Prof.Dr. Magdalena CARA

Difficulties and challenges in project implementation: Harmonization and Innovation in PhD Study Programs for Plant Health in Sustainable Agriculture.

HarISA

Agricultural University of Tirana, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment

Harmonization and Innovation in PhD Study Programs for Plant Health in Sustainable Agriculture –HarISA is a Erasmus+ project funded with the suport of the European Union. Project Number: 598444-EPP-1-2018-1-HR-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP (2018-2472 / 001-001) University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture Svetosimunska street 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Contact: [email protected] www.agr.hr

• University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture Project coordinator: • Prof.Dr. RENATA BAZOK

• J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Agricultural faculty, Croatia • University „Aldo Moro” Bari • Agricultural University Plovdiv EU partners (4) • Agricultural University of Athens

•Fan Noli University, Korce, Albania •Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania •University of Mostar, Bosna and Hercegovina Non-EU •University of Sarajevo, Bosna and Hercegovina •University of Belgrade •University of Novi Sad partners (7) •University of Monetenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro

• 15.01.2019. Project duration • 14.01.2022. Budget • 967,614.00 € (EU)

nternational joint Master degree in lant edicine - acronym: ) 158875-TEMPUS-IT-JPCR Joint Project – Curricular Reform (2010-2012)

Enrico de Lillo in collaboration with

Magdalena Cara (Tirana), Aleksandra Cupina (Novi Sad), Francesco Faretra (Bari), Vili Harizanova (Plovdiv), Stanislava Lazarevska (Skopje), Arben Mehmeti (Prishtina), Olivera Petrović-Obradović (Belgrade), Edita Stefanić (Osijek), Zvonimir Ostojić (Zagreb). Modernization and harmonization of a HE curriculum according to Lisbon Strategy and Bologna process.

Specifically, it was planned (thought) to restructure, develop and implement a curriculum in the West Balkan countries in order to: 1. create/update a joint Master Degree in Plant Medicine, as a regional network, and 2. apply improvements and modernizations of teaching using web technologies.

1. Objectives A multilateral agreement was signed by the Legal Representatives of the Consortium members establishing the mutual recognition of the legal value of the national Degree Courses adopted under Plant Medicine at the PC universities are equivalent to those adopted to the EU ones. A commission, composed of delegates of each Consortium member, has to monitor the respect of the requirements. This Act lasts 6 years. This was renovated in 2020

5. Sustainability HarISA

WIDER OBJECTIVES

(i) to improve the quality of higher education and enhance its relevance for the labour market and society; (ii) to improve the level of competences and skills in HEIs by developing new and innovative education programs.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE (I)

-to harmonize, improve and modernize the doctoral study programs in plant health among partner universities in order to increase the competences and skills of PhD candidates to respond to the global plant health issues;

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE (2)

-to develop joint framework and draft of the curriculum of International Joint PhD study program in Plant Health;

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE (3)

-to foster regional integration in the field of plant health research and education among WBC and between WBC and EU.

WORK Short SHORT TITLE PACK AGE PREPARATION WP 1 Review of partners PhD study programs REVIEW

T WP 2 Developing the joint framework for harmonization of the PhD DEVELOPING N

E study programs and a curriculum draft DRAFT M P WP 3 Improvement of the scientific content IMPROVEMENT O L

E WP 4 Establishment of diagnostic and training hubs (DTH) DTH V E

D WP 5 Organisation of the PhD students and staff mobility and training MOBILITY QUALITY PLAN WP 6 Quality control and monitoring QUALITY CONTROL DISSEMINATION WP 7 Dissemination DISSEMINATION & EXPLOITATION MANAGEMENT WP 8 Project management MANAGEMENT

HarISA

PREPARATION DEVELOPMENT WP 2- QUALITY PLAN WP 6 (6 DISSEMINATION WP 7 MANAGEMENT WP 8 WP 1 WP 5 members) (12 members) (12 members) (12 members)

IMPROVING SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPING DRAFT CONTENT WP 3 DTH MOBILITY WP 5 (12 WP 2 (12 members) (36 members + 24 WP 4 (12 members) members) students)

• To review the existing PhD study program; • To establish the compliance of the existing PhD study programs (SWOT analysis) with Bologna process and with national and EU qualification framework; WP 1 • To establish how the existing courses are addressing national, regional and EU priorities in plant health issues;

• To discuss the practices for tutoring and management of PhD study program among PIs; • To identify and exchange the best practices to be proposed as guidelines of newly developed draft; • To discuss and identify how a joint curriculum has to respond to the research and education needs for plant health in sustainable agriculture; • To analyse the scientific contents of the existing courses related to Plant Health taught at PIs and how they correspond to the national, regional and EU priorities; WP 2 • To develop the roadmap for the arrangement of an International Joint PhD study program in Plant Health for Sustainable Agriculture as the first step prior to the developing a curriculum; • To develop the first draft of a curriculum of an International Joint PhD study program in Plant Health for Sustainable Agriculture;

• To improve the courses that are currently taught in partners PhD study programs (by developing teaching material, improve teachning methods and tools); • To propose new courses (subjects); WP 3 • To improve scientific contents of the PhD research topics held at PIs; • To organize scientific conference and to present PhD work of the students;

• To develop the selection criteria and identify the excellence of scientific groups within the PIs from partner countries; • To upgrade existing facilities in service of PhD students’, staff and professionals’ needs; • To establish diagnostic and training hubs with high expertise in particular fields available to serve as regional centers for education and spreading WP 4 knowledge;

• To organize student and staff mobility; • To implement joint research among PIs; • To ensure the sustainability of PhD study programs in Plant Health; • To provide platform for future cooperation in research and education in WP 5 order to be more involved in EU networks and projects, to support intra- WBC networking and create a platform of competences;

• To monitor and evaluate project progress and management; • To evaluate the developed courses and the draft of the WP 6 curriculum;

• To disseminate the project results; WP 7 • To engage PhD students and scientists; • To promote research results related to plant health for sustainable agriculture;

• Ensure a structured, timely, cost efficient and successful project start, implementation, reporting, controlling, project internal communication and project finalization; • Develop and update detailed project plans; • Provide necessary guidelines and guidance and support to the WP Leaders; • Organize and moderate consortium and management relevant meetings; • Support the decision making process in the project; • Coordinate overall project activities; WP 8 • Support and enable the project internal communication (in collaboration also with the Dissemination WP); • Support the work of Stakeholder Board (SB); • Coordinate the financial and content related reports; • Support the mandatory project audit; • Development of any additional necessary project documentation;

DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY AND EQUIPMENT IN NON EU TRAINING PARTNER HUBS INSTITUTIONS

JOINT TEACHING TEACHING MATERIAL DEVELOPED MATERIAL

WORKSHOPS IN NON EU FOR MENTORS PARTNERS

CURRICULUM DRAFT FOR JOINT PHD STUDY PROGRAM

MAGDALENA CARA …still not officially coordinator

Students: Emi Panariti Administrative & financial Amedeo Kola

WP1: WP5: WP6: WP2: WP3: WP4: WP7: Erta Dodona Magdalena Cara Evaluation Shpend Shahini Skender Varaku Magdalena Cara Valdete Vorpsi Thanas Ruci Magdalena Cara Shpend Shahini Shpend Shahini Natasha Haka Emi Panariti Amedeo Kola

Improvement of Identification the existing Preparation of of the best courses and a draft of the structure and development of learning management new courses: outcomes for Teaching methods practices study Identification of and tools, and 01 02 program and similar and new action plan for for disciplines courses developing joint learning material 03 Discussion and 04 proposals regarding development of joint teaching materials

05 06 The comparison of the learning outcomes

• The learning outcomes of the programs and disciplines are described by active verbs according to the Bloom’s taxonomy, which is globally accepted. • Higher education study programs in Europe and USA prior accreditation process must provide the list of students competences that are comparable by Bloom’s classification. • In this analysis, we classified the descriptors in hierarchy of three categories: knowledge, skills and responsibility knowledge, skills and responsibility

The comparison of the learning outcomes

• The most of the partners struggled when using the Blooms classification to demonstrate appropriate level of student’s competences. • This indicates a necessity to organize workshops for partners to get more acquainted with the descriptors (the active verbs), the way to describe academic achievements and to be able to compare the most advanced level of knowledge proposed by EQF. • All programs have already established learning outcomes. • There is a need for improvement in defining competences for all three categories for whole Consortium. SWOT analysis of the program

Joint PhD study program has to be prepared by following these steps:

• Identification of the best structure and management practices, • Preparation of a draft of the learning outcomes for study program and for disciplines, • After a broad discussion learning outcomes should be adopted, • At this point it should be started to create the modules and courses.

• Comparison of study programs revealed partner’s strengths and missing knowledge, skills and competences. • In order to improve education against common agreed standards of excellence, • we indicated the disciplines or the structure of program that should be harmonized. • Due diligence reveal that partners are very successful in specific disciplines, offering cutting edge knowledge.

• This enables consortium to increase networking and interrelation, • to share good practices and knowledge and • achieve a strategic alliance in the region.

rules described at EU level. • Each- Country has specific national rules to follow, There is the risk of non-approval of the project by own funding office. • That's why the harmonization should take into account various needs and find a common direction with enough degrees of freedom.

Harmonization and Innovation in PhD Study Programs for Plant Health in Sustainable Agriculture –HarISA is a Erasmus+ project funded with the suport of the European Union. Project Number: 598444-EPP-1-2018-1-HR-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP (2018-2472 / 001-001) Purchase of Create the the laboratory Teacher equipment in diagnostic and training Mobility non EU Students hubs EU Partners partner Mobility Non EU Institutions EU Partners Partners 02 Non EU 01 Partners 03 Co - mentorship 03 Open discussions 04 Defense the thesis

05 University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture Svetosimunska street 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Contact: [email protected] 33 www.agr.hr MOBILITY 2 STUDENTS PER INSTITUTION = 10 STUDENTS

30 DAYS IN PARTNER COUNTRY INSTITUTION EU PARTNERS RESEARCH ACTIVITY

STUDENTS 2-3 STUDENTS = 18 STUDENTS NON EU 90 DAYS IN EU PARTNER ISTITUTION

PARTNERS RESEARCH ACTIVITY

14 DAYS IN PARTNER COUNTRY INSTITUTION EU PARTNERS RESEARCH AND TEACHING ACTIVITY

TEACHERS 2 TEACHERS = 14 TEACHERS NON EU 21 DAYS IN EU PARTNER ISTITUTION

PARTNERS RESEARCH AND TEACHING ACTIVITY

Internal factors

1. We do not have an approved national PhD program in Plant Protection, 2. The planned budget for student research mobility risks not being used, 3. The planned budget for joint supervision of the professors will not be used if there won’t be any approved students.

…..has completed the review of the application for the reorganization of the doctoral program in "Plant Protection Science". We would like to inform you that your application does not pass to the next stage, due to the following shortcomings: - Missing SWOT analysis. - In our academic staff is also a PhD lecturer - Labor market analysis is narrative, there are no references to official sources such as INSTAT, etc.

At the level Harmonized standards in PhD program management and of existing tutoring procedure study Improved mentorship practice programes Courses with improved structure and content and courses Joint teaching material for courses taught in PhD study programes at different institutions

At the Stakeholder involvement in PhD study program level of Newly developed courses based on the defined need related to plant health for profession sustainable agriculture (plant Defined regional research priorities to improve plant health for sustainable agriculture and to meet policy demands health) The diagnostic and training hubs at partner universities equipped and developed ready to solve various issues in plant health at regional level

At the level Syllabus for International Joint PhD study program in Plant Health created and draft of the curriculum proposed; of partner’s Increased number of PhD students with experience gained from institution international research activity; Increased number of teachers with experience gained from international research activity;

Increased number of research proposals and applications to project calls submitted by PhD students and scientists;

Increased communication and collaboration between Universities (via the Academy) including new joint project proposals and teaching undertakings;

- This joint PhD is a good model not only for our faculty and university

- We recommend the signing of a multilateral agreement by the Legal Representatives of the Consortium members establishing mutual recognition

- The next step is the accreditation of the PhD program in plant health.