One year after the start of the MERIT project, on October 3-4, project members gathered in Tallinn to discuss the achieved results. They also formed more precise visions for future activities. This project brought together 4 European technical universities (Polytechnic University of Catalonia (BarcelonaTech or UPC), Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH), Riga Technical University (RTU) and Tallinn Technical University (TalTech), Bruno Kessler Institute (FBK), 2 companies (Exacaster and Asoindel) and 3 digital innovation hubs (SSMTP, CIT-UPC and DIZNE). With the efforts of all of them, new master’s study programs are being created, focused on the student experience and impact on the market.
Developing advanced digital skills
According to the European Commission, more than 90% of jobs require specific digital skills. However, 43% of the European population and 33% of European labor market participants lack these skills. There is still a shortage of people who can fill all the necessary jobs. Employee shortages with advanced digital skills are also expected in the future.
Analyzing the current situation, it is noticeable that there is a separation between the education and business sectors. This is especially visible in the field of artificial intelligence. The world’s largest companies are developing various artificial intelligence solutions, opening them to the wide market. Research and educational institutions are lagging behind in the field of transferring these technologies to students. However, they are moving to studies that are more interactive in terms of content and form, and are rapidly renewing the g.p’6mselves. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized businesses lack employees with the necessary digital skills, who can exploit the opportunities and potential of existing technologies.
Each of the three Baltic countries and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia have already begun creating new generation master’s programs as a result of the MERIT project. They will focus on the development of the latest, advanced digital skills and applicability competencies. Advanced digital skills training courses will be available not only to MERIT master’s students, but also to business representatives and individuals. Dedicated courses will be available as short-term courses for the enterprise employees and the general public.
During the first year of the MERIT project, the focus was on preparing educational materials and developing basic digital skills. In Lithuania alone, more than 1,000 high school students were introduced to the principles of artificial intelligence, cyber security, and data analytics, more than 400 teachers were trained on how to convey these technologies to students, activities were started to promote the development of scientific research skills at an early age, and more than 600 business representatives were introduced to the possibilities of applying artificial intelligence solutions in their activities. It is planned to expand these activities and make some of the information related to advanced digital skills available to the widest possible circle of society.
Studies focused on the student experience
Modern study content, quick response to market changes and evolving technologies are only part of the factors determining study quality. Another very critical part is the student’s study experience – the pleasure of studying, gaining international experience, working in interdisciplinary groups and solving specific business tasks, deepening special, but also personal and social abilities. The MERIT project study programs pay significant attention to this. These study programs will integrate the knowledge and strengths of all four higher education institutions, research institutes and business representatives. They will provide cross-cultural studies focused on cooperation and synergies. All students will be guaranteed “mobility at home”, when lectures by foreign partners, business representatives and preparation of group projects at hackathon-type events and other interactive activities will be integrated into each study program.
During the first year of the MERIT project implementation, an information system was developed. This allowed us to compare MERIT study programs according to their dedicated skills. This will not only make it possible to choose the master’s study program most suitable for the student. It will also ensure smoother student mobility and a possible transition between study programs of the MERIT project. During studies, this system will allow students to track the level of competencies they have achieved, and will form a personal portfolio of acquired competencies. Based on the data, the system will enable students to assess the correspondence of available competences to different market areas, desired abilities in specific job positions, analyze missing competences and courses that allow them to be acquired.
VILNIUS TECH and partners already used, as well as the newly developed study quality monitoring tools in the MERIT project study programs will enable more individualized, student experience-oriented studies for implementation. With these tools, students who require individual assistance or additional attention will be identified earlier. Also, “live” recommendations will be generated for each student. It will show the gained and missing competences, the steps required to close the gaps in them (with links to additional study resources or available consultations), and possible ways of their further development.
During the project meeting in Tallinn, it was assessed that MERIT study programs and modernization solutions are unique on the market. It is planned that the first master’s students to MERIT master study programs will be accepted in 2024 September. Meanwhile, some of the courses, tools and activities will be available to the public from the beginning of the next school year.