On December 3-5, 2024, Tallinn University of Technology hosted the full consortium meeting of the SQUARES project, organized by Professor Alar Konist, Professor Anna Volkova, Researcher Alejandro Lyons Cerón and Aila Lainurm from the Department of Energy Technology. SQUARES (Sustainability and Quality Assurance for Academic Governance and Redesign Engineering Studies) is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building initiative aimed at bridging the educational skill gap between higher education institutions, industry, and the professional employment market in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, particularly in engineering education and quality management.
The consortium includes several institutions from South Asia and Europe:
• Gdańsk University of Technology (Poland)
• University of Sannio (Italy)
• Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia)
• College of Science and Technology (Bhutan)
• Far Western University (Nepal)
• Tribhuvan University (Nepal)
• Dhaka University (Bangladesh)
• Daffodil International University (Bangladesh)
• University of Punjab (Pakistan)
• National University of Sciences & Technology (Pakistan).
During the meeting, participants worked in various activities, including discussions with TalTech’s Rector, Professor Tiit Land, and the Dean of the School of Engineering, Professor Fjodor Sergejev.
The agenda included a campus tour and conferences on topics such as Enerhack multifunctional education platform by Igor Krupenski, Engineering Pedagogy by Tiia Rüütmann, and TalTech’s Open University and Microdegrees by Hanno Tomberg.
The working sessions focused on advancing the SQUARES project’s objectives, emphasizing on curriculum development and capacity building for the South Asian Countries.
Cultural activities included a visit to the Estonian Open Air Museum, traditional Estonian dance performances, a walking tour of Tallinn’s historic city center, and a panoramic bus tour.
The event also included an official dinner hosted by TalTech’s Department of Energy Technology, promoting collaboration and cultural exchange among the international partners.
The meeting was successful and gave the partner universities insights of how research and academia works in Taltech and Estonia. Future activities for this project include a full consortium meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 28-30th of January 2025.
Photos: Department of Energy Technology