Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași (TUIASI) is part of an important European project, SMILE – Social Meaning Impact through Lifelong Learning universities in Europe, which seeks to promote a more inclusive Europe, fostering and promoting participation, progress and achievement of disadvantaged learners in Higher Education.
SMILE: Social Meaning Impact through LLL Universities in Europe will focus on three different pillars: migrant background students, women in leadership and socio-economic status, with the main goal of improving the way Higher Education Institutions deal with diversity and social inclusion.
The project was launched in December 2020 and will run its course until November 2023, during this period all the partners working together to fulfil the main projects’ outcomes through which inclusion can be achieved:
- a diversity audit plan which aims to establish a diversity-oriented university culture;
- three comprehensive continuous professional development (CPD) courses, one for each pillar for higher education institutions’ staff members (both academic and non-academic staff) focusing on best practices in curriculum, teaching, learning and inclusive practice;
- an Operational Policy Recommendations Action Plan which will allow HEIs and decision makers to realise an implementation strategy towards a more inclusive society, more open to diversity.
The project is co-funded by the European Union (through the Key Action 3 of Erasmus+ Programme: Social Inclusion and Common Values: the Contribution in the Field of Education and Training), and it is coordinated by EUCEN (European University Continuing Education Network). The other partners involved are: Johannes Gutenberg University (DE), Maynooth University (IE), Turku University (FI), University of Malta (MT), University of Cagliari (IT), Fundacio Solidaritat UB (ES), NOTUS (ES), SOLIDAR (BE).
