Tag: #erasmus+

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SMILE Project Advances Capacity Building Through WP2 Practical Training Visit in Ankara

Ankara, Türkiye – 4 September 2026

The Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project SMILE – Supporting Mobility and Internationalization for Learning and Engagement in Somali HEIs has successfully completed its first practical training visit under Work Package 2 (WP2): Capacity Building through Training and Infrastructure Development.

The four-day training took place from 1 to 4 September 2026 at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, bringing together representatives from the Somali partner higher education institutions with experts from METU and the European Association of Erasmus Coordinators (EAEC).

The activity formed part of Task 2.3 – Practical Training Visits to European Partner Institutions, which aims to strengthen the internationalisation capacity of Somali higher education institutions through hands-on training, practical exchange, and exposure to international cooperation practices.

Across the four days, participants engaged in a comprehensive programme covering key areas of higher education internationalisation. The sessions addressed international academic partnerships, research collaboration and networking, Erasmus+ cooperation opportunities, proposal development and consortium building, virtual mobility, staff mobility, financial and administrative aspects of mobility, intercultural communication, and global networking skills.

The training also explored emerging approaches to internationalisation, including the role of artificial intelligence, MOOCs, micro-credentials, and virtual internationalisation in expanding access to international learning and cooperation opportunities.

A key objective of the training was to ensure that knowledge acquired during the week could be translated into concrete institutional actions. On the final day, representatives of the Somali HEIs presented their Institutional Action Plans and commitments for the development of academic collaboration, staff mobility, and virtual mobility within their institutions.

The Ankara training represents an important step in the implementation of SMILE’s wider objective to enhance the internationalisation of Somali higher education institutions. Through WP2, the project seeks to equip academic and administrative staff with the skills, knowledge, and practical tools required to engage more effectively in Erasmus+ mobility, international partnerships, virtual exchange, and other forms of academic cooperation.

The training was hosted by METU, the leader of WP2, with contributions from EAEC, and active participation from representatives of the Somali partner institutions.

The SMILE consortium thanks all trainers, speakers, organisers, and participants for their contribution to four days of intensive learning, exchange of experience, networking, and joint planning.

The project will continue its WP2 activities with further capacity-building and training actions aimed at supporting Somali HEIs in developing sustainable international cooperation and mobility structures.

About SMILE

SMILE – Supporting Mobility and Internationalization for Learning and Engagement in Somali HEIs – is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project designed to strengthen the international dimension of Somali higher education institutions.

The project focuses on capacity building, academic mobility, international partnerships, virtual mobility, inclusion, and the development of sustainable institutional internationalisation strategies.

The consortium brings together organisations and higher education institutions from Somalia, Türkiye, Greece, Belgium, and Cyprus.

Project website: https://smileheisproject.org/

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SMILE Project Successfully Submits the First WP2 Deliverable

The SMILE project is pleased to announce the successful submission of Deliverable D2.1 – Report on the Co-Creation Workshop under WP2 (Capacity Building through Training and Infrastructure Development) to the European Commission through the SYGMA platform.

This first technical deliverable represents an important milestone in the project’s capacity-building journey. Led by Middle East Technical University (METU), the report documents the outcomes of the co-creation workshop organised with all project partners in Ankara to jointly identify the training priorities and define the structure of the capacity-building programme for Somali Higher Education Institutions.

The report captures the needs identified during collaborative discussions and translates them into a structured training framework covering the project’s key internationalisation themes, including:

  • Academic collaboration
  • Staff mobility
  • Inclusion strategies
  • Private sector engagement
  • Virtual mobility

By adopting a participatory co-creation approach, the consortium ensured that the future training activities directly respond to the institutional realities and priorities of Somali universities, laying a strong foundation for the implementation of the project’s objectives.

What comes next?

Following the completion of D2.1, the project now enters the implementation phase of WP2. Partners will begin developing the training materials and learning resources that will be used during the capacity-building programme.

The upcoming activities will include online and in-person training sessions delivered by the European partners, providing academic and administrative staff from Somali Higher Education Institutions with practical knowledge, tools, and methodologies to strengthen their internationalisation strategies, foster international partnerships, promote inclusive higher education, and enhance cooperation with the private sector.

The successful completion of this first WP2 deliverable marks another significant step towards achieving SMILE’s overall mission: supporting the internationalisation of Somali Higher Education Institutions and strengthening their integration into global academic networks.

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SMILE Project Holds In-Person Kick-Off Meeting and Co-Creation Workshop in Ankara

Ankara, Türkiye, 7–10 April 2026

The consortium of the SMILE project – Supporting Mobility and Internationalization for Learning and Engagement in Somali HEIs (Project Ref. No. 101237721) successfully held its first in-person Kick-Off Meeting and Co-Creation Workshop in Ankara, Türkiye, from 7 to 10 April 2026, hosted by Middle East Technical University (METU).

Co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme, action Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education (CBHE), SMILE is a 36-month project aimed at strengthening the internationalization capacities of Somali higher education institutions through mobility, institutional cooperation, inclusion, and digital approaches to international learning.

The Ankara meeting marked an important milestone in the project lifecycle. Following the Virtual Kick-Off Meeting held in January 2026, the in-person event enabled Somali and European partners to meet face to face for the first time, review progress achieved during the first months of implementation, and move from project launch to the first operational phase of activities.

The first day of the meeting was dedicated to consortium coordination and project management. Partners reviewed the status of project implementation after the first three months, including coordination activities, signed partnership agreements, first financial transfers, communication arrangements, and preparation of upcoming deliverables. Discussions also addressed key implementation priorities for the first year, dissemination planning, quality assurance, and reporting procedures.

The following three days were dedicated to the Work Package 2 Co-Creation Workshop, a central activity of the project’s capacity-building component. The workshop brought together Somali and European partners in a highly interactive format designed to refine the training priorities and methodologies that will guide WP2 implementation.

The workshop focused on the five core training areas of the project:

  • Staff mobility
  • Virtual mobility
  • Private sector engagement
  • Inclusion strategies
  • Academic collaboration

During the co-creation sessions, Somali partner institutions actively shared their institutional realities, priorities, and challenges, while European partners contributed examples of practices, facilitation, and technical expertise. Through plenary exchanges, thematic discussions, and World Café group work, the workshop helped confirm and update the needs analysis carried out during the project preparation phase and provided a shared basis for the further design of training activities.

The active involvement of the Somali organizations was particularly important throughout the event. Their contributions ensured that the discussions remained grounded in institutional realities and that the future training activities under WP2 will respond to actual needs and opportunities within Somali higher education. At the same time, the European partners played a key facilitation role by supporting reflection, sharing practical experience, and helping structure the outcomes of the workshop into a coherent framework for implementation.

The SMILE consortium brings together eight partners from Somalia and Europe:

  • Horseed International University (Somalia) – Coordinator
  • Baidoa International University (Somalia)
  • Plasma University (Somalia)
  • Somali Education and Youth Development Action – SOEYDA (Somalia)
  • Middle East Technical University – METU (Türkiye)
  • University of Piraeus / University of Piraeus Research Center (Greece)
  • European Society for Socio Economic Integration – ESSEI (Belgium)
  • European Association of Erasmus Coordinators – EAEC (Cyprus)

The meeting in Ankara reinforced the collaborative spirit of the consortium and created strong momentum for the next phase of the project. The outcomes of the workshop will feed directly into the Co-Creation Workshop Report and support the preparation of subsequent WP2 training activities, practical training visits, and the broader internationalization work to be developed under the SMILE project.

Through its work plan, SMILE seeks to support Somali higher education institutions in building stronger international partnerships, developing more inclusive and innovative internationalization strategies, and expanding opportunities for academic mobility and global engagement.