Thursday, 10/13/2016
Tirana, Albania
João
L. Monteiro, Dean of the EEUM, travelled to Albania to participate in the final
conference of the TEMPUS project “Developing and Adapting Professional Programs
for Energy Efficiency in the Western Balkans” (DAPEEWB).
Professor João L.
Monteiro, Dean of the EEUM, recently visited POLIS University, in Albania, in a
work mission. The visit was organised in the framework of the final conference
of the TEMPUS project “Developing and Adapting Professional Programs for Energy
Efficiency in the Western Balkans” (DAPEEWB), which takes place from December
2013 to November 2016. The project, coordinated by POLIS University, involves
11 partners from 7 countries, among which UMinho, through the Department of
Civil Engineering (DEC) of the EEUM. The UMinho’s team was supervised by
Manuela Almeida, Associate Professor from DEC.
João L. Monteiro was
invited to be one of the speakers of the session on Cooperation and quality
education. The Dean of the EEUM presented the theme “Best Practices among
university cooperation”. The session also included interventions by Flora
Krasniqi, project coordinator, Besnik Aliaj, Rector of POLIS University, Redi
Shtino, Vice-Minister of Education and Science, Blendi Klosi, Minister of Youth
and Social Welfare, Edit Dibra, local coordinator of the Erasmus+ Office in Tirana,
Albania, and Stephan Pinkau, professor at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
in Germany.
The DAPEEWB project was
the first EU TEMPUS funded project led by an Albanian Higher Education
Institution. The project aimed to contribute to the modernisation of education
in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro and meet market needs by developing and
delivering professional programmes in the area of Energy Efficiency. The
programmes were developed and delivered at post-secondary diploma and at
professional Master levels in 5 institutes in the three aforementioned
countries. The project aims to prepare technicians with well-developed applied
skills in this field of Energy Efficiency. These qualified technicians will be
ready to work in the chosen profession, applying and promoting the latest technologies and
practices for efficient energy use in current buildings and future projects. They will also
be able to assist scientific researchers in the field with practical knowledge.
The UMinho team participating in this project cooperating directly in developing the curricula, offering its experience in construction materials and technology, thermo insulation as well as the European regulatory framework in energy efficiency. The team also participated in course delivery.
To João L. Monteiro, “as
far as the EEUM’s strategy is concerned, and bearing in mind a European policy
looking towards the future, the Balkans are a high potential region. These
countries have severe training needs, not only in post-secondary education but
also as far as bachelor degrees and post-graduation programmes are concerned.
The cooperation bonds already created may thus result in more ambitious
cooperation projects”.
+ Info: http://www.eewb.org/
