On June 16-17, 2021, over 40 beneficiaries of the project, representatives of 7 universities with pedagogical profile in the Republic of Moldova, participated in a consistent professional development program, facilitated by the international expert, Mr. Șerban IOSIFESCU. Thus, in an interactive way, with increased interest from managers at different levels,were met the following specific objectives:

• applying the steps regarding the elaboration of public policies to the elaboration of the design of the strategic documents of the university of origin;
• making the diagnosis of the institution / faculty / department / department regarding the level of intercultural education (among students and teachers), using at least one of the methods discussed;
• defining strategic targets, programs and activities (with SMART objectives and indicators) in the field of intercultural education;
• reviewing strategic documents from the perspective of intercultural education.

It was discussed collegially, highlighting many issues, about the need for more extensive and in-depth promotion of IE in teacher training through undergraduate and master’s programs, so that the student, future and current teacher / manager, can meet the challenges teaching / managerial activity in multicultural environments.

Intercultural education helps universities to become inclusive institutions, friendly to the diversity of education actors, who need well-being / positive climate and confidence to overcome conflicts and ensure non-discrimination in ethnic, linguistic, religious, social, etc.

Discussions on possible targets for the introduction and development of intercultural education in universities, as well as strategic options for curriculum development, teacher training, extracurricular activities involving student associations, etc., were followed by a valuable exchange of good practices, including through objectives operationalization in concrete action and evaluation plans, with SMART indicators.

As a homework, the managers will optimize the strategic documents based on the acquisitions and recommendations from the training, so that, in the next year of studies, the Intercultural Education can be capitalized qualitatively, by combining managerial and pedagogical efforts.

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The team from the project “Promotion and development of intercultural education / ICE in the initial training of teachers” completed the monitoring visits at the partner universities from the second phase of the project: Comrat State University (April 23) and the State University “A. Russo” from Bălți (April 27). The partnership agreements regarding the promotion of EIC in the institutional documents of strategic development and in the master programs in Education Sciences, were signed by the President of AO EC PRO DIDACTICA, Ms. Dr. Rima BEZEDE, project coordinator Ms. Cristina BUJAC, by the vice-rector of USC Gheorghe SULT, PhD Assoc. prof. and by the rector of USARB Ms. Dr. Assoc. Prof. Natalia GAȘIȚOI.

The teams from both universities showed great interest for the involvement, appreciating the initiative as very useful for the faculty, which will further develop their professional skills, but also for students, future and current teachers, working in multicultural environments, with multiple challenges in the field of ICE.

It was also evaluated as very good the activity of academics in the first phase of the project, with emphasis on undergraduate programs, later specifying the tasks for master programs in Educational Management, Particular Didactics in the field of socio-humanities and others in the next phase.

The need to develop intercultural skills within university actors is a prerogative in the European context of education for democratic citizenship, of the 2030 Moldova Strategy and the Millennium Goals for a sustainable development (ob. 4. Quality of education). Among the important values promoted by the project supported by the Swiss Foundation for Children “Pestalozzi”, we mention human rights, gender equality, the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity.