A new EU Erasmus+ project, backed by € 3.997.020, aims to strengthen educators in sustainable development across borders, and Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași will lead the way as a partner in the project for the next four years.
Other members of the consortium are:
- VIA University College, Denmark – leader
- Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Belgium
- ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, Spain
- Saxion University of Applied Science, Netherlands
The project spans from Denmark to Romania, Holland, Belgium and Spain, focusing on further training educators and developing new learning materials to support education in sustainable development in Europe.
TUIASI academic staff are set to become among the most proficient in teaching sustainable development in Europe, thanks to the TEACH4SD project.
The TEACH4SD-project will establish five regional Centers of Excellence at selected higher education institutions in Europe, embedding high-school institutions and representatives of the business environment within a shared European digital academy for teaching sustainable development. This platform will provide professional development opportunities for educators and facilitate the exchange of best practices. Each Center will respond to the needs, requirements and challenges of one of five occupational fields forming part of the backbone of the European labour market: health, trade, entrepreneurship, clothing & textiles, and construction.
“TUIASI is proud to be a part of this new Erasmus+ project which will lead to the development, test and validation of the best and next practices of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The project will empower both students, teachers, workers, and employers to become new role models and ambassadors by designing and upscaling innovative ESD, fostering successful and long-term growth adapting to a changing world,”
said Professor Irina Lungu, PhD, Eng., Vice-Rector for International Relations
To go beyond the borders of EU to unfold shared horizons, TEACH4SD will integrate a Global Advisory Board (GAB). The main role of the GAB will be to link the consortium with the global community, thus securing a linkage between the global mobilization of ESD and further funding opportunities within the Erasmus KA147 scheme.
The initial step is to train 400 European educators in ESD and have them integrate it into their teaching practices. The project will then work towards certifying the teaching concept as a formal standard (an ESD ‘label’) and making the teaching materials available through a digital academy. This platform will enable further professional development opportunities for educators through webinars, micro-credentials, and other means.
Romanian partners of TUIASI in the consortium are Gheorghe Asachi Technical College of Iasi, as VET (Vocational Education Teaching) institution and Iasi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as an industry partner.
On-line kick-off meeting, 6 September 2023
The virtual kick-off meeting for the project took place on Meet platform on 6 September 2023. The Agenda of this event started with a short presentation of the Team Lead Members from VIA University from Denmark and a round table in which all the members from the consortium had the opportunity to present themselves, the institutions they are representing and their interests. In the kick-off meeting the partners discussed future events and directions to be considered for the first work package. The outcomes of the project were also emphasized in order to have a clear direction for the next 4 years of the project.
Follow the Project: TEACH4SD Website: https://teach4sd.eu/about/, TEACH4SD LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teach4sd/
Contact person: ioana.olteanu@academic.tuiasi.ro
