PostCaVET Post-graduate Systems Development in Cape Verde and East Timor (Aug 2008 – Aug 2011) Contrat N: 9 A

1. PostCaVETPost-graduate Systems Development in Cape Verde and East Timor (Aug 2008 – Aug 2011) Contrat N: 9 ACP RPR 12 #20 Stakeholders conference Georgetown, Guyana, 27-28 February 2009

2. Partners: Universidade do Minho (UM) (Co-ordinator) Universidade Nacional de Timor Lorosa’e(UNTL) Universidade de Cabo Verde (UniCV)

3. Locations: Braga and Guimarães, Portugal Dili, East Timor Praia, Cape VerdeBudget EC Grant (85%)584,298.00 € 496,653.00 €

4. Summary of Project Aims: overall • To strengthen the overall educational offerings of UniCV and UNTL through the development of their post-graduate (PG) systems by the implementation of fundamental supporting components specific  Tobuild of 2 PG management and supporting information and communication (ICT) systems, the development of academic skills through staff training and the implementation of key PG courses and the preparation of the related pedagogic/scientific materials.

5. Overview of the PostCaVET concept

6. Specific Objectives (1/4): The creation of the PG management quality assurance guidelines and regulations for that includes: • Administrative and academic regulations specific for post-graduate courses; • Scientific supervision mechanisms and regulations, credit transfer procedures, etc; and • A strategy and guidance planning programme to ensure an adequate involvement of societal bodies (industry, commercial companies and others) in the further definition, design and implementation of future post-graduate offerings at each of the partner universities;

7. Specific Objectives (2/4): The building of an ICT systemwith which partners can: • Improve the academic and administrative management of their PG courses and administration; • Improve academic access to knowledge in the form of pedagogic and scientific materials and library resources, which will promote dynamic internal and external community interactions and knowledge sharing among academic communities using a newly installed Learning Management System (LMS); • An adequate Web presence, as well as access to e-learning and video conferencing facilities;

8. Specific Objectives (3/4): The development of professional academic skills and knowledgethrough: • The delivery of an intensive academic management course for four selected staff - two from each partner; • The implementation of two local seminal Masters Courses initially supervised by UM and locally monitored at each partner location. These courses will permit the initiation and putting into practice of the PG system by each partner • The courses will be delivered through combined modes of local lecturing at all locations, e-learning, video conferencing and local monitoring by trained academic staff;

9. Specific Objectives (4/4): The preparation of pedagogic and scientific materials for seminal Masters Courses including: • Detailed curricula designed for each Masters course; • The complete package of content for each discipline; • All materials produced in multimedia (at least text + images).

10. Activities (9): • Activity 1- Requirements Analysis; • Activity 2 - PG Management Quality Assurance Guidelines and Regulations; • Activity 3 - ICT Systems; • Activity 4 - Human Resource Developments; • Activity 5 - Materials Preparation; • Activity 6 - Postgraduate Course Implementation; • Activity 7 - Evaluation and Assessment; • Activity 8 – Dissemination • Activity 9 - Co-ordination and Project Management

13. Implementation: • Activity 1- User Requirements Analysis; • Completed (with some 3 months delay): • after a local pre-assessment visit to each partner • 8-11 Dec. 2008 Cape Verde; 9-13 Feb 2009 East Timor • Defined: • Teaching conditions (ICT infrastructure to be installed; class rooms; electricity supply; logistics); • Two master courses to be launched at each location: • Master courses in Information Systems; and Education (evaluation) – East Timor; • Master Courses in Law; and Education – Cape Verde • Courses start in June 2009; 15-20 students • Double accreditation (UM/UNTL; UM/UniCV); • Curricula following Bolonha Model; adapted to ACP partner needs; • Teaching adopting hybrid strategy: local teaching; e-learning; video conferencing; local monitoring • Joint course management • Project team at each ACP partner; Sponsorship seeking

14. Implementation: • Activity 2 - PG Management Quality Assurance Guidelines and Regulations • Regulations and Guidelines: being prepared (within time scheduled) • Activity 3 - ICT Systems; • Video conferencing system selected (polycom); Acquisition phase • E-learning: Blackboard plus Moodle • Internet connectivity at each partner (bandwidth not less 512kbps) • Academic management system: UniCV (its own); UNTL (FUP) • Class rooms equipped with laptops + PCs (at least one PC/laptop for each two students)

15. Implementation: • Activity 4 - Human Resource Developments; • Intensive course in academic management: being prepared (within time scheduled) • Academic and administrative staff from each partner appointed to attend the 1-2 weeks course at University of Minho • Activity 5 - Materials Preparation; • Course materials: just started to be prepared (within time scheduled) • Activity 6 - Postgraduate Course Implementation; • Courses start in June 2009 • Activity 8 – Dissemination • Activity 9 - Co-ordination and Project Management

16. Implementation: • Activity 8 – Dissemination • Press release written and distributed; • Presentation of the project internally as also at national and international events; • Website (completed); project materials (almost finished) • Activity 9 - Co-ordination and Project Management • Some problems occurred in understanding registration procedures, etc. and have partners involved. Ongoing process. • An administrative assistant contracted; Still in experimental phase

17. Positive aspects: • ACP partner involvement at highest level (Rector; Vice-Rector, Deam of Faculty of Engineering; Deam Fac. Education); • ACP partner assuming a more dynamic role in the project (exploring project resources to have more post-graduate courses implemented) • Acceptance of the Bolonha model with local adaptations ; • East Timor: • (after much discussions) – responsible people is changing their minds and accepting compromises (e.g. decided to invest own resources for acquiring an electricity generator to serve the PG class rooms); • there is no PG system at all; PostCaVET project will represent a real step forward in implement it; • Cape Verde: own investment in upgrading Internet connectivity to 4 Mbps

18. Main difficulties encountered: • East Timor: • No PG regulations • Scarce administrative personnel • Scarce ICT infrastructure • No skilled technical personnel • Mal-functioning equipment • Internet connection (narrow bandwidth; mal-functioning) • No sense of “need of improvement”, or “urgency in delivering or reacting”, in general • Total ineffective coordination of activities (e.g. nothing delivered) - UM has to take care of all activities; • Corrective actions have been taken • Hiring of a new responsible person: more dynamic and pragmatic • Involvement of local players: FUP to supervise work in the ground

19. More information at: Project Website: http://postcavet.fitin.pt/ (test version) Definitive (not yet published): www.postcavet.org

21. UniCV – Fac. Education 9 Dec. 2008

22. UNTL – Pre-assessmentvisit 08-13 Feb. 2009)