On November 05, 2026, the international consortium of the Erasmus+ project “Acquiring Transversal Competences through Virtual Voyages” (registration number ERASMUS-EDU-2024-VIRT-EXCH No. 101193593), co-funded by the European Union, held its seventh weekly online coordination meeting. The working session was dedicated to reviewing the initial outcomes of the 7-week virtual exchange cycle following the successful Grand Plenary Opening Session, optimizing digital academic monitoring tools, structuring ongoing pedagogical mentoring for facilitators, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and planning collaborative cross-university sessions with international guest speakers.
The project consortium, uniting leading higher education institutions and non-governmental bodies from seven countries, continues its targeted implementation under the overall coordination of the “Aurel Vlaicu” University of Arad (Romania). The international alliance comprises the Millennium Center and 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), and National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, which represents Ukraine’s higher education system with distinction. Poltava Polytechnic was represented at the meeting by Anna Pavelieva, Institutional Project Coordinator, PhD in Philology, and Acting Vice-Rector for Academic and Pedagogical Work, International Relations and Cooperation.
The primary focus of the seventh meeting was the comprehensive analysis of the first implementation week of virtual exchanges, which officially began on November 2 with a dynamic Grand Plenary Session. Work package leaders highlighted the high level of student engagement across curricula dedicated to soft skills development, intercultural collaboration, leadership, and digital literacy. The partners thoroughly reviewed the functioning of newly established international student micro-groups, early participant impressions, and the effective onboarding of learners onto the interactive educational platform thevoyage.eu.
To guarantee high pedagogical quality and seamless academic monitoring, the technical coordination team unveiled an optimized centralized database. This digital infrastructure enables institutional coordinators to track student engagement across synchronous and asynchronous sessions in real time, accommodate partner university academic schedules, and provide customized academic support. The consortium reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining multi-channel student communication, integrating institutional emails, facilitator outreach, and group communication networks to support consistent learner progress.
Another important agenda item was the continuous development of the weekly Friday mentoring framework for facilitators. To ensure adherence to the highest European educational standards, the consortium approved ongoing methodological sessions allowing trainers to refine lesson plans, exchange pedagogical insights, and master digital facilitation instruments. Special attention was devoted to flexible learning recognition mechanisms, such as comprehensive learning journals, which complement online attendance and evaluate individual learner growth towards receiving the prestigious European Youthpass certificate.
Significant attention was also directed towards the implementation of Work Packages WP2 and WP5 regarding collaboration with employers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and non-governmental organisations. The coordinators agreed to arrange cross-consortium plenary sessions within the “Career Box” and “Learning to Learn” modules featuring invited guest experts and stakeholders from all seven partner countries. This format will provide students with valuable insights into the European labour market, international internship opportunities, volunteering avenues, and strategic career planning methodologies.
Anna Pavelieva stressed the strategic impact of European academic cooperation and extended profound gratitude to the university administration: “The inspiring launch of virtual exchanges and the high praise from our European partners reflect the collective dedication of our entire university community. Our students are demonstrating incredible determination, intellectual curiosity, and a deep aspiration to thrive within the global academic space. We are deeply grateful to the leadership of Poltava Polytechnic – the President, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko, and the Rector, Associate Professor Olena Filonych – whose strategic guidance, support for internationalization, and dedication to modern academic standards empower our university to remain a prominent leader in European educational partnerships”.
The university’s participation follows a steady and consistent pathway: 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; 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; on October 22, discussed forming student cohorts, certifying facilitators according to the Youthpass standard, and coordinating dissemination materials ahead of the official launch of the 7-week virtual exchange cycle, on October 29, confirmed operational readiness at the sixth meeting; and on November 5, demonstrated exemplary student engagement during the seventh coordination session.
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” reaffirms its international commitment, advancing digital education, fostering global dialogue, and providing Ukrainian youth with accessible pathways to mastering world-class transversal competences.
