Concept of innovative international internships well-received in Learn and Teach Forum

Published on February 19, 2021.

On February 18-19th European University Association held Learn and Teach Forum. It primarily focused on embedding and facilitating sustainability. In the 6th session “Harnessing the potential of digitalization,” Andrius Uždanavičius, Head of Studies’ Quality and Development Office in Vilnius University, carried out a presentation with a focus on sharing experience during “InternACTional “project and lessons learned in creating and implementing a cross-institutional course.

International, practice-based, interdisciplinary and student-centered interactive learning course with elements of virtual exchange that provide students with a chance to develop and implement social and sustainable innovations as possible solutions for different real-world sustainability challenges – and empower them to do so. The whole approach is based on design-thinking practices as the underlying core. Nevertheless, it is built with flexibility to accommodate different institutional needs and provide different possible routes for participation.

The idea of such an internship received attention from various participants during the Forum. Therefore, the next time such a project idea of an integrated international course may be launched, it might include more universities from all over Europe as partners and create far more and greater experiences of international internships.

Andrius Uždanavičius also presented “InternACTional “Team Project framework and Social Innovation Implementation framework, both created together with very different piloting experiences from three Vilnius University, University Jean Moulin Lyon 3, University of Bergen.