The activities in EURASIA were organised in 7 work packages. The project began with an investigation and overview of the state of the art in European studies in Chinese and Indian universities (WP1). On the basis of this preparatory phase we developed new curricular content (WP2), a teaching programme (WP3) and Online teaching courses (WP4). This content development was supported by a quality assurance process involving regular evaluation and monitoring of progress (WP5) and a dissemination and exploitation plan (WP6). Key to the success of the whole endeavour was the systematic project management (WP7).

WP1WP2WP3WP4 WP5 WP6 WP7

    Reviewing  the state-of-the-art

              Lead partner: Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
              Contributors: All partners

This WP carried out the necessary groundwork for evaluating the state-of-the-art of European studies in both programme and partner countries’ HEIs. Based on existing needs’ assessments available from past academic cooperation among the partners and preparatory visits to the Chinese and Indian Universities, we reviewed needs, benchmarked existing curricula, teaching modules and courses and identified potential students to be trained in the field. Our discussions were supported by bibliographical data on European studies in India and China and by an evaluation of the effectiveness of past and current EU academic collaboration projects in the partner countries. This process also engaged interested stakeholders beyond academia (such as business organisations, local and central authorities, NGOs, media, etc.).

Deliverable 1.1  Comparative Report
Deliverable 1.2  Curricula database
Deliverable 1.3  Round of meetings/discussions with focus groups from India and China – Read more
Deliverable 1.4  Bibliographical reference tool
Deliverable 1.5  Report on available projects in the field
Deliverable 1.6  Stakeholders meetings in CH and IN – Read more
Deliverable 1.7 Consortium meeting # 1   – Read more
Deliverable 1.8 Formation of working teams

    Curriculum development

              Lead partner:Universita Degli Studi Di Catania
(Italy)
              Contributors: All partners

We worked together to develop a range of adaptable teaching resources for use in European Studies and related courses. The modules were planned to cover five broad areas:

1) Law and Legal Practice;
2) Cultural, Intercultural and identity issues
3) Business and trade policies and their effects
4) International relations 
5) The history and structure of the European Union

In addition, the consortium has developed an inter-university course on “The Economic and Political Dialogue between Europe and Asia: The Perspectives of Diplomacy and Academic and Cultural Ties”, involving faculty members and selected MA/PhD students from the partner HEIs in China and India.
This course is offered online and was tried and concluded during the 5 day summer schools for doctoral students and young faculty members by organised by UVSQ in June 2021 and by GDUFS collaborating with Sofia University St. Klimen Ohridski in July 2021.

A key part of the process of course development involved academics from China and India participating in intensive programmes in Catania, Krakow and Sofia, which gave them first-hand experience of teaching and learning European studies. This training was supported by online group collaboration.

Deliverable 2.1-2.2-2.3 Elaborating the content of the three training modules – Read  more
Deliverable 2.4  Inter‐university course “The Economic and Political Dialogue between Europe and Asia: the Perspectives of Diplomacy and Academic and Cultural Ties” – Read more
Deliverable 2.5  Seminar Series EURASIA DIALOGUES Read more
Deliverable 2.6 Two rounds of training visits at program countries for higher education institutions faculty from China and IndiaRead more
Deliverable 2.7  Peer review and validation of course content Read more
Deliverable 2.8 Consortium meeting #2 – Read more

     Developing and piloting the teaching programmes

            Lead partner: Uniwersytet Jagiellonski (Poland)
            Contributors: All partners

The courses developed in WP2 were piloted and evaluated in WP3.  After some preliminary investigation with students from the Chinese and Indian HEIs, students were informed about the courses offered and how they relate to existing curricula. A schedule of courses was prepared to assist this process.

Following this preparatory work pilot courses for each of the five modules were introduced in the Chinese and Indian Universities, in conformity with the regulations and the timetables of the respective institutions.  The students who enrolled in the pilots also had access to the on-line platform and became part of a wider network of collaboration between academics in the European Union and India and China.

The pilot courses were evaluated and finalised and submitted for accreditation. Despite the difficulties created by the pandemic situation 31 of the developed courses were piloted with 745 students in India and China face-to-face and 53 courses have been accredited as elements of accredited study programmes.

Deliverable  3.1 Groups of potential students identified
Deliverable 3.2 Teaching teams constituted
Read more
Deliverable  3.3 Report for the validation and evaluation of the pilot coursesRead more
Deliverable 3.4-3.5-3.6 Teaching module #1 introduced in CH and IN HEI – Read more

     Online Training

           Lead partner: Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
           Contributors:  All partners

To support and enhance the training courses and also to ensure a high degree of synergy between institutions with different academic traditions across a wide geographical area we created a range of distance learning tools. These were built on the online teaching platform, and comprise 11 units covering the 5 thematic areas identified in WP1. Since it was intended to make these units widely available online they were designed to be of a general nature, and so relevant for a range of taught courses as support materials.

After an initial planning phase, including training the developers in both online content creation and the technical aspects of the tool, the working groups of authors developed the relevant materials. These include written texts, video material, interactive activities, such as video conferencing and opportunities for recording and evaluating progress. A set of 18 recorded lectures – 10 on topics under the agreed thematic areas and 8 training are available free for interested teachers, students and stakeholders.

The initial target date for these online materials was the autumn of 2019, after which they were evaluated and refined. The 11 online courses were launched at the beginning of the spring semester of 2019/2020.

Deliverable 4.1 Terms of reference 
Deliverable  4.2 Online training system 
Deliverable  4.3 User manuals 
Deliverable  4.4 On‐line courses – Read more
Deliverable 4.5 Evaluation report

 

    Quality Assurance Plan

         Lead partner: Uniwersytet Jagiellonski (Poland)
           Contributors:  All partners

In the first instance a Quality Assurance Plan was agreed by the project management team, setting out relevant criteria and monitoring and reporting procedures. This provided the basis for regular evaluation reports and where necessary alterations to the work plan. Work Package leaders reported regularly to the management team and over the course of the project 7 evaluation reports were produced, plus interim and final reports for the European Commission. To ensure quality in the development of the programme these written evaluations were supported by field monitoring visits to China and India.  In addition to the internal evaluation measures an external evaluator carried out formative and summative evaluations of project activities, outcomes and impact.

Deliverable 5.1 EURASIA Quality Assurance Plan
Deliverable 5.2 Periodic Evaluation Reports (internal documents)
Deliverable 5.3 Periodic Evaluation Meetings of internal evaluation team
Deliverable 5.4 Field Monitoring visits of program HEIs to IN and CH – Read more
Deliverable 5.5 Capacity Building Progress Survey Year 2
Deliverable 5.6 External Formative and Summative Evaluation Reports

 

    Dissemination and exploitation

           Lead partner:  Beijing Foreign Studies University ( China), O.P. Jindal Global University (India)
           Contributors:  All partners

Dissemination and exploitation are major elements in the EURASIA project, which has aimed  and succeeded in  extending the impact of European studies beyond the original consortium.
After the first planning stage resulting in detailed plans for dissemination and exploitation, the project website was developed as a central dissemination tool. Possible interested HEIs in India and China were identified and they were targeted through two major conferences, one in India and on in China in 2019 and 2020, as well as through the online resources.  Also in 2021 two summer schools for young academics established a basis for future developments in this field after the end of the project.  Such activities were reinforced by the use of social networking and the more traditional publication of handbooks and materials. Finally, based on the experience of the project, we developed guidelines for the accreditation of collaborative courses.  These were also promoted to university authorities in China and India, approved by them and courses successfully accreditеd and introduced in the official curricula.

Deliverable 6.1 EURASIA Dissemination Plan
Deliverable 6.2 Exploitation Plan
Deliverable 6.3 List of potential HEI in CH and IN that will teach the new courses and modules
Deliverable 6.4 EURASIA project website
Deliverable 6.5 Dissemination conference in IndiaRead more
Deliverable 6.6 Dissemination conference in ChinaRead more
Deliverable 6.7 Summer schools for training Ph.D. students and young facultyRead more
Deliverable 6.8 Online Social‐Professional Networking Platform
Deliverable 6.9 Publishing of handbooks, articles and other materials  – Read more
Deliverable 6.10 List of courses on ES to be accredited in partner countriesRead more
Deliverable 6.11 Elaboration of guidelines for accreditation of courses at partner countries HEI
Deliverable 6.12 Networking and promotion of EURASIA’s results among university governance at partner HEI and other HEI in the partner countries
Deliverable 6.13 Elaboration of a consolidated module offer on ES to other HEI in partner countries
WP6 Report on Dissemination
WP6 Report on Sustainability

    Management

           Lead partner: Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
           Contributors:  All partners

WP7 ensured the effective administrative and financial management and co-ordination of the project.
Ithad the objective to guarantee that all activities across the project be delivered as proposed and project outputs realised on time and within budget. It oversaw the working relations between partners and ensured good internal communication. It had a major task of maintaining accurate information flows between the project team and the Commission, and of providing good information and timely reporting.

Deliverable 7.1 Rules on technical and financial project archive
Deliverable 7.2 Project archive
Deliverable 7.3 Minutes of quarterly meetings
Deliverable 7.4 Annual stakeholders‘ engagement reports
Deliverable 7.5 Project Management Committee meetings
Deliverable 7.6 Interim and final project reports