Description
After successfully completing an EEA/Norway Grants project in the Maritime Sector (2011), called RONOMAR, the educational and research cooperation between “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy (MBNA) and Alesund University College (AUC) has been continuing under the auspices of the European Commission’s Erasmus programme. Increasing the number of mobilities in the new Erasmus+ programme is limited by the relatively lower grants, fact that may deter students’ participation to studies in AUC. This project can further prepare the 2 partners for starting common bilateral or European projects in the areas of education and research. The project objective is continuation of the educational relationship between MBNA and AUC through expanded exchanges of students and teachers. The project outcome will be the higher preparedness of the Romanian students for the labor market and the exchanges of good practices in the area of education management and policies. The outputs are the one-semester mobilities of study for the MBNA students, which will allow them to acquire knowledge with a better practical orientation. Also, the teachers’ exchanges will allow sharing the newest information and methods for teaching. The target group consists of 4 students of MBNA from the Naval and Port Engineering and Management study programme, respectively 1 teacher from each university to teach in the partner’s facilities. The Donor State partner is the Alesund University College, which will educate and host 4 Romanian students for one semester in 2014-2015. It will also send a teacher to MBNA and will receive a Romanian teacher, both for 1 week assignments. The partnership will maintain the developing educational relation and will allow its growth through new common projects.
Summary of project results
The “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy (MBNA) has signed an inter-institutional agreement under EEA Grants with Alesund University College from Alesund, Norway. According with the study programs of the Norwegian university, the only Naval Academy’s curricula that fits the outgoing mobility is the Navigation and Naval Management Faculty, Naval and Port Engineering and Management’s curricula. Therefore, the EEA Grants offers these students and staff the opportunity to get all the benefits of the mobility in Alesund, Norway. With the Norwegian educational system as example, the MBNA aims to improve the educational process, converging to similar approaches (teaching methods, procedures and curricula compatibility) of the education for the students learning Marketing, Business and Administration. The outputs delivered consisted of 3 outgoing student mobilities for study and 1 outgoing staff training mobility. The MBNA has got the desired project’s outcome: the students have got the high-rated education and MBNA has learned principles and methods to improve and upgrade the education.
Summary of bilateral results
The outcome of 2014-2015 study and training mobilities has shown an improvement of the skills and comprehension abilities of the participating students. Both the students and staff mobilities have brought modern ideas needed to upgrading our institution curricula and teaching process and procedures. With the Norwegian educational system as example, the “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy aims to improve the educational process, converging to similar approaches (teaching methods, procedures and curricula compatibility) of the education for the students learning Marketing, Business and Administration. The results of 2014-2015 EEA Grants program between Alesund University College and “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy has shown a great improvement of the quality in the educational process of the Navigation and Naval Management Faculty. The department that selected the outgoing students has highlighted a level of competition between its students and a new development direction given by the EEA Grants students. For the academic year 2015-2016, besides the Erasmus+ mobilities the two institutions carries at this time, the study mobility number funded through EEA Grants has increased. In this respect, 5 students have been selected to participate in study mobilities in Alesund University College. With the merger of the Norwegian institution with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), AUC has promised to continue the bilateral cooperation. The outputs delivered consisted of 3 outgoing student mobilities for study and 1 outgoing staff training mobility.