Proposal of joint european project CHAIN-E

Description of the activities:

1.1 Working out a common selection procedure of students-economists at

all Russian higher educational institutions, participants of the

consortium. Making use of the foreign universities experience. The VC

branches together with the home institution professors carry out the

selection. Language fluency will be one of the most imortant criteria.

1.2 Creation and annual updating as well as setting up in the Internet of

the participating institutions information packages (in English

language).

1.3 Organization of access to the resources of the host university

(libraries, computer facilities, etc.).

1.4 Accommodation of foreign students in the hostels of the higher

educational institutions, participants of the project. Organization of

the foreign students’ leisure. Guarantee of their security during their

staying abroad.

1.5 Language training for the outgoing students (before their departure).

1.6 Organizational and informational students’ support.

1.7 Supervising of the outgoing students (application of the ECTS system;

in order to achive the best results of studying abroad the guidance from

the home institution is presupposed).

1.8 Application of ECTS for the study results’ recognition (the

regulations of the ECTS are mentioned in the “ECTS User’s Guide” well

known in European universities).

1.9 Experience dissemination – organization of an international

conference on the results of student exchanges (in Ekaterinburg).

1.10 Experience dissemination – organization in Ekaterinburg of 3 annual

regional conferences on the problems of economic education, with the

European partners taking part.

Target group(s):

Students, postgraduate students.

Inputs allocated from the Tempus budget:

1. Covering the expenses, connected with students’ exchange (travel and

stay):

50 students' East-West mobility – 5 months; 10 postgraduate students'

East-West mobility – 10 months

10 students' West-East mobility – 5 months; 3 postgraduate students' West-

East mobility – 10 months

2. Financing of Russian universities information packages’ publishing.

3. Financing of work of the Language Centre teaching staff.

4. Financing of the international conference organization expenses and

covering of travel and stay costs of Russian participants.

5. Covering of travel and stay at the conference costs of EU participants.

6. Financing of the conference printed materials issue.

7. Technical equipping of the Language Centre.

8. Financing of the administrative staff, academic staff

9. 3 conferences’ organization expenses financing. Covering of travel and

stay costs at the conference of RF participants.

10. Financing of travel and stay of EU participants of the conference.

11. Financing of the conference printed materials issue.

Inputs allocated from outside the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of the ECTS coordinators’ work.

2. Financing the professors’ work in teaching foreign students.

3. Financing of the information packages’ elaboration.

4. Financing of the EU universities information packages’ issuing.

5. Provision of an access to the library, computer classes and other

educational equipment.

Duration (in weeks): 156

Total Tempus funding required for this outcome (including related mobility

flows) over project duration:

ECU .560'670

(this amount reflects the inputs from the Tempus budget only - for other

contributions see the financial table V.8.)

OUTCOME TABLE

(Continued)

Outcome reference N°: 2 Description of the outcome: 75 students

and postgraduate students, having taken part in the students exchange

program between the Ural higher educational institutions, participants of

the consortium.

Deadline: June, 30, 2001 Institutions involved (reference N°): 2-6

Description of the activities:

2.1 Working out a common selection procedure of students-economists at

all higher educational institutions, participants of the consortium.

Making use of foreign universities experience. The selection has to be

made by the students’ exchange centres and professors of universities.

2.2 Creation and annual updating as well as setting up in the Internet of

information packages of Ural universities, taking part in the project (in

the Russian language).

2.3 Organization of access to the resources of the host university

(libraries, computer facilities ets.).

2.4 Supervising of the outgoing students.

2.5 Accommodation of other-town students in the hostels of the higher

educational institutions, participants of the project.

2.6 Organizational and informational students’ support.

2.7 Application of ECTS for the studying results’ recognition.

Target group(s):

Administrative staff, academic staff, students, postgraduate students.

Inputs allocated from the Tempus budget:

Inputs allocated from outside the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of the students’ exchanges:

75 students' East-East mobility, 5 months.

2. Financing of the ECTS coordinators work.

3. Financing of the overtime work of the teachers.

4. Provision of an access to the library, computer classes and other

educational equipment.

Duration (in weeks): 156

Total Tempus funding required for this outcome (including related mobility

flows) over project duration:

ECU. 0

(this amount reflects the inputs from the Tempus budget only - for other

contributions see the financial table V.8.)

OUTCOME TABLE

(Continued)

Outcome reference N°: 3 Description of the outcome:

Internationalization of professional educational economic programs at

higher educational institutions, participants of the project.

Deadline: August, 31, 2001 Institutions involved (reference N°): 1-8

Description of the activities:

3.1 Comparative analysis of professional educational programs of the home

and host universities.

3.2 Selection of foreign study courses, which are of interest for the

sending university.

3.3 Foreseeing the ways to overcome the differences in professional

educational programs.

3.4 ECTS system introduction.

3.5 Short-term mutual visits of administrative and academic staff to co-

ordinate the work and discuss the problems of students’ mobility, such as

diploma recognition and methods of credit transfer.

3.6 Administrative and academic staff training periods (administrative for

intensive courses for studying methods of credit transfer; academics to

perfect the teaching methods).

3.7 Expending of the library resources of partner universities at the

expense of purchasing of books and periodical issues on the Economics

problems.

3.8 Provision of project participants with an access to the computer

databases containing some information concerning the contents of courses

offered at the economic faculties of the European universities.

3.9 Creation of a computer database of educational programs, curricula and

teaching aids in Economics.

3.10 Dissemination of the experience – organization of Ural annual inter-

universities’ seminars on internationalization of higher economic

education.

3.11 Dissemination of the experience – publishing of Newsletters on

internationalization of higher economic education (3 times a year).

Target group(s):

Administrative staff, academic staff.

Inputs allocated from the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of short-term visits.

15 Administrative and academic staff members' mobility East-West

2. Financing of training periods and intensive courses.

15 Administrative and academic staff members' mobility East-West.

3. Financing of the Newsletters publishing.

4. Financing of books and periodical publications purchasing.

5. Financing of an access to the computer databases.

Inputs allocated from outside the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of the experts work in educational programs’ analysis.

2. Financing of the work on ECTS introduction.

3. Financing of the work on elaboration of the didactic materials and

teaching aids.

4. Financing of 3 seminars.

5. Financing of language courses for trainees.

Duration (in weeks): 101

Total Tempus funding required for this outcome (including related mobility

flows) over project duration:

ECU .93'900

(this amount reflects the inputs from the Tempus budget only - for other

contributions see the financial table V.8.)

OUTCOME TABLE

(Continued)

Outcome reference N°: 4 Description of the outcome: A network of

branches of the Regional Centre for Students’ Exchanges (RCSE) at the Ural

universities – participants of the consortium, as well as constant contacts

of the Centre and its branches with the corresponding structures of the

European universities participating in the project.

Deadline: August, 31, 2001 Institutions involved (reference N°): 2-6

Description of the activities:

4.1 Creation of RCSE branches at the universities of the Ural consortium

and their technical provision.

4.2. Establishing of cooperation links between the heads of the RCSE

branches at the Ural universities.

4.3 Appointment of ECTS-coordinators in Economics at each participating

university.

4.4 Training of the ECTS-coordinators and staff of the RCSE and its

branches at the European universities.

4.5 Organization of meetings, conferences, seminars on the exchange of

experience with participation of the heads and the staff of the RCSE, ECTS-

coordinators and students participating in the project.

4.6 Establishing of direct links between the ECTS-coordinators in economics

of the Ural consortium universities and the European universities,

participation in the work of the ECTS ALUMNI Association.

4.7 Dissemination of the experience – publishing activities (Newsletters,

see Outcome 3 Activity 3.11).

Target group(s):

Staff of the RCSE and its branches, ECTS-coordinators.

Inputs allocated from the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of intensive courses for the RCSE staff and ECTS-coordinators

at European universities.

2. Financing of the publishing activities (it is the same activity

mentioned above, see Outcome 3).

3. Provision of the RCSE branches with equipment:

4 PCs; 4 Laser Jets; 4 Copying machines; 4 Binding machines.

4. Financing of software.

5. Financing of services for the equipment.

Inputs allocated from outside the Tempus budget:

1. Premises, furniture, municipal costs.

2. Staff costs (RCSE and its branches staff, ECTS-coordinators).

3. Computer network, communications.

4. Financing of conferences and seminars.

Duration (in weeks): 156

Total Tempus funding required for this outcome (including related mobility

flows) over project duration:

ECU .38'000

(this amount reflects the inputs from the Tempus budget only - for other

contributions see the financial table V.8.)

OUTCOME TABLE

(Continued)

Outcome reference N°: 5 Description of the outcome: 20 academic

staff will deliver lectures at the universities-participants in the

project.

Deadline: June, 31, 2001 Institutions involved (reference N°): 1-8

Description of the activities:

5.1 Elaboration of new study courses (reviews lectures on subjects that are

read at the professors’ home institutions) and their methodological

provision.

5.2 Organizational and informational support of the outgoing lecturers.

5.3 Dissemination of the experience: publishing activity (Newsletters, see

Outcome 3, Activity 3.11).

Target group(s):

Academic staff, postgraduate students, students, administrative staff.

Inputs allocated from the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of the 15 academic staff members' East-West mobility (it is

the same mobility mentioned above, see Outcome 3).

2. Financing of the 5 academic staff members' West-East mobility.

3. Publishing of didactical materials (teaching aids) for the lectures

to be read abroad (20 sets).

Inputs allocated from outside the Tempus budget:

1. Financing of the work on elaboration of new copyrightable courses.

Duration (in weeks): 77

Total Tempus funding required for this outcome (including related mobility

flows) over project duration:

ECU .22'800

(this amount reflects the inputs from the Tempus budget only - for other

contributions see the financial table V.8.)

2.3. Impact and sustainability

The successful implementation of the project will influence various aspects

of the system of higher education in Russia, connected with preparation of

students to be highly qualified specialists:

29. On the national level it is the process of adaptation of the Russian

system of higher education to the European dimensions; the possibility of

mutual recognition of diplomas of future specialists in economics;

creation of a model of a rapid and reliable information exchange system

between the universities of Russia and European Union;

30. At a regional level - perfecting of the network of the Ural

universities ensuring high-quality preparation of students in the sphere

of economics; uniting of scientific - pedagogical potential of the Ural

universities for solution of problems in the sphere of student

exchanges; development of structures coordinating student exchanges at

the regional level; creation of reliable channels of information

exchange on problems of preparation of high-qualified economists;

31. At a university level - further development of university structures

connected with student exchanges (Regional Center for Student Exchanges,

Regional Office for International Cooperation); replenishment of the

library funds with the economic literature, purchased by the students

during their study courses abroad; creation of the atmosphere of interest

in student exchanges at all structural subdivisions (faculties,

departments) of the university;

32. At a level of faculties - development of the structure of the Economic

Faculty by student exchanges, including those with foreign universities;

improvement of professional skills of the faculty teaching staff,

including reading of some lectures in a foreign language; increase of

students' interest in qualitative studying and learning of foreign

languages;

33. At a level of departments - perfecting of curricula for preparation of

experts in the sphere of economics; teachers' mastering of foreign

languages; rise of prestige of an economic specialty in the eyes of would-

be students.

Upon termination of Tempus/Tacis financing the outcomes of the project can

be maintained and developed by the structures established in the course of

the project implementation (RCSE branches, ECTS-coordinators). The

involvement in new projects, bilateral and multilateral agreements between

the Russian and foreign universities is possible. It is obviously possible,

that the mentioned structures, using the accumulated links, can offer the

whole range of services to organizations and population. This will ensure

additional sources of financing.

The Ural universities consortium has an intention to save and to develop

the academic network established in the framework of the CHAIN-E project.

For this purpose it is planned to offer and to realize the joint projects,

financed from the respectable sources. All the Ural universities have an

experience of grants getting from the national and non-governmental funds:

“The Fund of Higher Education Development”, “National Fund for Staff

Preparation” (The Government of the Russian Federation and the

International Reconstruction and Development Bank), “G. Soros Fund (Opened

Society Institute)” etc. During the academic network creation the

universities will try to provide the financing from these sources of the

respectable joint project in the field of Economics and Education. At the

present time the USVPU and the USU have already got the positive decision

of the “National Fund for Staff Preparation” about the loan rendering for

the realization of the Innovation Education Fund project in the field of

economical education of these universities.

IV.3. MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT

3.1. Management structure

Role and responsibilities of each consortium member

The structure of management of the project is indicated in the scheme

below.

The University - Contractor is Ghent University (RUG). During the first

year of MJEP fulfillment it acts as the University - Coordinator of the

project, but it delegates some part of the responsibilities in Russia to

the USVPU. Such control circuit has been already tested in 1994-98. In a

course of realization of the Ural universities consortium work with the

Ghent University within the framework of the multilateral agreements, and

also the USVPU with Ghent, Rotterdam and Valladolid universities under the

URAL project (Tempus/Tacis) T-JEP-10094-95-RF. The positive administrative

experience accumulated for these years allows to recommend the used circuit

of work.

During the second and third years functions of University - Coordinator of

the project executes the USVPU, and some part of the responsibilities on

coordination of works in Europe are preserved for RUG. The delegation of a

coordinating role to Russian university (USVPU) has two reasons: first, the

major part of work under the project is carried out in Russia; secondly,

the fulfillment of managing functions will allow the USVPU to fix and to

advance those skills of a realization of international cooperation, which

were incorporated by joint activity of the Russian-European consortium of

universities in 1994-98.

The problems of CHAIN-E and Russian-European subprojects development

strategy (as well as development strategy of the URAL subprojects and other

projects connecting universities of Ural and Europe into the network) will

be settled by Council of the Rectors, which includes Prof./Dr. G. Romantsev

(USVPU), Prof./Dr. V. Tretyakov (USU), Prof./Dr. V. Kamyshov (USUE),

Prof./Dr. S. Naboichenko (USTU), Prof./Dr. V. Zhavoronkov (USPU) on the

part of Ekaterinburg universities.

The operating project management is carried out by the Coordination Council

of the managers of works at the universities. To be such managers: a Vice-

Rector - coordinator of the international programs (USVPU), Prof./Dr. I.

Kolobkov - Chairman of Coordination Council; a Vice-Rector on international

relations (USUE), Prof./Dr. A. Maltsev – deputy head of the Coordination

Council; the dean of Economics Faculty (USU), Prof./Dr. D. Nesterova; Head

of the Department of The Analysis of Systems and Decision Making (USTU),

Prof./Dr. O. Nikonov; a Vice-Rector on educational work and international

relations (USPU), Prof./Dr. M. Igoshev are appointed. The managers of works

at the universities coordinate aspirations of faculties and departments

involved in the project in the correspondence with the annually developed

general plan of the activity, which is approved in Tempus Department of the

ETF.

A big role in carrying out of the MJEP CHAIN-E activities is played by the

ECTS-coordinators, appointed at the universities, who are responsible for

the ECTS implementation while realization of student exchanges. The strict

fulfillment of ECTS principles, which is steadfastly monitored by the ECTS-

coordinators, is the lien of that the procedures of academic recognition of

study results will be facilitated, and the students who wish to study

abroad, will not be afraid of extension of terms of their study because of

a problem with academic recognition. In 4 of five Ural universities the

ECTS-coordinators already exist and have passed training periods abroad and

followed special courses in the USVPU: Prof./Dr. A. Zhuchenko Vice-rector

of the USVPU; the Head of the Educational Department (USTU) Prof./Dr. V.

Shavrin; the employee of the Educational Department (USPU) Prof. M.

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