EduEnvi Mid-Project Meeting in Shymkent, Kazakhstan

One year of active working in EduEnvi is behind now and in the end of January EduEnvi project group met in the Mid-Project Meeting in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

Curriculum Content Planning Workshop

Auezov South Kazakhstan University hosted a meeting including sessions related to Curriculum Content Planning. The modules that the group concentrated this time relate to comprehensive risk assessment in waste management, biotechnologies for waste utilization, Non-energy technologies to waste utilization and life cycle assessment and life cycle costing. The courses were jointly developed as used to in EduEnvi project: the teachers responsible of the courses presented the course plans and workshop participants were able to comment and give feedback from the content and the pedagogical point of view. Also practical classes were carried out as demonstration. This way the teachers are able to test how the chosen pedagogical methods work in real life.

Midterm of the project

As the midterm of the project is coming closer, it was also valuable to have a week devoted for group work and checking the status of the project: “Where are we now”. In the workshop sessions themes such as Sustainblity of the project and Dissemination were discussed very practically.

To help the project implementation the National Erasmus officers from Kazakhstan and Russia have conducted advisory monitorings in the last few months. After these advisory monitorings the Erasmus officers gave practical recommendations for the project implementation. The EduEnvi project group found these recommendations very productive and helpful for the continuation of the project. During the meeting in Shymkent the project managers representing all the partner organizations gathered into a circle and deeply discussed these recommendations and made concrete plans on how to improve the project implementation.

All in all, the week in Shymkent was efficient and productive for EduEnvi. Though the project team has been working hard past few months developing the 8 online modules, everyone sees that the coming period is crucial on how the project succeeds. Sprint in the module development is needed. Refining all the online courses and preparing the piloting stage challenges all the project partners. However, the atmosphere is good and common goal is clear for all: Improving the education on Sustainable Waste Management for making better future.

Text by Pedro García (UVa), Ella Kallio (TAMK)

Photos from the meeting:

Opening of the meeting at M. Auezov South Kazakhstan State University

Project group visiting the university museum.

Project partners from Spain, Finland and Kazakhstan.

Excursion to wastewater plants in Togus.

Workshop on project dissemination.