The New Bachelor Programme |
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About Project
The idea of developing the new bachelor program in Applied Biosciences stems from almost 25-year long collaboration between the Faculty of Biology (Department of Biophysics) at Iv.Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and the Faculty of Applied Biology at the University of the West of England (Bristol). Prof. Boris Lomsadze’s and Prof. Henry Parry’s joint efforts laid foundation for successful partnership between those two universities resulted in further realization of number of students exchange and scientific training programs.
The cooperation has been reinforced since 2006. The bachelor program in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology has been developed within the framework of an EC Tempus funded project: ‘Developing new applied biosciences and biotechnology curricula’ at the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of Tbilisi State University. The project, started in September, 2007 and extended unit the February, 2010.
The project is being implemented by an international consortium that along with Iv.Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (grant coordinator) includes three leading European universities – the University of the West of England, UK (grant holder), Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The project working group comprises the academic staff of all the four HEIs.
By now a major part of the work stipulated in the project has been completed: program structure and program content is already established, a novel modular teaching methodology is designed, program management and quality assurance strategies are documented, computer facilities and laboratory equipment are purchased. The program has succeeded in receiving accreditation.
The new BSc degree program in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology has been launched fully for the first intake in the academic year 2009/2010.
Advisory meetings of the consortium representatives within a 2-year period of intensive work brought success. 5 meetings were organized in Tbilisi, Bristol, Dublin and Thessaloniki during this period. The video conferences were held regularly, where current issues regarding the project were actively discussed. The academic staff of TSU was trained and became aware of curricula structure and teaching strategies at the European partner universities. Meetings with the representatives of Quality Assurance and Work Placement Services along with academic staff, module leaders and tutors were organized while visiting.
Project results and outcomes have been summarized, discussed and evaluated during the final meeting which took take place in January 2010, in Tbilisi.
