Spain, being among the first to initiate the implementation of this type of vocational training in the country. The University of Lleida has a successful record of experience in collaborating with regional companies for the coordination of study activities in a dual manner for various fields: agriculture, engineering and socio-human sciences. A central partner of the University of Lleida focused on dual training is the agri-food giant bonÀrea, which was also visited, according to the agenda. Dual education is a central strategy within the company, as it allows a better understanding of people and, thus, a more meticulous selection of future employees that reveal potential for growth. At the same time, the involvement of universities brings fresh knowledge within the company, making teams more feasible and innovative. In the case of RosRoca, the students of dual engineering education at the University of Lleida have access to an international work environment, but also to one focused on environmental issues.
During the presentations, the highlighted benefits of dual education included: providing businesses with highly trained specialists in the fields necessary for companies, a real opportunity for students to learn directly from internships, greater employment opportunities after graduation, etc.
Finally, the discussions concluded with the evaluation of the possibilities for implementing dual education within the two study programs at TUM (Robotics and Mechatronics and Automation and Informatics), emphasis being put on the practicality of each Bachelor program, the development of the curriculum based on the direct needs of groups of employers, an optimal combination of theoretical and specialized content to enable graduates to acquire skills that are needed in the labor market, as many practical forms of study as possible, such as workshops, laboratory classes, business visits, frequent meetings with company representatives, training offers in specialized fields with the possibility of obtaining certification, and, last but not least – teachers who work within said companies.
We are only at the beginning of the journey, but through joint effort we will be able to develop truly useful and important programs for the increase of the economic efficiency of our country.
