From November 13 to 17, 2023, the PROMENT project team conducted an educational visit to the University of Aveiro to study best practices in conducting tutoring and mentoring programs.

Participants of the project had a unique opportunity to explore advanced methodologies and strategies used by the university to support students through tutoring and mentoring. The educational visit activities included:

– Practical sessions where participants had the opportunity to study the most effective approaches to organizing and implementing mentoring programs.
– Active meetings with professors and students to exchange knowledge and experience in implementing mentoring programs to support educational initiatives.
– Familiarization with the UA Teaching and Learning Center (NEA) to discuss advanced teaching approaches, important consultations, and idea exchange.
– Presentation of the Ser+ (“Student to Student”) concept, incorporating gamification elements such as badges, achievement levels, and contests to encourage students to actively participate in various aspects of the program.
– Exploration of innovative opportunities and mechanisms to engage students in mentoring programs to promote the development of educational initiatives.

A particularly interesting session focused on the integration of artificial intelligence into the educational process. Alongside teams from Ukrainian and Georgian higher education institutions, strategic challenges, opportunities, and threats related to the implementation of AI in the educational process were discussed.

A question-and-answer session with Mairéad Pratschke, Deputy Director of Innovation in E-Learning and Teaching at the University of Manchester, provided an opportunity to delve deeper into the topic and ask specific questions to the expert.

The PROMENT project is not only an exchange of knowledge but also a crucial step in enhancing the modern educational system through advanced technologies and methodologies. Mentoring can become a significant component of the internationalization strategy in the education sector. Internationalization can create new opportunities for mentoring.

We express sincere gratitude to our partners at the University of Aveiro for productive collaboration and the opportunity for mutual growth. All participants received well-deserved Certificates of Qualification Enhancement within the framework of academic mobility.