General Information

At present the first project year finished. It contained a number of different activities directed to the achievement of the main project target – complete modernisation of curricula in Economics at KSU in order to bring them up to the International standards.

The following directions of activities can be highlighted within the project.

At first, it is an improvement of the whole curricula framework and syllabi for separate courses. This activity is the core activity during the whole time of the project fulfilment. It includes such events as seminars, workshops and operation of specialised working groups on different disciplinary and interdisciplinary directions.

The essential part of the project started with a mini-conference at the Department of Economics KSU on November, 10^th 2000. All the representatives of Donor Universities participated in it. Also leading professors of the Department of Economics were involved. The main objective of the mini-conference was to present the project, its concept, basic activities for its realisation to the academic staff of the Department of Economics KSU. The second objective was to establish personal contacts between Western partners and the staff of the Department. the conference was fruitful, the discussion was open and constructive.

In December 2000 – January 2001 all the lecturers of the Department of Economics KSU prepared brief overviews of courses they teach. Materials were translated into English and passed to the Western experts for analysis.

Results of syllabi and curricula analysis were presented at the Department of Economics KSU during a workshop on March, 2^nd 2001. All Western partners were present. Leading professors from the Department participated. The main goal of the workshop was to present and discuss the academic situation at the Department and ways of its improvement according to the main objectives of the project in order to receive an academic recognition in the West.

As a result of those discussion it was decided to establish 4 working groups on different specialities: Business Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing. Each of the groups consists of one Western partners and 2 – 3 leading professors from the Department of Economics. Their task is to work on curricula and syllabi modernisation within different specialities. For the first project year in total seven meetings of these working groups including one big seminar on Marketing (in June 2001) took part.

Apart from the contents of courses the project pays a lot of attention to teaching methods. It is planned to establish a learning centre at the Department of Economics KSU which would provide students and professors with information resources (books, Internet, data bases) and facilities for independent study in small groups or individually. A working group on Learning Centre was created involving 3 Western and 3 KSU members. This working group had 3 meetings for the first project year including one big two-days workshop. Western members got acquainted with the facilities on the Department of Economics and KSU in general (a library, auditoriums, a computer class) and set a plan for their future work.

At second, the project included some activities for its information support including study visits of KSU representatives to Donor Universities, contacts with students, reception of official delegations of CBSS representatives, organisation of a core group involving most active students and post-graduates.

In May 2001 four KSU representatives (vice-rectors and deans) took part in a study visit to Roskilde University, Lund University and Trondheim Business School. They met rectors of those institutions and discussed the prospective of future co-operation between universities.

In June 2001 a study tour of professors of the Department of Economics to Kaunas Technological University took part. The main goal was to exchange with an experience of modernising curricula.

There were regular meetings with students for presenting the project fulfilment to them. Also there were regular publications of press-releases in the newspaper of KSU ‘Kaliningrad University’ and regional papers, on radio and television about the project.

All the partners has regular contacts with CBSS experts. In particular, there were two visits of CBSS Expert Group to KSU in 2000 and in April 2001. They visited the Department of Economics, met Dean, professors, students and EuroFaculty secretariat and inspected the project performance. According to the recommendations of the Expert Group after the visit a Working Administrative Group for the project supervision was established. The head of this group is KSU Rector Andrey P. Klemeshev. Also KSU vice-rectors and deans are members of those group.

In order to promote the project a group of students and post-graduates was organised at the Department of Economics KSU. It is called the Core Group. Its task is to collect the most interested people and to promote the project.

Art third, the administrative support to the project was prepared for the first year. Direct contacts between all the partners were established. All documents (contracts, consortium agreements) were undersigned. Rules and budget for the project fulfilment were approved. And the Secretariat at the Department of Economics KSU was established.

At fourth, some activities for the project provision were organised such as maintenance supply, language preparation for professors, library development, KSU post-graduates training in Donor Universities.

For the project KSU provided a room for the Secretariat and a mini-conference room for meetings of working groups, language training and seminars. Rooms are equipped with all necessary office facilities and connected to the Internet.

Within the project language courses for the academic staff of the Department of Economics were organised. One German and three English groups were created. All the groups had sufficient progress. In May 2001 Prof. Lars Hermerén from Lund University held a seminar at KSU on modern language teaching methods for language teachers specialised in Business English.

During the whole year the project inputs into the library development by providing money for new literature in Economics and Business. It improves the possibilities for the Department of Economics reorganise the academic process is a more perfect way.

Apart from the above mentioned, five post-graduates of the Department of Economics KSU received a training at Donor Universities.

All the above mentioned let come to a conclusion that the project has nearly all for a success. The project is being efficiently integrated into the activity of the Department of Economics KSU. All the key professors on the Department are involved in it. Certainly there also some difficulties mainly induced by big difference between educational systems in Russia and West Europe (not only higher but also on a level of schools).

Nevertheless the project has all recourses, first of all human, to ensure its success in two last years.

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