International Cooperation Framework for Next Generation Engineering Students

NextGEng aimed to establish innovative international teaching models developed in close collaboration with companies. In alignment with the guidelines of the European Education Area 2025 initiativ...

NextGEng aimed to establish innovative international teaching models developed in close collaboration with companies. In alignment with the guidelines of the European Education Area 2025 initiative, the project focused on modernizing teaching methodologies to create upgraded, student-centered courses and laboratories that are implemented through international cooperation. Throughout its implementation, the project achieved these goals by developing and piloting new teaching approaches through the Team Teaching Pilot Program (TTPP) and Cases for Experiential Learning (CEL) projects, which effectively integrated academic and industrial expertise. Together with the Tailored Training Program, these initiatives had a significant impact on enhancing collaboration between universities and companies, promoting interdisciplinary and cross-border learning experiences, and strengthening the link between education and real-world engineering practice.

The main NextGEng activities were: Training activities were organized for partners' HEIs academic staff, focusing on innovative, student-centered teaching educational methods. The training seminars also facilitated the knowledge exchange of best practices among partner institutions. International Team-Teaching Pilot Program represented one of the core activities of the project, introducing a new international and cooperative dimension to existing engineering courses within the partner HEIs. The program developed joint teaching content and methods integrating expertise from international lecturers and industry experts.The new courses and lab modules were co-taught by international teams of lecturers and company experts, allowing students to benefit from academic best practices and industrial expertise while effectively applying theory to practice. Experiential Learning Projects are one-semester international projects where students work in multidisciplinary, mixed-nationality teams to solve real industry or research challenges.As part of the project, three student groups compete to solve the topic, guided by university teachers and company or research experts, learning by doing in a cross-disciplinary and collaborative environment.

The NextGEng project established an international cooperation framework that enhanced the quality of didactic activities across partner HEIs. Co-teaching teams composed of university teachers and company experts were created to jointly develop new pedagogical content and innovative teaching methods implemented through a team-teaching approach. Two training rounds were organized for co-teaching members, engaging over 29 teachers and associated partners, and focusing on student-centered pedagogy, course planning, assessment, and innovative teaching methods. More than 140 international team-teaching sessions of courses, laboratories, and projects were implemented as part of the international Team Teaching Pilot Program. The activities involved 27 HEI teachers, 15 company experts, and over 1000 students, effectively combining academic and industrial expertise. Building on the challenge-based experiential learning pedagogical model proposed in the project, 6 CEL projects were delivered, involving 108 students and 44 supervisors. Participating students benefited from a hands-on, collaborative, and multidisciplinary learning environment, with positive feedback regarding the development of their professional and transversal skills.