Abstract:

English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) is the practice of using English as a vehicle of instruction in postgraduate programs, notably in subjects in the areas of science, mathematics, medicine, engineering, and information technology, in nations where English does not have official language status, and students do not speak English as their mother tongue. The project "Support for Innovative Methodology, Approaches and Tools for Teaching Through the Medium of English in Order to Improve Educational Yield, Sustainability, and Internationalization (SMARTI)" aims to support university professors responsible for teaching in English, as well as students, national and international organizations involved in these programs.

SMARTI's objectives encompass the establishment of transparent educational standards at national and international levels, the introduction of comparable learning tools, such as Student-Centered Learning, and the adoption of teaching standards aligned with the Bologna criteria. At the same time, we seek to improve the academic quality and performance of teachers and students in participating countries, through the development of sustainable curricula for teacher training.

SMARTI brings together four institutions from European universities (Technische Universität Dresden - Germany [coordinator], Riga Technical University – Latvia, Liverpool John Moores University – United Kingdom, Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Portugal), and six institutions from Armenia (Academy of the Republic of Armenia, Vanadzor State University after H. Toumanyan”, Armenian National Agrarian University, Mikayel Nalbandian Shirak State University, Goris State University, National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation).

Anticipated results of the project include the development and implementation of a teacher training course with a comprehensive pedagogical curriculum, consisting of 10 modules in EMI, and the establishment of EMI Centers at partner universities in Armenia. The positive impacts are manifested in improving the quality of teaching staff and students in the countries involved, simultaneously facilitating mobility and exchange of staff and students. The EMI approach emerges as a successful practice for offering academic programs in English, consolidating itself as a sustainable and advantageous strategy, both from an educational and financial point of view, in non-English-speaking contexts. Such results indicate not only the feasibility, but also the lasting effectiveness of EMI as an essential component for internationalization and educational improvement in diverse academic contexts.

Keywords:

English as a Medium of Instruction, training, Erasmus+, Europe, Armenia.