International collaborations

Adult Education at the Agricultural University of Iceland

International collaborations – alþjóðleg samstarfsverkefni

In our previous project and hopefully future project we have been working with our network of staff in vocational secondary education and adult learning, mainly at Hvanneyri and Reykir and our network of workers in the rural areas were the school is located. AUI has e.g. vocational programs in sheep farming and has good links to a broad network of crafts people and farmers around Iceland.

In the field of adult education AUI has offered short programs where we focus on e.g. rural planning, rural community, wool working, coloring wool with local plants, farming, herding sheep, agro tourism, farmer’s shops, dairy farming, wood working, turf houses, urban planning, forestry, flower decoration, landscape planning, horse riding and different type of crafts making.

Ongoing projects

Short food Supply schemes in Nordis-Baltic (Nordplus)

Name of project: Short food Supply schemes in Nordis-Baltic

Project number: NPAD-2020/10256

Framework: Nordplus Adult

Project period: 11/2020 – 10/2021

Coordination institution: Associacija VIVA SOL, Lithuania (https://www.facebook.com)

Contact person: Lina Gumbreviciene, tel: +37069839893, e-mail: lina.gumbreviciene@gmail.com

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General information: There is big variety of short food supply chain schemes of agricultural products in Nordic and Baltic countries. They play a positive role both for small-scale agricultural producers and the consumers, as they help the farmers to become more sustainable and the consumers to get better quality products. Also, such schemes make an impact on territorial development and assist in reaching environmental goals, as small scale farmers apply more nature friendly agricultural methods.

National legal instruments, directed to improve economic performances of farms, include legal schemes supporting groups of producers. Nevertheless, the formation of the short food chains is still a challenge for the farmers in Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Lithuania. Acquaintance with the various short food supply chains in the Nordic and Baltic countries, would improve the skills of farmers in formation of or supporting short food supply chains in their relative countries.

The main goal of the farmers’ exchange project is to share the experience of the short food supply chains in three partner countries and develop a a network of farmers taking part in production and direct marketing of agricultural products. 4 exchange visits of 5 days long (including travelling) will include 4 farmers from each partner countries.

The project would continue the successful cooperation of project partners from Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Lithuania in networking of rural skills, which led to the establishment of the direct sheep farmers’ links between the countries.

Project output: The project will have one type of activities: the transnational meetings including the field visits.

The results of transnational meetings:

  • 4 transnational meetings with field visits organised
  • 48 participants in total, at least 24 unique participants
  • 12 short food supply chain practices visited
  • 1 overview of 12 short food supply chain practices in 4 partner countries prepared and distributed via Internet websites and social networks. The overview will be visualised with photos and prepared in English.

Contact person in Iceland: Birna Kristín Baldursdóttir lecturer at AUI, birna@lbhi.is, +354  4335011

(Guðrún Lárusdóttir program director at AUI, gurra@lbhi.is, +354 8435308 – till september 2021)

Learn the life – Development of Cultural and Heritage Tourism Skills within Rural Communities (Erasmus)

Name of project: Learn the life – Development of Cultural and Heritage Tourism Skills within Rural Communities

Project number: 2019-1-LT01-KA204-060743

Framework: ERASMUS + (KA2)

Project period: 10/2019 – 30/9/2021

Coordination institution: Associacija VIVA SOL, Lithuania (www.facebook.com)

Contact person: Lina Gumbreviciene, tel: +37069839893, e-mail: lina.gumbreviciene@gmail.com

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General information: Cultural and Heritage Tourism is a tool of economic development that achieves economic growth through attracting visitors from outside a host community, who are motivated wholly or in part by interest in the historical, artistic, scientific or lifestyle/heritage offerings of a community, region, group or institution (Silberberg 1995). There is broad agreement that cultural resources generate economic vitality by leveraging human capital and culture to generate economic vitality through tourism, crafts, and cultural attractions.

The project partners, working in the field of rural development and adults learning in six various countries, raised the issue of increasing cultural and heritage tourism in rural areas in their countries and insufficient capacities of local inhabitants and wider communities in corresponding to this demand through provision of wide range of quality services. After the situation and needs analyses taken by each partner in their respective countries, they agreed to cooperate on improvement of adults education on cultural and heritage tourism.

The overall aim of the project is to improve the rural adults’ competencies in provision of the cultural and heritage tourism services in the partner countries.

The objectives are threefold:

  • development of the training tool-kit for adults training, based on the hands-on learning method
  • improvement of the adult educators skills in teaching adults on cultural and heritage tourism
  • improvement and extending of the adult learning opportunities on cultural and heritage tourism.

Target group are adult educators and adult learners.

Project output: The results of the project are the following:

  • 1 training tool-kit developed, including at least 12 best practice cases (texts and videos)
  • 2 short-term staff trainings organized
  • 48 adult educators and learners trained on cultural and heritage tourism and application tool-kit to the trainings
  • 5 local multiplication events organized
  • 1 international forum organized

Contact person in Iceland: Ágústa Erlingsdóttir teacher at landscape construction at AUI, agusta@lbhi.is, +354  8435318

(Guðrún Lárusdóttir program director at AUI, gurra@lbhi.is, +354 8435308 – till september 2021)

TreProx (Erasmus)

Name of project: TreProx

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Contact person in Iceland: Björgvin Örn Eggertsson program director at AUI, tel: +354 843-5305, e-mail: bjorgvin@lbhi.is

Former projects

Education of older adults – OLDER. Comparing Baltic and Nordic frameworks (Nordplus)

Name of project: Education of older adults – OLDER. Comparing Baltic and Nordic frameworks.

Project number: NPAD-2019/10131

Framework: Nordplus Adult

Project period: 06/2019-12/2020

Coordination institution: Medardas Cobotas Third Age University (MCTAU) Lithuania,

Contact person: Regina Dovidaviciute, tel: +37069912050, e-mail: regina9.info@gmail.com,

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General information: In many European countries, education of adults in many ways take precedence over education of older adults. This is especially evident in national and European programmes prioritizing attempts to improve Eurostat’s Lifelong learning statistics, only taking 25-64-year-olds into account.

Even though the choice of this particular age group has a sophisticated economical reasoning behind it, associated with the demands of the common market, at the same time it marginalizes older adults by pushing their needs away from the public debate on planning of overarching education policies. Baltic states, still undergoing a post-communist transition and searching for an appropriate education policy framework, are definitely cases in point.

In the light of these issues, the goal of the project is to prepare a research study, comparing coordination and financing frameworks of older adult education in selected Baltic and Nordic countries and formulate country-tailored recommendations for policy-makers. Building on peer-to-peer exchange and material gathered during study trips to partner countries, the project will focus on four-different levels: organizational (how is the quality of older adult education programmes assured?), municipal (how do municipal governments coordinate and finance older adult education?), national (which national bodies are responsible for development and implementation of relevant legislation?) and European (how do European structural and other external funds contribute to development of older adult education?). Research study will be produced in English and also available in languages of partner organisations. In the long-term, it will serve as an advocacy tool and help partners to engage policy-makers and push for more inclusive and effective older adult education in their countries.

Project output: Organisational level: the project will result in greater awareness about best Nordic/ Baltic practises in older adult education quality assurance. 4 country studies produced will suggest ways and means to ameliorate the quality of older adult education programmes, which could be transferred from country to country. This will further be explored in 4 country roundtables, where organizational level recommendations will be presented to primary stakeholders (third age universities, lifelong learning centres, folk high schools etc.), which will be encouraged to act upon and implement it in their daily work.

Sector level: concerning disruptive change on a broader scale, the project will create a two-way pressure on older adult education policy-makers. First, data gathered on municipal, national and European level financing and coordination, mapped in 4 research studies and presented in 4 dedicated roundtables, will serve to engage relevant policy-makers and push for more accessible and inclusive older adult education policies. On the other hand, 4 individual advocacy plans drafted will enable partners and their networks organisations and primary older adult education stakeholders (third age universities, lifelong learning centres, folk high schools etc.) to continuously engage relevant government institutions and actively partake in creation of better older adult education frameworks for better overall results.

International level: 1 overarching study in English will be shared with the international readership, which despite the apparent differences of partner countries, will further the image of Baltic/ Nordic countries as the “flag carriers” in older adult education in Europe.

Final study reportNordplus OLDER Study Report NOV2020 (1)

Contact person in Iceland: Guðrún Lárusdóttir program director at AUI, tel: +354 8435308, e-mail: gurra@lbhi.is

Safe Climbing (Erasmus)

Name of project: Safe climbing

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Contact person in Iceland: Ágústa Erlingsdóttir program director at AUI, tel: +354 843-5318, e-mail: agusta@lbhi.is

Rural Skills Network (Nordplus) - 08/2017 - 11/2018

Name of project: Rural Skills Network

Project number: NPDA-2017/10163

Framework: Nordplus Adult

Project period: 08/2017 – 11/2018

Coordination institution: Lystbaekforeningen, Denmark (www.lystbaekgaard.dk)

Contact person: Berit Kiilerich Mouritsen, tel: +00 45212 32984, e-mail: Lystbaekgaard@mail.tele.dk

Partner institutions:

  • Adult Education at Agricultural University of Iceland (www.endurmenntun.lbhi.is)
  • LT-Centre for Programme LEADER and Agricultural Training Methodology, Lithuania

General information: Rural Skills Network is envisioned as a platform for the dissemination of embedded knowledge and skills, traditionally passed down through generations. Key to the project is the development of social economic initiatives whereby the teaching and learning of traditional, ancestral handcrafts can be combined with contemporary design skills to generate small scale production in order to support local rural economies and improve personal and community self sufficiency.

Meetings to be held at each partner institution; Denmark, Iceland and Lithuania, will focus on a combination of sharing teaching methodologies and hands-on learning through doing. Each partner will host 5 days of workshops, field trips, and seminars, including presentations and discussions open to the public. There will be collaborations in developing Rural Skills courses and programs, and awareness raising activities.

Beyond appealing to a broad range of people simply wising to connect with traditional skills that are being lost, which can be of immense value for a more sustainable future: target groups include immigrants, socially disadvantaged and those suffering from stress that would benefit from such meaningful, natural, relaxing and peaceful activity.

We are looking to establish a long-term network of learning and inter-generational skills-exchange, and envision that products and services developed could be offered across the network, to generate interest and broaden the horizons of the rural audience of each institution. All partner institutions are using Agro-ecological methods, and already engaged in small-scale production of handcrafted products using local raw resources, such as cheese, wool garments, and artisanal smoked meats.

Project output: Over the course of the project Learner-Teachers from each country will strengthen their knowledge of Rural Skills, be empowered to pass on to others new skills, to work with new groups back at home, and to help generate vitality and economic growth in their local communities. The project can improve life quality, social interaction and networking in isolated areas, whilst maintaining awareness of and keeping rural skills alive. It should lead to a renewed interest in passing knowledge down to further generations. Work with immigrants will lead to better integration, empowerment to become more self-sufficient and greater mutual understanding of cultures. It will lead to a better life for physically and psychologically handicapped people by engaging them in therapeutic, gentle activity and encourage them to be active in the local rural community.

A strong network will be generated for the long term, across countries and beyond, with meaningful involvement for all; from management level to each participant. Material results of the project will be leaflets – with a range of products and learning services, that as well as providing information can also help to promote products etc., project website, Facebook page, a network and knowledge pool containing best practices and materials of each partner countries.

Web-pagehttps://www.facebook.com/ruralskillsnetwork

Contact person in Iceland: Guðrún Lárusdóttir program director at AUI, gurra@lbhi.is, +354 8435308

Kraftmeiri skógar (Erasmus)

Name of project: Kraftmeiri skógar

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Contact person in Iceland: Björgvin Örn Eggertsson program director at AUI, tel: +354 843-5305, e-mail: bjorgvin@lbhi.is

Sheepvalue; Developing value-added SHEEPSKILLS in North Europe (Nordplus) - 09/2014 - 12/2015

Name of project: Sheepvalue; Developing value-added SHEEPSKILLS in North Europe

Project number: NPAD-2014/10272

Framework: Nordplus Adult

Project period: 09/2014 – 12/2015

Coordination institution: Centre for Programme LEADER and Agricultural Training Methodology , Lithuania

Contact person: Edvardas Makseckas, tel: +370 37 398273, e-mail: edvardas.makseckas@zmmc.lt

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General information: From the SHEEPSKILLS project (sheepskills.eu), a number of tangible successes were noted based on the promotional strategies employed. One strategy noted as successful was the identification of «best-practice» examples in Iceland and Denmark where farmers, supported by SHEEPSKILLs have developed innovative ways to benefit from sheep production based on marketing and tourism. This, it was noted, had motivated other sheep farmers to try new things. Of particular value, was working with groups such as young people, traditional sheep farmers and handcraft people to find new ways of marketing wool products.

At the same time, it was noted that one of the lessons learned from the project was that SHEEPSKILLS needed to become even more user-friendly and, in particular, that computer technology is not something all farmers feel comfortable with. Thus, it is concluded, the course needs to become more flexible adaptable and portable.

SHEEPVALUE aims extend the SHEEPSKILLS concept by adding a module based on “best practice” in value-added activities to the program in order to make enhance and extend the success of this approach. The concept is to identify “best practice” regions within the participating countries and, within these geographically defined regions, “best practice” examples of value-added activities. These will then be used to (a) set up a new module on SHEEPSKILLS aimed at increasing direct farmer-to-farmer contact (particularly for those not so enthusiastic about computer use) to learn about value-added activities, and (b) creating a network of participating farms that will provide farmer-to-farmer learning environments based around on-farm accommodation.

Project output: The results of the project will be leaflets, website and training methodologies (training modules, material) containing best practises of each partner countries.

The information on the project will be disseminated into organisations facilities as well in the local sheepfarmers groups during organisations events. Also all the material will be in the project website and in each organizations websites.

Project will be continously evaluated during country meetings by participants and coordinators workshops, quality reports will be preparated and published. every month coordinators also discuss projec progress and corrective actions needed.

Web-page: https://www.facebook.com/sheepvalue

Contact person in Iceland: Guðrún Lárusdóttir program director at AUI, tel: +354 8435308, e-mail: gurra@lbhi.is

Teach me wood (Leonardo) - 09/2013 - 06/2015

Name of project: Teach me wood

Project number: 2013-1-EE1-LEO04-04742 6

Framework: Leonardo partnership

Project period: 09/2013 – 06/2015

Coordination institution: Berufshildende Schulen des Landkreises Peine, Germany – www.bbs-peine.de

Contact person: Dunja Gremmelmaier, tel: +4951719404, e-mail: dunja.gremmelmaier@bbs-peine.de

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General information: According to prognoses, in the Europe of 2020, skilled workers, service workers and middle-level specialists, mostly needing vocational training, will form more than a half of the workforce. One of the pillars of European society’s balanced development and sustainability is people with good vocational skills. For the VET system, the key question is the following: how to contribute to forming relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes of workers in the changing circumstances.

The planned project “Teach Me Wood” (TMW) is targeted to prepare wood-working specialties students to enter a European labor market via promoting students and teachers wood-working skills on different wood-working areas in Europe and increasing their inter-cultural skills. By hosting workshops for the partners, attending workshops offered by partners and moreover collecting teaching material and publishing it on-line, the European field of education in wood-working will be promoted and adapted to European requirements of the labor market. Via European cooperation and mutual learning, VET schools will raise the quality and attractiveness of vocational education by diversifying the training and by increasing transparency and common understanding and recognition of competencies and skills taught in the partner countries.

Project output: The planned project will have a high impact on students, teachers and participating organizations.

Students will benefit from new and diversified study methods, and -materials which leads to increased wood-working skills and will have an impact on their learning pathway and improving their employment opportunities, supported by knowledge of working-conditions and requirements in different European countries. Interacting with students and teachers from other countries/cultures will improve their English skills in everyday situations and professional context, teaches communication skills and teamwork, it increases their understanding of cultural differences, and makes them more open, tolerant and flexible. It also ll will have impact on students self-confidence. Also new knowledge, skills and information about different labor markets and their needs can influence students to start their own enterprises.

Teachers will have more opportunities to cooperate with colleagues abroad, exchange, prepare and adapt teaching materials, use new tools and learn new or different teaching methods. Professional competency of teachers will improve, professional and pedagogical level of education will rise. Working in an international team supports team-working skills, encourage using foreign languages and thinking internationally, quality of education will improve through mutually enriching.

The project will allow students, teachers a perception of new realities, and experiences that will make them grow both professionally and personally, which will also influence participating institutions. Experience, know-how and outcomes of different ways of learning will be shared within the partnering school and used efficiently: activities and objects of the project will improve participating organizations’ working procedures, cooperation internally and externally in the area of mutual learning and exchange of experience, which will make future international cooperation easier thanks to similar approaches and common understanding of recognition of competences and skills. Project activities and results can be used by partners to develop: curricula, new teaching materials and methods, on-the-job-learning periods and mobility, cooperation between the companies and schools, other development work done in participating institutions.
Impact on students, teachers and participating organizations will in long term influence attractiveness of VET.

Contact person in Iceland: Guðrún Lárusdóttir program director at AUI, tel: +354 8435308, e-mail: gurra@lbhi.is

Strengthening the role and involvement of universities and colleges in adult education (Nordplus) - 09/2013 - 12/2014

Name of project: Strengthening the role and involvement of universities and colleges in adult education

Project number: NPAD-2013/10086

Framework: Nordplus Adult

Project period: 09/2013 – 12/2014

Coordination institution: Lifelong Learning Association of Latvian Universities and Colleges (LAKMA), Latvia

Contact person: Inguna Jurgelane, tel: +371 26603344, e-mail: agnese.karaseva@va.lv

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General information: Project “Strengthening the role and involvement of universities and colleges in adult education” is a thematic network collaboration project aiming to start a new Nordic-Baltic network for higher education institutions involved in adult education. Project brings together interested parties to share experience and find new ways how to exploit to full extent the capacity, knowledge and cooperation potential for teaching and research to contribute to the adult learning and training in Nordic – Baltic educational area. Project partnership is formed by institutions from four countries: the coordinating partner is Lifelong Learning Association of Latvian Universities and Colleges (LAKMA, Latvia), project partners are Agricultural University of Iceland (Iceland); Tietgen Business College (Denmark) and Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning (Norway). The expected results of the project is establishment of a sustainable platform for networking on Nordic – Baltic level among the higher education institutions involved in adult learning, with clear plan and improved capacity of project partner institutions for future cooperation activities. For LAKMA as new organization the project is crucial for capacity building for running an active and productive network for adult learning on national and international level. Main project activities will be network building through experience exchange, promotion of best practices, elaboration of network´s strategy and identification of ideas for future projects, as well as project publicity and project management.

Project output: Outcomes for project partners will be:

  • Expanded international cooperation, established platform for future cooperation on Nordic – Baltic level among the higher education institutions involved in adult learning.
  • Clear plan (networks strategy and the project ideas identified) and improved capacity for future cooperation activates to strengthen the role of higher education institutions in adult learning
  • Improved visibility (through publicity) and the project partner institutions in target audiences.

The project final conference will be an important dissemination step for the whole project and network – there the experience and knowledge acquired during project will be presented along with the future plan for network’s cooperation. The network’s strategy for future cooperation and project ideas will be presented to encourage other adult education providers to involve in the cooperation.

Contact person in Iceland: Guðrún Lárusdóttir program director at AUI, tel: +354 8435308, e-mail: gurra@lbhi.is

Sheep skills

Name of project: Sheep skills

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Contact person in Iceland: Guðrún Lárusdóttir program director at AUI, tel: +354 8435308, e-mail: gurra@lbhi.is

Vast view

Name of project: Vast view

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Contact person in Iceland: Guðrún Lárusdóttir program director at AUI, tel: +354 8435308, e-mail: gurra@lbhi.is

Guðrún Lárusdóttir

Program director

If you are looking for a partner in Iceland and would like to know more about the Adult education at the Agricultural University of Iceland, feel free to contact us by e-mail (gurra@lbhi.is) or by phone (+354 8435308)