The annual International Scientific Conference ” Olbia Forum: Strategies of the Black Sea Region Countries in the Geopolitical Space” traditionally brings together at Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University those who strive for change for the better, development and prosperity through the power of scientific thought and creativity. This year, one of the leitmotifs of the Forum’s plenary presentations was the issue of internationalization and international cooperation.
Astrid FELLNER, Professor at the Saarland University, also joined the event, and her speech was devoted to the cooperation between USAAR and the PMBSNU. One of the main elements of this cooperation is the implementation of the EU Erasmus+ DEFEP project “Distance Education of the Future”, where the PMBSNU is the coordinator and USAAR is one of the EU partners. Professor Astrid FELLNER shared with the conference participants the joint achievements in the development of distance education, the peculiarities of designing distance courses and online teaching, and outlined the prospects for further conducting the course “Intercultural Communication” created by the DEFEP project team for students of experimental master’s degree programs in distance education.
This is a good opportunity for the exchange of experience, research and adaptation of the best EU practices to the realities of national education during the war, which limits the activities of frontline Highges. Instead, the approaches and tools of remote form of higher education allow teachers and applicants to be mobile and flexible, develop digital skills and better adapt to modern labor market requirements, including the convenience of combining training and professional activity.