A TRAINING WEEK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BEIRA INTERIOR

From September 9 to 13 within the framework of the Erasmus+ T4GREEN project (Reforming
Teacher Education for Green and Digital Transition in Armenia and Moldova) the University of
Beira Interior in Portugal hosted more than 40 representatives from the program’s participating
universities and organizations from Armenia, Moldova, Czech Republic, and Spain. The aim of
the visit was to familiarize with the experience of Erasmus+ T4GREEN project EU partner
universities – Masaryk University (Czech Republic), University of Valladolid (Spain), and Beira
Interior University (Portugal) – in implementing pedagogical education at both institutional and
national levels.
The five-day training session was opened with a welcoming speech by the Program Coordinator
and Vice-Rector for Staff and International Cooperation of the Armenian State Pedagogical
University, Marianna Harutyunyan. She greeted the participants and presented the objectives
and tasks of the T4GREEN project. Marianna Harutyunyan emphasized the crucial role of the
program in Armenia and Moldova, highlighting that the program aligns with the educational
reforms in both countries.
“The program is implemented at the national level, and its outcomes will greatly contribute to
achieving national goals in the field of general education. The Ministry of Education, Science,
Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia is a partner in the program and supports its
implementation, as evidenced by the presence of the Deputy Minister of Education, Science,
Culture, and Sports of Armenia, Araksya Svajyan, during the visit,” noted Vice-Rector
Harutyunyan.
Throughout the week, several essential topics were discussed, including educational policies
and practices in Europe, the development of STE(A)M education, and successful educational
reform examples within the EU. The visit was especially notable for the participation of João
Costa, former Minister of Education of Portugal, who presented the topic of “Development of
Teacher Education Policies.”
At the end of the week, a final discussion summarized the main achievements of the training
and outlined the next steps of the program.