The DAFLS (Developing Applied Foreign Language Skills) project is a collaboration between three European universities supported by ALDA Skopje (European Association for Local Democracy) and the French Institutes in Belgrade and Skopje. It aims to create new training courses based on applied foreign languages and responding to the needs of each partner to adapt the training offer, internationalisation and pedagogical transformation. It brings together the University of Caen Normandie (UNICAEN) in France, the University of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Skopje (UKIM) in Northern Macedonia and the University of Belgrade (UBG) in Serbia. The project seeks to respond to the needs of the Faculties of Philology in Northern Macedonia and Serbia to diversify their training offer in order to offer new professional perspectives to their graduates and to increase their employability. At present, these faculties focus, in a classical philological approach, on the study of language, literature and civilization, and mainly prepare for professions in teaching, research and translation with limited opportunities. However, the opening up of national economies to globalisation and the integration of countries into the European Union has created, on the one hand, a demand in companies for multilingual and multi-skilled staff with international business management skills. On the other hand, the current negotiations for accession to the European Union are increasing the needs of administrations for staff with in-depth knowledge of European programmes, skills in terms of managing European funds and running European projects in networks with other institutional or private, local or international partners. University courses to acquire such skills exist in the LEA department of UNICAEN, which offers a LEA degree combining the study of foreign languages with applied subjects (law, management, communication, applied computer science) as well as a Master's degree in European project management combining local project engineering and European dimension. The DAFLS project is structured around three central objectives: * to meet the needs of the labour market by developing the teaching of applied foreign languages and training in European project management * contribute to the internationalisation of partner institutions by creating co-degree courses, taught in English and structured around mutualised courses *contributing to the pedagogical transformation of partner institutions through the development of e-learning modules that multiply the ways of learning languages and through teaching in virtual classrooms In order to achieve these objectives, the project will mobilise more than sixty participants - teachers, educational engineers or professionals from the public or private sector involved in the management of European projects. After having followed training workshops in the development of digital pedagogical modules as well as in consultation and cooperation techniques with stakeholders, they will be organised in thematic working groups in each partner institution with a view to designing new diplomas and digital pedagogical tools. On the basis of existing UNICAEN training courses, they will create *A degree in Applied Foreign Languages at UKIM and UBG in co-graduation with UNICAEN for French-speaking students doing a study mobility and internship in Caen; *a course of excellence in the Bachelor's degree in Applied Foreign Languages at UNICAEN, more open to international students by integrating courses taught in English and in virtual classes in partnership with UKIM and UBG, as well as study and internship mobility in Skopje or Belgrade; *a Master's degree in European Project Management at UKIM and UBG interacting with training at UNICAEN through courses and webinars organised jointly by the three degrees; *hybrid courses and e-learning modules promoting the learning of foreign languages and their use in a professional context. The experience acquired in setting up multidisciplinary and professional training courses by UKIM and UBG will be capitalised through the production of a guide to good practice aimed at universities, particularly in South-East European countries wishing to develop the teaching of foreign languages for professional purposes in faculties of philology with a view to diversifying their training offer to take account of the new needs of their labour market.
Above all, DAFLS was intended to contribute to the development of professional training courses in the Balkans by sharing UNICAEN's experience in setting up and implementing Applied Foreign Languages degrees with the Philology Faculties of UKIM and UB. With their purely philological approach, it turned out that their courses no longer met the aspirations of foreign-language students who wanted to move into professions other than those of teacher, researcher or translator, with limited outlets. Offering new degrees in line with the needs of the job market will increase the employability of their students, as well as the attractiveness of their establishments at national level and throughout South-East Europe, where professional courses are still lacking. As DAFLS also involves the creation of a double degree between French and Balkan partners, their cooperation will continue beyond the end of the project, thus enabling deeper internationalization. Thanks to the DAFLS technical component, i.e. the technical equipment of classrooms designed for co-modal teaching, pedagogical innovation will be implemented in the best possible conditions.
UNICAEN submitted the DAFLS project as part of its international strategy, one of the aims of which is to develop cooperation with partners throughout the Balkans by, among other things, creating double degrees and fostering study mobility. This project was also an opportunity to extend experience in the specific field of strategic partnerships, leading to the successful submission of another project since DAFLS. DAFLS has also addressed the Foreign Languages Department's need to boost its international activity in the field of double degrees. When DAFLS was launched, the department offered only two double degrees in Italian. Finally, the Applied Foreign Languages Department was keen to broaden its international experience beyond Erasmus+ study and internship mobility, and was looking to make further headway in pedagogical innovation. The DALFS project responds to the partners' need to adapt their training offer to the evolution of their job market, characterized by a growing demand for confirmed linguists who also have skills in applied subjects (communication, management, law, international project set-up and implementation).