The project will establish a virtual campus of three HEIs from Macedonia, Slovenia and Turkey that will develop and implement a joint online program for professional development in innovative management, leadership and strategic communication. Within the one-year programme, 60 young practitioners and bachelor students will master leadership, business and communication skills for management positions in a competitive transnational business environment. Context The European Communication Monitor 2014 reports that one of the most significant challenges for communication management within the next 3 years will be the merging of communication and business strategies in order to become a valuable part of the decision-making process of an organization. Interviewed professionals said that most important factors for career development are further education and networking among peers and colleagues. Furthermore, "Opening up Education" (2013) stimulates developing new business and educational models of curriculum development. Objectives 1. Equipping the Programme`s participants with appropriate skills and abilities in achieving competitive advantage and effective leadership behavior in a transnational corporate environment; 2. Providing interactive and flexible opportunities for students that exceed geographical, social and financial barriers by utilizing virtual classrooms and cutting-edge ICTs; 3. Providing newfound solutions and strategies through project-based and real-client courses and mentoring that students will apply in their workplaces and during organized internship in business and public sector; 4. Developing free online resources and learning materials relevant to the specific areas; 5. Acquiring international and intercultural experience via virtual mobility and establishing interaction and networking among highly-selective peers from other European countries; 6. Shearing of know-how and expertise between Activities - Establishing the Consortium Board (CB) - The CB will manage, lead and control the virtual campus. Each partner HEI will appoint project coordinator and legal representative to work closely with other partner’s units - management, students service and financial department. - Transnational Research - Will examine the needs and ideas of executive-level professionals, employers and educators, as well as of targeted young practitioners and students about the creation of international online professional program. That way, they will be involved in defining the goals and results of the new curricula. - Online Learning Forums - Will be organised to obtain support from key stakeholders in the education, business and public sector in Macedonia, Slovenia and Turkey. - E-Guideline - Conclusions and recommendations from the research and the OLF will be published in the Guideline. - Joint Staff Training - Will be organised for the partner HEIs representatives in order to develop a mutual database for providing a coherent professional program. - Curriculum Development - The Curriculum Working Group will develop course syllabuses, learning materials and OER. - The Learning Management System Development - LMS will facilitate the lecturers' management of the virtual classroom by tracking the students' progress. - Curriculum Review - The expert panel consisted of relevant stakeholders from all partner countries will give feedback. - The Programme Implementation - Online program will include Internet-based learning, virtual classroom and mobility, and digital collaboration. Project-based courses and mentoring will enable students to incorporate problem-solving approach in projects for real clients and to apply skills demanded by transnational market through internship in the business and public sector. - Transnational Evaluation Research - Data from the evaluation process will be collected and interpreted in regards to the project`s goals and objectives. - Regional Conference - The results and good practices of the project will be presented on the final regional conference about the importance of virtual learning environment and benefits from establishing virtual campuses. - E-Publication - Conclusions and recommendations from the evaluation research and the Regional conference will be published in the e-publication. Methodology -Methods for administrative management of the project -Methods for quality management -Methods for monitoring and evaluation Results and impact -High quality joint programme that will strength the skills of students for a transnational competitive environment; -Accessibility to online learning and networking among professionals from different European countries; -Strengthening the capacities of the partner HEIs and building connections with business communities. Longer term benefits -Raising awareness of young people on the importance of lifelong learning and new ICT for their career growth; -Providing a qualified workforce and contributing to transnational employability.
The project established a virtual campus of three HEIs from Macedonia, Slovenia and Turkey that developed and implemented a joint Online Program for Professional Development in Innovative Management, Leadership and Strategic Communication - e-PROFMAN. Within the one-year extra-curricula programme, 100 young practitioners and bachelor students mastered leadership, business and communication skills for a competitive transnational environment. Context The European Communication Monitor 2014 reports that one of the most significant challenges for communication management is the merging of communication and business strategies in order to become a valuable part of the decision-making process of an organization. Interviewed professionals said that most important factors for career development are further education and networking among peers and colleagues. Furthermore, "Opening up Education" (2013) stimulates developing new business and educational models of curriculum development. Objectives 1. Equipping the Programme`s participants with appropriate skills and abilities in achieving competitive advantage and effective leadership behavior in a transnational corporate environment; 2. Providing interactive and flexible opportunities for students that exceed geographical, social and financial barriers by utilizing virtual classrooms and cutting-edge ICTs; 3. Providing newfound solutions and strategies through project-based and real-client courses and mentoring that students will apply in their workplaces and during organized internship in business and public sector; 4. Developing free online resources and learning materials relevant to the specific areas; 5. Acquiring international and intercultural experience via virtual mobility and establishing interaction and networking among peers from other European countries; 6. Sharing of know-how between HEIs in online learning; Project partners - School of Journalism and Public Relations (Macedonia) (project leader) - a non-profit HEI with a mission to enhance the quality of education in the field of communication, PR, media and journalism, and promote regional cooperation among students and scholars. At the undergraduate level, the SJPR offers professional education in (i) Journalism and (ii) Corporate Communications and Public Relations, providing modernized and applied study programmes. - DOBA Faculty for Applied Business and Social Studies (Slovenia) - online business school dedicated to the development of innovative individuals and eLearning. It offers BA and MA programmes in the areas of Business & Management, Marketing, Social Services and Lifelong Learning. With an annual intake of about 1500 students DOBA is the largest online distance education provider in SEE. - Istanbul University’s Faculty of Communication (Turkey) - the oldest and longest established communication faculty in Turkey. Offering a theoretical and applied education, the faculty currently gives BA, MA and PhD education in three departments - Journalism, Public Relations, and Advertising and Radio/Television/Film. Having a dual education program, the faculty has also been providing distance education. Activities - Transnational Desk Research - provided initial understanding of the educational environment and policies, and market competition in Macedonia, Slovenia and Turkey, and collected and analyzed all the existing information about the educational programs in the fields of management and communication studies. - Joint Staff Training was organised for 34 HEIs representatives and mutual database for providing a coherent professional program was developed. - Curriculum, including syllabuses, learning materials and OER, was developed and 8 online courses were provided by the mixed teams of lecturers from different countries. Two blended learning events - Students Camp and Final Seminar, and traineeships for 5 students were organized. - The Learning Management System facilitated the management of the virtual classroom by tracking the students' progress. - The Regional Conference “e-PROFMAN Talks”, organised in Skopje in May 2018, discussed new content and media that path a way for effective communication in a VUCA world. Project`s results were presented in front of 100 participants. - The Evaluation Report presents the findings of internal and external evaluation of project implementation, and provides detail information about results and impact that were achieved. The report was included as a part of the international monograph "Linking Business and Communications: From a Sparkle to a Flame", published by the DOBA Business School (Slovenia). Impact and longer term benefits -Strengthening the skills of students for a transnational competitive environment; -Networking among professionals from different European countries; -Strengthening the capacities of the partner HEIs; -Raising awareness of young people on the importance of lifelong learning and new ICT for their career growth.