Agreement for the development of the ITHEN network

Intellectual output 2

Context

The Intellectual Output stems from the need to establish an International Network of TVETs and Universities focused on Technical Higher Education, and in particular in the fields of international marketing and business management.

Aim of Intellectual Output 2 is to define collaboration methods within the enlarged ITHEN Network, also using a joint small-scale online platform. Main result will be the development of an Agreement that will join TVETs and Universities across Europe and worldwide into a wider network of TVETs and Universities, which will allow students registered to ITHEN to obtain a university degree in different countries after completing ITHEN’s 2-year courses.

The activities of this Output will also be useful to create and keep contacts with Companies, Chambers of Commerce, Technology Parks, Business Incubators, Public Bodies and International Organizations.

Innovation is represented by the strong connection between EQF levels 5, 6 and 7. Students involved in all new joint international courses carried out by the ITHEN Network will obtain in two years an EQF 5 diploma and, thanks to the cooperation with ITHEN’s Universities, they will also have the opportunity to join an EQF 6 course in its final year in order to get a bachelor’s degree just by adding one year to their cycle of studies. This will be possible thanks to the automatic recognition of credits awarded during the EQF5 course. With the EQF6 degree, students will thus be able to continue their studies and achieve an EQF7 degree.

This process will be encompassed within the international context: being one of the main project’s objectives, degrees will be automatically recognized by all TVETs and Universities that

will formally join the I-THEN’s network, so students will be free to start their studies in a country and continue in another one.

Benefits

Expected impact

Universities and TVETs that will sign the Agreement will improve their educational offer, offering to their students the opportunity to study and do internship in at least 10 different countries, obtaining an EQF 5 qualification and possibly continuing their studies in one of the Universities members of the I-THEN network

Students enrolled in ITHEN’s international courses will have the opportunity to engage in a curricular internship in many European and non-European countries