Center for Education Projects PIU Ministry of Education and Science

On December 7 the representatives of Centre for Education Projects PIU conducted a working visit to Academy of Public Administration of the Republic of Armenia, where the meeting was held. The aim of the visit was the monitoring of the ongoing grant program of Competitive Innovation Fund (CIF) of higher education of Armenia. Teresa Khechoyan, Project Manager, Vice-rector for External Relations of the Academy of Public Administration of the Republic of Armenia introduced the participants the ongoing activities of the grant program ''Distance Master's Program with Joint Diplomas'' in the framework of CIF. The implementation of the grant project launched in December 2015 and is aimed at the introduction and development of distance education in RA, at ensuring access to postgraduate education through the use of Information Communication technologies (ICT). The installation of distance education platform, training of teaching staff of Academy of Public Administration of the Republic of Armenia and of NAS RA International Scientific Educational Center, development of distance learning courses, development of joint diploma format are planned in the framework of the project. The second stage of the grant project ends in December 2016. Note that at the end of the first stage ''Memorandum of Distance Education Development'' was signed between the two universities participating in the consortium intended by the grant project and RA Ministry of Education and Science. As a result of monitoring carried out at the end of the second stage of the grant project the participants confirmed that the development and approval of normative legal acts in line with distance education and regulating the implementation of distance education were completed, the documents are available at the websites of RA Academy of Public Administration and of partner universities. Normative legal documents developed in the framework of the program are of key importance for the universities participating in the grant project and are the most important stimulus for the development of distance education in higher education in Armenia. The compilation of curriculum Distance Master's Program of Business Management is completed. The start of the activities of development of course guides and of the construction of courses included in the program by learning in online format is planned. The necessary technical equipment acquired is already installed. Grant Project Manager also informed that they conducted the study tour to the Dresden University of Technology (Germany), and four staff members of two universities participating in the consortium got acquainted with the process of distance education of the largest university of Saxony. It is planned to organize a workshop in future in order to present the results of the study tour, to share knowledge and experience acquired, which will also contribute to the effective implementation of future activities of the grant program. A number of issues related to the organization of future activities and processes in the frames of the grant project were discussed during the meeting. It should be added that the grant project is aimed at strengthening the basis of distance education and the development and integration of the national system of distance education in the Republic of Armenia.