On 2rd-5th May 2023 was held in Shkoder, Albania the Kick-off Meeting of Erasmus+ CBHE Project “University to Society Collaborations for Inclusive Digital Transformation in the Western Balkans”-U2SID. The meeting was organized by the project leader, University of Shkoder “Luigj Gurakuqi”, with the participation of the Project partners:
- University of Shkodra "Luigj Gurakuqi"
- University "Fan S. Noli", Korçë
- Mediterranean University of Albania
- Science and Innovation for Development Centre
- Centre for Comparative and International Studies
- National Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation
- University of Montenegro
- University of Belgrade
- University of Salento
The purpose of the Kick-off Meeting was to officially launch the U2SID Erasmus+ Project, outline its objectives, work packages and execution strategy. It was very important for all the participants to understanding better the background of the project, meeting all the partners, understanding roles, discussing the activities and project tasks, what need to be done, setting expectations, generating enthusiasm and inspiring confidence.
The presentations realized during these days aimed at highlighting the importance of the Erasmus+ contribution to higher education, evaluate the impact of previous projects like U-SIA , and underscore the significance of digital transformation within higher education. A benefit to these days was also the Jean Monnet Forum on Digital Transformation in Higher Education, which aimed to stimulate discussions around digital skills, competences for teaching and learning, perspectives from the business sector, and the intersection of digital skills and rights. This forum was crucial to the project's goal of promoting inclusive digital transformation.
The last day of the Kick-off Meeting wrapped up with sessions on budgeting, reporting, and outlining the next steps, aiming to ensure transparent and efficient project management.
This gathering provided an avenue for all the partners of the U2SID project to strengthen ties and address topics associated with the project’s management blueprint.