Nowadays the European Community takes steps to optimization of higher education reform aimed at the interaction between university education, science and society. Several international programmes – «Erasmus+», «Horizon - 2020» – are meant for cooperation between universities, schools, research organizations, business, industry, civil society organizations for strategies development of reforming higher education and science.
Within the subprogramme «University for society» of the European Union programme «Horizon - 2020» Polotsk State University participates together with partners from Spain, Germany, Finland and Greece in a large-scale European STIMEY project «Science, Technologies, Innovations, Mathematics, Engineering for the Young». In an effort to bring science and society together in Europe and consequently increase the continent’s international competitiveness, STEM education must be more relatable to European youths. This project proposes an educational platform with multilevel components designed and developed on the base of a well-researched pedagogical framework aimed to make STEM education more attractive to young people from age 10 to 18 years old. Universities, schools, teachers, students, parents, business and media partners come together to complete the aims according to the project.
On March, 27-31, 2017 the working meeting between the participants of STIMEY project took place at University of Jyväskylä (Finland) for discussion of project parts connected with pedagogical aspects of development and design on the base of multilevel educational platform. Polotsk State University was represented by members of the working group:
- Siarhei Piashkun, head of the International Office
- Eduard Pavlysh, associate professor of Finance and Trade Economics Department
- Sviatlana Astapchuk, senior teacher of Technology and Methods of Teaching Department
- Alena Patapava, senior teacher of World Literature and Foreign Languages Department
- Yuliya Salakhova, teacher of Finance and Trade Economics Department
- Tatsiana Hlukhava, senior teacher of Computing Systems and Networks Department
The university working group presented the report about completed work within complex works number 2,4 and 6. During the working meeting the representatives of Polotsk State University took part in working sessions for coordinators of the international STIMEY project.
Together with discussions the university representatives had an chance to get acquainted with Faculty of Information Technology and Pedagogy. Bachelor, Master and PhD students are offered to participate in various educational programmes and interdisciplinary researches.
Meeting with partners in Jyväskylä has shown that Polotsk State University is a reliable partner for cooperation and joint work.