INITIATION - dIgital traNsformatIon and green Transition of hIgher educATion InstitutiONs

INITIATION aims to enhance the capacity of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina for a digital and green transition via capacity-building activities in a whole-institution approach. By partnering up 2 HEIs from Albania, 2 HEIs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2 EU HEIs from Austria and Cyprus, an international research centre, a Ministry of Education, Chambers, Industry and NGO, under the coordination of a leading university from North Macedonia, INITIATION will provide: Strategic Recommendations based on state-of-the-art research with stakeholders; Formal blended training developed and delivered to 240+ faculty and academic leaders on green and digital competencies and decision-making on strategies and learning design, with an eLearning platform for flexible, hybrid and distant training; Informal learning with virtual and in-person mobilities and shadowing; Hackathons with 100 students. Hence, INITIATION facilitates system-wide digital and green transformation of AL and BA HEIs, enhancing student employability and climate-neutral society. Wider dissemination activities, social media campaigns, workshops, conferences, will support cross-sectoral outreach. The expected impact: increased capacity of academic leaders to develop and implement forward-thinking digital and green strategies, as leaders in sustainable education and technological advancement; increased capacity of faculty in designing interdisciplinary courses and activities that infuse digital and green skills, enriching learning effectiveness and labour market relevance; increased HE students’ employability from participation in studies and mobilities that develop their green and digital skills in an integrated way; Participant HEIs in AL and BA as role models for the region and beyond.