Best Practice: Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

High-Level Institutional Exchange

From June 21 to 25, a delegation from from six universities in Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, and Armenia, visited the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) for a specialized training program. This working visit was organized under the European Union’s Erasmus+ project, "Implementation of Innovative Technologies in the Digitalization of Technological Processes and Production" (DIGITECH).

The official part of the event opened with welcoming speeches from Professor A. Wagenitz, Vice President for Research at HAW Hamburg, and A. Tologonova, vice-project coordinator, Rector of INAI.kg.

A key highlight of the visit was the working session of the Joint Coordination Committee. During this meeting, the partners approved the strategic objectives of the project, agreed on the schedule for upcoming events, and defined the expected outcomes of their collaborative work.

From Theory to Practice: Modernizing Academic Curricula

The practical segment of the training focused on adapting academic curricula to align with real-world market demands. INAI.kg presented the framework of our new, cutting-edge educational program, "Industrial IT." In turn, partner universities showcased their updated training courses, which were refined based on a comprehensive needs analysis of modern manufacturing and production.

The training program covered the industry's most relevant trends:

• New Professions: Participants examined labor market transformation and the emergence of new job roles driven by artificial intelligence.
• Engineering Competencies: Experts delivered lectures on the core skills required for the modern engineer.
• Cybersecurity: Special emphasis was placed on data protection as a critical link between academic education and real-world production.

European colleagues generously shared their practical expertise. Professor A. Schmidt detailed the digitalization of the "Mechanical Engineering" bachelor's program at HAW Hamburg, while Professor A. Uzbek shared insights into implementing Project-Based Learning (PBL) for future engineers.

The intensive training concluded with a practical workshop. After completing a course on designing modular programs based on learning outcomes, partner universities presented and defended their modular descriptions. They received detailed feedback and valuable recommendations from leading professors at HAW Hamburg and the University of Maribor.

Infrastructure Exploration and Future Roadmaps

An important part of the visit was exploring the cutting-edge infrastructure of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. The delegates were taken on research and production tours of HAW Hamburg's key research centers:

• Business Innovation
• Control Systems and Automation
• The Machine Hall, featuring a unique hydrogen propulsion system

At the conclusion of the meeting, the partner universities successfully presented and defended their individual roadmaps for launching and implementing the new educational programs. The final stage of the working session involved a detailed discussion regarding the structure, content, and organizational aspects of the project's next phase: "Pilot Teaching and Learning."