Project on entrepreneurship was successfully implemented

Kazimieras Simonavičius University together with 14 international partners successfully implemented the project “Investing in Entrepreneurial Universities in Caucasus and Central Asia” which was financed under Erasmus+ Programme (Key Action 2 – Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education).

Project partners:

• Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany (the leading partner)
• Masaryk University, Czech Republic
• Vrije University Brussel, Belgium
• Kazimieras Simonavičius University, Lithuania
• University of Minho, Portugal
• Glasgow Caledonian University, UK
• Ilia State University, Georgia
• Caucasus University, Georgia
• Bank of Georgia University, Georgia
• Kutaisi University, Georgia
• Kyrgyz Economic University, Kyrgyz Republic
• International Ataturk Alatoo University, Kyrgyz Republic
• Issyk-Kul State University, Kyrgyz Republic
• University of Economy and Enterprises, Kyrgyz Republic
• Association of Educational Establishments “Education Network”, Kyrgyz Republic

The main goal of the project was to enhance entrepreneurial culture and creativity within higher education in Georgia and Kyrgyz Republic and to strengthen the role of higher education institutions as an active stakeholder that contributes to the socio-economic development of society by fostering cooperation enterprise-university at both academic and industry level as well as between EU and beneficiary countries. The project achieved this goal by developing a creative and supportive environment at institutional level through the establishment of CreaLABs and a network of them in Georgia and Kyrgyz Republic. These networks are serving as platforms to encourage and foster students’ entrepreneurial ideas and at the same time support the bridge that links enterprises and universities for the benefit of innovation and socio-economic development in beneficiary countries.

During the project the following results were achieved:

• European best practices in the production of innovation and preparation of documents necessary for enhancing entrepreneurship in HEIs through interaction between university-enterprises were disseminated in Georgia and Kyrgyz Republic.
• Creative centres (CreaLABs) were set up and equipped in each GE and KG HEI to support students and researchers ideas that can potentially end up in the market and commercial products through entrepreneurship and open innovation.
• Improved skills and competences of staff working in CreatLABs to support entrepreneurship and bring closer enterprises and universities.
• Designed an intensive training programme on teaching entrepreneurship for professors and students seeking to integrate effective and new methods of teaching entrepreneurship in the respective courses through case-studies and problem-solving methods.
• Implemented pilot activities which were organised by CreaLABs.
• Created a network of professors and practitioners to encourage entrepreneurship and cooperation enterprise-university in beneficiary countries.

The project was implemented on October 2015 – March 2019.

On 14-18 January KSU Aviation Management professors dr. Konstantinos Kalligiannis and dr. Javed Imran participated in Digital Academy which is the part of Erasmus+ project „Spread your wings“.

The main goal of this training was to enhance the quality and relevance of lecturers’ digital skills and competences and to raise the lecturers’ awareness of innovative digital teaching methods and techniques used for creating digital materials and implementing digital tools in the area of sustainable aviation development.

The main objective of the project „Spread your wings” is to increase the quality and relevance of knowledge and skills of bachelor and master degree Aviation Management and related disciplines students’ in response to the needs of the labour market and the socio-economic environment. An innovative course titled „Development of Sustainable Aviation” will be developed in a partnership of three organizations (from Poland, Lithuania and Latvia). The course will include topics related to a new conceptual model of responsible and conscious aviation that sees its development in line with the interests of the social and natural environment and takes into account existing ecological barriers and expectations of the society.

The project is financed by Erasmus+ programme. Project No. 2017-1-PL01-KA203-038782.