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PRESS RELEASE
November 8th 2023
VALIANT project consortium meeting at the Cyprus University of Technology
The Language Centre of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of a project meeting that signifies substantial milestones in the VALIANT KA3 Erasmus+ project. The meeting, which took place in Limassol, Cyprus on 26th & 27th October 2023, brought together a dedicated consortium of professionals from various parts in Europe.
VALIANT (https://valiantproject.eu/) is a Policy Experimentation Project that aims at testing the efficiency of Virtual Innovation and Support Networks as an approach which will contribute to overcoming teachers’ sense of isolation and low motivation in rural areas and isolated contexts and also to developing teachers’ ability to operate effectively in online international networks of professional collaboration. VALIANT also aims at testing the efficiency of this form of Virtual Exchange for providing students of Initial Teacher Education with access to the realities of the teaching profession through regular interaction with in-service teachers integrated into their study programme.
The project is coordinated by Professor Robert O’Dowd at the University of León in Spain and brings together ten universities as well as Ministries of Education from Castilla y León and Galicia, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Baden-Württemberg in Germany. The project received funding from the European Commission and will run until March 2024.
The recent project meeting in Limassol allowed partners to reflect on the series of workshops conducted throughout Europe to inform educators about Virtual Exchange and about the outcomes of the project. The workshops provided a practical, hands-on introduction to Virtual Exchange and how it can be used by in-service school teachers and by teacher trainers in Initial Teacher Education. In addition, during the meeting, the consortium finalised the book publication and the plans for the upcoming conference in León, Spain on 8th & 9th February 2024 (https://www.valiantconference.education/home). This event will bring together teachers, student teachers, researchers and policy makers interested in Virtual Exchange and Blended Mobility initiatives and how they can be employed in Initial Teacher Education and Continuous Professional Development.
The Rector of the Cyprus University of Technology Professor Panayiotis Zaphiris addressed the VALIANT consortium, highlighting the university’s commitment to initiatives like Virtual Exchange and Blended Mobility. In addition to constructive discussions, the consortium had the opportunity to experience the Cypriot culture through engaging social activities.
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