Achievement of a dynamic compliance between the demand and supply of specialists with high education through the integration of innovative education in humanitarian and social sciences – all of this based on a competent model, multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity in education, through a broad offering of digital transformation of education. Specific goals of this project are:

• Encouragement of an innovative educational process in humanitarian and social sciences through lecturers and students mobility for the application of innovative education;

• Modernization of curriculums and introduction of digital educational content, digital resources and cloud technologies in the educational process, which will contribute to the improvement of the access to high education in these majors, especially for potential students to whom the physical presence on lectures is difficult or impossible;

• Professional development of lecturers and improvement of their skills for usage of innovative educational technologies that are based on information and communication technologies.

• The integrated character of these activities will lead to an optimal usage of partners’ resources through sharing of lecturers for the joint educational programs, usage of joint digital resources and digital libraries, as well as access to a modernized material base for innovative education. As a result of the project’s realization, partners will improve the level of digitalization in teaching, which will lead to the establishment of flexible methods for distant learning and mixed types of learning and will improve the possibilities for life-long learning.

The project envisions the development and introduction of 6 innovative interdisciplinary joint curriculums that are based on a competency model and that will lead to modernization in the teaching process in priority professional qualifications (PQ) 2.1. “Philology”, 2.2. “History and Archaeology”, 3.4. “Social Activities”, and 3.5. “Public Communications and Information Sciences” in the participating universities – VTU “St. Cyril and St. Methodius”, SU “St. Kliment

Ohridski”, NWU “N. Rilski”, and the Technical University in Gabrovo. The project envisions the introduction of digital educational content, digital resources and cloud technologies in the educational process for teaching in the humanitarian and social sciences; professional development of lecturers and improvement of their skills for using innovative educational technologies that are based on information and communication technologies; development of the innovative potential of VTU through internationalization and network participation. A part of the project is the establishment of 6 programs with digital educational content (a total number of 77 study disciplines), and of a joint study program for foreign language education with the associated partners – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Poland), and the University of Pitesti (Romania), which will contribute very much for their high quality and international validity.

            The following eight activities are envisioned by the project:

1. Activity 1. Development and introduction of two joint study programs “Digital Culture: Language, Literature, Communication” in the Educational and Qualification Degree “Master” – with duration of 2 and 4 terms, in professional qualification 2.1. Philology. In this activity will participate VTU, SU, and NWU;

2. Activity 2. Development and introduction of two joint study programs in the Educational and Qualification Degree “Master” in professional field 2.2. History and Archaeology – “New and Contemporary Bulgarian History: Problems, Models, Methodology” and “History and Culture of the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean in the late Antiquity and the Middle Ages”. For the development of the disciplines that are included in the new joint programs, 20 lecturers will be engaged – 10 lecturers from the academic staff of VTU and 10 lecturers from the academic staff of SU.

3. Activity 3. Development and introduction of a joint study program “Digital Communications and Media” in Educational and Qualification Degree “Master” in professional field 3.5. Public Communication and Information Sciences.
   This activity is fulfilled by the two partner universities – VTU and SU. The program envisions the introduction of innovative forms of teaching and training simultaneously in the two partner universities in PQ 3.5., the usage of joint study recourses in the conditions of digital medium and open access, cloud technologies, virtual auditoriums, etc., in a part-time form of education with a duration of two semesters. In terms of its structures, the educational program envisions the introduction of 7 compulsory courses. The compulsory courses are rounded out with 4 elective optional disciplines that enhance students’ knowledge and skills in the field of: Media language and style, Persuading communication, Communication techniques and skills, Sociology of communication. A total amount of 11 disciplines will be developed – led by 3 lecturers from VTU’s team and 8 lecturers from SU’s team.

4. Activity 4. Development and introduction of a joint study program “Social Innovations and Social Policies” in the Educational and Qualification Degree “Master” in professional qualification 3.4. Social Activities.

5. Activity 5. Development, introduction and implementation of programs with digital educational content, including content for distant education. Provision of software and equipment for information and communication technologies.

6. Activity 6. Creation of conditions for professional development of lecturers. Qualification for improvement of digital skills – training of lecturers from the participating partner high education institutions, as following:

1.1. Basic training for lecturers on digital based information and communication educational technologies 80 classes (level 1) – a total amount of 260 participants; VTU – 100, SU – 110, NWU – 40, TUG – 10.

1.2. Training for lecturers on digital skills (level 2) – 80 classes – this includes the following modules: “Information and Communication Technologies based innovative educational technologies” and “Creation and management of digital resources” – a total amount of 250 participants, of which from VTU – 100 participants, SU – 100, NWU – 40, TUG – 10.

2. Training for improvement of the foreign language skills of lecturers (160 classes).

The provided short-term specializations of lecturers abroad at the associated partner universities, which are honoured with the “Erasmus” Charter for high education, include:

• Conduction of short-term specializations in professional field 2.1. “Philology” for lecturers from VTU, SU, and NWU at the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and at the Adam Mickiewicz University – Poland;

• Conduction of short-term specializations in professional field 2.2. “History and Archaeology” for lecturers from VTU and SU at the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and University of Pitesti (Romania);

• Conduction of short-term specializations in professional field 3.5. “Public Communications and Information Sciences” for lecturers from VTU and SU at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and at the Adam Mickiewicz University – Poland;

• Conduction of short-term specializations in professional field 3.4. “Social Activities” for lecturers from TVU and TU at the University of Pitesti (Romania).

   

7. Activity 7. Career orientation for students.
8. Activity 8. Creation of conditions for incoming and outgoing mobility for students and lecturers.