On October 22, 2026, the fifth meeting of the steering committee and work package coordinators of the international project “Acquiring Transversal Competences through Virtual Voyages” (registration number ERASMUS-EDU-2024-VIRT-EXCH No. 101193593) took place. The initiative is being implemented within the European Union's Erasmus+ Programme under the Virtual Exchanges in Higher Education and Youth strand. The project’s international consortium, bringing together leading educational institutions and expert organisations from seven countries worldwide, successfully operates under the overall coordination of the “Aurel Vlaicu” University of Arad (Romania).
The partner network comprises the Millennium Centre and the consulting company Predict CSD Consulting (Romania), IUL Online University (Italy), Fırat University (Türkiye), Moldova State University, Caucasus University and Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (Georgia), Gavar State University (Armenia), as well as National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, which worthily represents domestic higher education in this prestigious academic alliance. The institutional project coordinator, PhD in Philology, Acting Vice-Rector for Academic and Pedagogical Work, International Relations and Cooperation, Anna Pavelieva, represented Poltava Polytechnic at the meeting.
The meeting's key objective was to model and approve an aligned timetable grid for the upcoming joint classes. Organising this intercultural space required considering the academic schedules of different countries, particularly the high density of daytime classes in Romanian universities, the specifics of evening Master’s programmes at Moldova State University, the commitments of working students in Georgia, and the approaching winter examination sessions. After an open dialogue, the coordinators prioritised evening time slots, from 16:00 to 18:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00 Eastern European Time / Kyiv Time, as most convenient for the majority of students and instructors. To ensure flexibility, the group also agreed on additional daytime slots, notably on Friday afternoons. This approach allows for the formation of well-balanced international micro-groups of 15–20 individuals with mandatory participation from representatives of all partner countries.
The meeting paid particular attention to the final assessment of the international pool of facilitators who will provide mentorship and substantive guidance to the student teams. The instructors are concluding their work on the learning modules on the digital platform thevoyage.eu and preparing for a hands-on workshop on technical facilitation tools, Zoom room management, and session planning for the first week of the exchange. The coordinators reiterated that combining asynchronous coursework on the platform with active attendance at synchronous sessions is a mandatory prerequisite for obtaining the European-standard Youthpass qualification certificate. Given the staffing distribution, National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” once again demonstrated its leadership and high level of organisation by expressing readiness to delegate additional trained facilitators to ensure the smooth, high-quality functioning of all the consortium’s academic groups.
The meeting participants also examined in detail the final verification procedure for registered students in accordance with the official Erasmus+ programme regulations. The consortium approved a unified electronic participation confirmation form to verify participants' compliance with the age threshold (up to and including 30 years of age at the time of the course launch) and clarify residency data for the proper issuance of future Youthpass certificates. Concurrently, the partners agreed on an inclusive approach for motivated older learners and academic staff, ensuring they can master the curriculum’s substantive modules in parallel specialised cohorts, supported by the necessary linguistic and methodological assistance.
The meeting devoted significant time to the progress of the information and communication campaign within Work Package 5 (WP5). The consortium members noted the completion of translating and localising promotional booklets and flyers into all national project languages, including Ukrainian, as well as the preparation of large-format branded roll-up banners to be placed across university campuses. The presentation of interactive mind maps for the “Learning to Learn” module and a series of four specialised promotional videos highlighting the essence of virtual exchanges and introducing youth to the core programme modules, “Career Box” and “Learning to Learn”, generated strong interest. Furthermore, the coordinators agreed on a schedule of individual consultations to ensure proper preparation of administrative and financial documentation and to draft the scheduled interim report.
Anna Pavelieva, the project's institutional coordinator from Poltava Polytechnic, noted that the international project team demonstrates a high level of professionalism, mutual understanding, and a shared commitment to creating the best conditions for intercultural learning for young people. She emphasised that the “Virtual Voyages” project offers Ukrainian students a unique space to develop soft skills, international collaboration, and professional English proficiency. Anna Pavelieva expressed her sincere gratitude to the university leadership, President of Poltava Polytechnic, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko, and Rector, Associate Professor Olena Filonych, for their continued attention to European integration initiatives, comprehensive support for academic staff, and the provision of conducive conditions for students' personal growth.
The consortium is now moving toward the final stage: individually notifying participants of their allocation to international groups and completing the technical setup of digital classrooms. By early November 2026, hundreds of students from seven countries across Europe will embark on their shared, captivating journey through intercultural dialogue and transversal competences.
It is worth noting that practical implementation at the local level is already well underway: on September 24, 2026, the university team participated in a coordination meeting of partners of the Erasmus+ project “Acquiring Transversal Competences through Virtual Voyages” (No. 101193593), during which, together with colleagues from seven countries, the educators reviewed the outcomes of the first implementation phase and agreed upon the launch of virtual exchanges for students; they also continued aligning key steps during the second meeting of project coordinators on October 1, 2026; on October 8, 2026, discussed the results of testing the digital platform, the training of the facilitators’ pool, and the finalization of the launch of the first student exchange wave; and on October 15, addressed the synchronisation of academic schedules, finalising the preparation and certification of the international pool of facilitators, structuring intercultural student cohorts, and deploying a comprehensive dissemination campaign ahead of the launch of the first wave of virtual exchanges; a team of university lecturers has already participated in 5 facilitator sessions, where, alongside colleagues from seven countries, they mastered virtual facilitation methodologies for future work with students, refined their virtual facilitation expertise, simulated group interaction cases, and mastered digital tools for the successful delivery of international student exchanges; presented their own two-hour workshops on the “Learning to Learn” and “Career Box” modules and practiced peer feedback in Zoom breakout rooms, as well as mastered drafting Personal and Professional Development Plans (PPDP), simulated mentoring in Zoom rooms, tested the thevoyage.eu platform, and prepared for the launch of student exchanges, presented their own 2-hour workshops on the “Learning to Learn” and “Career Box” modules and practiced peer feedback in Zoom breakout rooms, mastered the elaboration of Personal and Professional Development Plans (PPDP), simulated mentoring in Zoom rooms, tested the thevoyage.eu platform, prepared for the start of student exchanges, developed a methodology for personal branding for the Career Box module, agreed on the debate schedule, and prepared for final certification.
Demonstrating thorough professional preparation and consistently high standards of project management, National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” approaches the official launch of the international virtual exchanges fully prepared to deliver high-quality, seamless integration into the European educational space for Ukrainian students.
