Upgrading and Harmonization of Maritime Engineering Master’s Level Courses Erasmus Project

Project Title

Upgrading and Harmonization of Maritime Engineering Master’s Level Courses

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The European shipbuilding industry is a dynamic and competitive sector. According to the EC, there are about 150 large and thousands of small shipyards in Europe with some 280,000 people employed in this sector in the EU. The European shipbuilding industry is the global leader in the construction of complex vessels, such as cruise ships, ferries, mega-yachts, and dredgers.
Modern maritime technology industry is a complex sector which has to meet ambitious environmental and safety targets. In many cases, ships are one-of-a kind prototypes, highly sophisticated high-tech products conceived and developed by professional ship designers and marine technology engineers. To be stable and competitive, the European maritime technology sector must have a strong research, development and innovation capacity.
In 2013, the EC adopted the LeaderSHIP 2020 initiative, outlining the priorities of the sector, stated employment and skills as the first priority. According to the Final Report of the Initiative, the increased complexity of the products has created additional demand for highly skilled professional staff. The sector has a high-tech future with a long-term positive perspective and needs new young talented engineers to rejuvenate the industry and to take the competencies to a higher level.
More attention should be given to harmonisation of programmes and certificates of EU graduates. Student mobility could be facilitated by tailoring educational programmes to address the diversification of the industry and the current and emerging knowledge requirements.
The objective of the project is upgrading and harmonisation of Master’s-level programmes in Marine Engineering/ Naval Architecture through cooperation of four universities: Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia, University of Zagreb in Croatia, University of the Aegean in Greece, and University of Naples Federico II in Italy – all having Marine Engineering/Naval Architecture curricula of some or all cycles of higher education.
International teams of lecturers have selected 20 courses (122 ECTS) from their Master’s programmes to be developed and upgraded during the project into a set/repository of MSc-level online courses available in English. The courses are divided into five theme modules: Automation Technology, Integrated Ship Systems, Hydrodynamics, Materials and Structures, Ship Design and Construction.
Stage 1 (Oct 2020 – Mar 2021) of the project includes upgrading and harmonisation needs analysis, in Stage 2 (Mar 2021- Jan 2023) Intellectual Output (IP) – an online-hosted (digital) upgraded and harmonised set/repository of a max. 20 courses in English (4-9 ECTS each, 122 ECTS) is prepared and tested at an Intensive Programme with 20 students of the partner universities; feedback is collected and analysed). In Stage 3 (Feb-Aug 2023) Course harmonisation and upgrading guide (online) and a demo of the courses with sample materials on a physical carrier are prepared and the courses made available at online learning Moodle platforms of the project partners. Two International multiplier events – in May 2023, in Greece for the Adriatic-Aegean-Mediterranean region; and in Aug 2023, in Estonia for the Baltic-Nordic region will be organised.
The International groups of lecturers meet for planning, discussion, training and evaluation purposes towards developing the Intellectual Output at Joint Staff Training Events (3 events 2020-2021) and at regular monthly online/videoconference meetings and workshops through the project (2020-2023). The teaching staff test and pilot the upgraded course components on students at the Intensive Programme in Tallinn (Oct 2022).
In a longer and broader perspective, the project aims at increasing the quality of Maritime Engineering/Naval Architecture education, facilitation of internationalisation and digital/online teaching and learning to achieve increased number of skilled personnel for the EU maritime sector and strengthen the position of the European maritime industry in global context.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 220546 Eur

Project Coordinator

TALLINNA TEHNIKAULIKOOL & Country: EE

Project Partners

• PANEPISTIMIO AIGAIOU
• SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO II