Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore has been selected for a prestigious Erasmus Plus European Union Project for its internationalization strategy, This project has been funded with support from the European Commission,led by the University of Zaragoza, Spain and the European Policy Development and Research Institute, Slovenia, “The HARMONY project aims to support the modernisation, accessibility, and internationalisation of the higher education institutions in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam and to contribute to the cooperation between the European universities and Asian universities.
The HARMONY project aims to have an impact and trigger reform processes at institutional level in Asian Universities. Top managers of Higher Education Institutions will receive support for evidence-based strategy development and better regulation to move towards the modernisation of the framework conditions for Higher Education in their respective countries.
The project called, “Internationalization and Virtual Exchange: Borderless between EU and Asian Countries,” involves institutions in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India. From India, besides VIT the University of Hyderabad and the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies will also participate.VIT has received grant amount Rs.68 lakhs for the three-year tenure. The project coordinated by Dr.R.Seenivasan, Professor, CNBT and Deputy Director, International Relations Office , VIT.
The HARMONY project is rooted in the notion of internationalisation at home and strategic management of internationalisation in higher education. The HARMONY PROJECT, through its overall and specific activities and especially outputs on developing and implementing the Internationalisation strategies on Higher Education with main focus on Internationalisation at home issues at institutional levels in each Partner Country, India, Bangladesh and Viet Nam, is addressing the aims and objectives of the Capacity Building action, and particularly “Improving management and operation of Higher Education Institutions and Internationalisation of HEIs”.
The HARMONY project addresses the process of internationalisation of higher Education, focusing on Internationalisation at Home, in Asian countries as the one that requires immediate institutional response and actions. Enabling Higher Education Institutions to strategically manage internationalisation in the provision of education, research, mobility, and services are regarded to be the project’s overall objective and the main underpinning of Partner countries’ accountable and complementary role in EU-Asia cooperation development.
Vellore Institute of Technology(VIT) organized the European Union Erasmus+CBHE Harmony Project review meeting and conference during 12-13 April 2023 at VIT Vellore. VIT is part of the European Union Erasmus+CBHE Harmony Project on “Internationalization in Higher Education and Borderless Cooperation between European and Asian Universities" led by the University of Zaragoza, Spain. The Delegates from many Project partner institutions including Spain, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Lithuania, Moldova, Bangladesh, Vietnam, besides India attended the Conference.
The project led by Prof.Rafael de Miguel, Harmony Erasmus+ CBHE project coordinator of University of Zaragoza, Spain and Dr Olesea Sirbu, Founder and President of European Policy Development and Research Institute, Slovenia would support Internationalisation of higher education institutions in Asia and Europe including the curriculum design, virtual borderless mobility of students and faculty members, modernization of International Offices, and internationalization of teaching and learning process to facilitate international cooperation among European and Asian universities. Harmony Project also provides access to knowledge sharing practices in internationalization.
Erasmus+ CBHE Harmony Project led by Dr R Seenivasan, Deputy Director, International and Harmony CBHE Project coordinator at VIT that has been funded with nearly 1 million Euros in total from the European Commission and includes 11 Universities of Asian and European countries as partners.
During the event, VIT Chancellor Dr G. Viswanathan signed the Memorandum of Understanding with six Universities from Europe and Asia for International academic cooperation programmes, Universities are: University of Zaragoza, Spain, European Policy Development and Research Institute, Slovenia, Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, Varna University of Management, Varna, Bulgaria, Quang Binh University, Vietnam and University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh.
Speaking on the occasion, Chancellor Dr.G.Viswanathan said that “VIT is proud to be a partner of these European and Asian institutions because it shared common subject areas in the state of the art technologies for research and development”. Under these MoU agreements, VIT students and faculty members will visit these universities for academic exchange programmes and research development.
VIT Vice Presidents Mr.Sankar Viswanathan, Dr Sekar Viswanathan, Mr.G.V.Selvam,Vice Chancellor Dr Rambabu Kodali, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Partha Sharathi Mallick and Dr C Vijayakumar, Director International Relations were present.
