HE-Arc
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ConnectEurasia
Gestion

ConnectEurasia

This project consists of a consortium of five partners from four different countries (Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and China) who are working towards a common goal: to develop a collaborative online international learning (COIL) program that brings together students from the partner institutions. The course is designed to develop students intercultural skills and teach them about the Eurasian market, with an emphasis on sustainability through joint projects.

The ideas shared and generated during this project will be relevant to higher education institutions, educators, students and businesses alike.

About us

  • Juan Shan

    Shanghai University – School of Management

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21.08.2025 – Save the date!

HEG ARC and the Swiss Global Competence Lab are excited to host an international symposium highlighting the Movetia-funded project « ConnectEurasia: designing collaborative online learning for sustainability. »

Integrating Sustainability into Education: Sharing International Experiences and Best Practices

21.08.2025, from 10:00 to 16:00, at the HEG ARC (Espace de l’Europe 21, Neuchâtel, Switzerland)

About the Symposium

As global sustainability challenges become increasingly urgent, education systems are called upon to prepare learners who can think critically, act responsibly, and co-create sustainable futures. This symposium explores innovative international approaches to embedding sustainability into educational curricula and pedagogical practices.

Presentations will highlight diverse examples from international projects that stimulate experiential learning—from project-based learning and community engagement to partnerships with industry and policy initiatives. These initiatives demonstrate how to transform abstract knowledge into actionable competencies for addressing complex environmental and social challenges.

By showcasing cross-cultural and interdisciplinary experiences, the symposium aims to foster dialogue on how education can drive transformative change and equip learners of all ages with the skills and values needed for sustainable development.

This event will be held in a hybrid format: it will be possible to attend on site or remotely, by videoconference.

To registration(open until August 15, 2025)

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Live sessions!

Two live sessions were held at the end of the COIL, on May 20 and 22, 2025. These sessions brought together the entire group — project leader, students, and coaches — to review the project and gather participatory feedback on the COIL. Key topics discussed included learning objectives, cross-cultural exchanges, challenges faced, and students’ suggestions.

Students especially highlighted:

  • Gaining knowledge about sustainable development and multicultural teamwork
  • Learning about and embracing the challenges of Goal 12 (Responsible consumption and production) from the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Understanding practical applications to analyze a company’s sustainability and explain their findings.
  • Being able to formulate recommendations based on best practices.
  • Improving their own communication skills.
  • Broadening their horizons by discovering the daily lives, cultures, and traditions of peers from other universities
  • The challenge of time zone differences and lack of common communication tools.

This milestone successfully concludes the ConnectEurasia project, characterized by a dynamic, multicultural, and sustainability-focused international experience!

Launch of ConnectEurasia Project Activities

The activities of the ConnectEurasia project were launched at partner universities on March 17, 2025. A total of 36 students joined the initiative and were assigned to groups of five, each mixing students from different universities. Each group was guided by a coach, who is a professor at Consortium universities.

The various activities were presented on the digital platform Padlet, which enabled students to collaborate interactively, thus encouraging exchanges and active participation. By uploading videos, the students were first able to introduce themselves individually and then, in a second stage, to present their respective universities, offering an insight into the infrastructure, campus life, and teaching and research activities.

In addition, students enriched their intercultural experience by sharing aspects of their daily lives and showcasing traditional dishes from their countries of origin. These exchanges sparked curiosity and led to many meaningful conversations among peers.

Design Week – It’s over!

After a week of intense work, Design Week for the ConnectEurasia project has come to an end with a very satisfying outcome!

Over these five days, the team worked on developing the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) by defining the learning objectives, the course content and the assessment method.

Despite the differences between the education systems of the four universities and countries involved, the project team rose to the challenge by finding a concept and operating method that suited everyone. This challenge was all the more important given that the course will be offered to students at Bachelor’s and Master’s level.

We would particularly like to thank the Swiss Global Competence lab, as well as Sandra McGury for her guidance and sharing of experience and good practice, which helped to define the guidelines for COIL.

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Design week – here we are !

Haute école de gestion Arc and the Swiss Eurasian Institute of Management (SEIM) are pleased to welcome nine professors from four countries for the ConnectEurasia project.

Between August 19 to 23, 2024, the consortium is gathering to design a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) course focused on sustainability.

On the first day, participants had the opportunity to discover the results of the exploratory studies and also reinforce the cohesion within the team with a welcome lunch on our campus and a Neuchâtel city tour.

The first objective of the week was to discuss the logistical aspects for coordination among faculty and students, which constitute the greatest challenge in setting up the project. From Switzerland to Kazakhstan, via China and Azerbaijan, there are many aspects to consider: the compatibility of academic calendars, time zones and slots, as the number of ECTS credits awarded.

We look forward to discovering the outcomes of the group discussions and wish our guests an excellent stay in Switzerland!

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Güldem Karamustafa-Köse
+41 32 930 20 45
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