The ERASMUS+ “Dual AFS” project, approved by the European\nCommission, is continuing its successfully implementation from 2021 in several\nAlbanian speaking universities in Albania and the Republic of Kosovo. The\nproject is coordinated by our EU partners Nuertingen-Geislingen University\n(Germany) in cooperation with Savonia University of Applied Sciences (Finland).\nThe local beneficiary partners are Agricultural University of Tirana (Albania),\nUniversity of Korca (Albania), Faculty for Agriculture and Veterinary,\nUniversity of Prishtina (Kosovo) and University of Mitrovica (Kosovo). In\naddition, some work-life partners (non-university partners from agribusiness,\nanimal production and food safety) from Albania and Kosovo have also benefited\nfrom this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main coordinator of the project is Prof. Heinrich Sch\u00fcle from\nN\u00fcrtingen\u2010Geislingen University (Germany), while the local coordinator is Prof.\nSk\u00ebnder Muji from the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of\nPristina. The project will be realized in the period 15.01.2021 – 14.01.2024\n(36 months), while the total value of the project for all partners is about one\nmillion Euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main objective of the project is the preparation of a dual program\nstructure (curricula) in Bachelor and Master levels (in field of animal\nproduction, agribusiness, food safety etc.), which will be comparable and consistent\nwith counterparts from partner EU universities. For some reasons, the\nUniversity of Prishtina in the framework of this project will just\nsignificantly increase the practical part within the existing classical curricula\u2019s\n(in order to approach the system of dual study programs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agriculture and food are the dominant sectors in the rural areas and\ntake the important share in GDP and in the employment of population in Albania\nand Kosovo. Consequently, higher education in agricultural sciences is of crucial\nimportance and needs to be seriously considered. Development and modernization\nof the sector is determined mainly by investing in the education and training\nof human resources, to achieve skills to respond to the great challenges of\nmodernization of agriculture, livestock and food sectors. In order to further\nincrease and develop agricultural sector responding to market demands in\nAlbania and Kosovo, there is undoubtedly necessity to have qualified and\ncompetent experts. Anyway, higher education institutions of both countries have\na primary role in the development of human resources required for the\ndevelopment and modernization of agriculture and food sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on the experiences of some EU countries, the dual studies model is\nconsidered as one of the most successful model of applied tertiary studies in\nEurope. This model is more successfully developed and implemented by German\nUniversity of Cooperative Education (Berufsakademie) and University of Applied\nSciences (Fachhochschule). These models of studies are also implemented, with\nminor modification, in some other European countries. The EU partners of our\nproject, University of Applied Sciences of N\u00fcrtingen\u2010Geislingen, (HfWU)\nGermany, and Savonia University of Applied Sciences (SUAS), Finland, have\nalready promising experience in the implementation of Dual curricula studies in\nagriculture and food. Therefore, the Consortium of the project believes that\nDual studies are an efficient model and strategy to improve the linkage of\ntertiary studies to the needs of agriculture, livestock, food quality and\nsafety, as well as of labor market in these sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reorganization of current curricula and strengthening of practical\ncompetences and skills will be realized through cooperation of Universities with\nworking life partners of project. Therefore, the dual study programs of our\nproject (DualAFS) aims for better employability of graduates, knowledge and\ninnovation capacity in agriculture and livestock sciences and improved\ncompetitiveness of the agriculture and food business to gain better income in\nthe future. Long term, the aim is to bring prosperity in the remote and rural\nregions of Albania and Kosovo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ERASMUS+ (EU programme for education, training, youth and sport) is\nan excellent support for higher education institutions especially of partner\ncountries to internationalizeteaching and research, that is also one of the\nmost important reform challenges of the universities in Albania and Kosovo.\nConsequently, this project emphasizes the student and teaching staff exchange\nbetween the West and East partners in order to support and facilitate the\nreorganization and reformation of study program in Kosovo and Albania. As a\nresult, our DualAFS project will internationalize the education in agriculture,\nfoster innovations and build solid bridges and pathways between the\nstakeholders on different levels. It will also improve the openness of higher\neducation through innovative digital educational materials and supporting the\navailability of education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to the main objective (the development of innovative models\nof dual Bachelor and Master curriculas), the project Consortium has identified\nalso the needs for: (a) strengthening practical skills of graduates through a\nbetter integration of theoretical and practical curricula of the university\nstudies (in the current study programs), (b) earlier integration of the\nstudents into farm work life, as well as (c) the development of lifelong\nlearning (LLL) concept for future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, the Erasmus+ project (DualAFS), means the re-structuring\nand reforming of the study programs in the sector of agriculture, according to\nglobal trends of higher education and market needs, will promote and support\neconomic growth, employment and sustainable development in Albania and Kosovo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The work of the steering committee of this meeting started today on\n24.04.2023 (at the premises of the University of Pristina), and will continue\nuntil Friday 28.04.2023 (at the premises of the Food and Veterinary Agency of\nKosovo).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today, at the University of Prishtina, the next meeting of the partners of the ERASMUS+ project: “DUAL Curricula – Study and Work Practice in Agriculture and Food Safety (DUAL AFS)”! started. The ERASMUS+ “Dual AFS” project, approved by the European Commission, is continuing its successfully implementation from 2021 in several Albanian speaking universities in Albania […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":61869,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[303,306,296],"tags":[3585],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61868"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61868"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61870,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61868\/revisions\/61870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kosovapress.com\/eng\/admin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}