What is Erasmus+?
Erasmus+ is the European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport. It runs for seven years, from 2014 to 2020, with organisations invited to apply for funding each year to undertake life-changing and worthwhile activities. With the aim to modernise education, training and youth work across Europe, Erasmus+ is open to organisations across all sectors of lifelong learning.
What is SMARTEX?
SMARTEX: Smart Textiles – Modernisation of the curriculum of Textile Engineering and Textile Technology in Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan (2020-2023)
The aim of the project is to support the modernisation and internationalisation of Higher Education Institutes in Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan by reforming bachelor degree programmes which will bring national education systems up to the EU standards level and enhance competitiveness of graduates in the labour market. The project focuses on setting up a curriculum on smart and technical textiles. The Asian partner countries represented in the SMARTEX partnership are among the biggest textile producers, whereas the European partners represent the target market for the production of textiles and fashion. European companies cooperate with companies in Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan as subcontractors. In this prospect, cooperation of universities from the 6 countries involved will be beneficial for everybody.
In addition to curriculum development and the development of learning and e-learning material, the SMARTEX project aims for the capacity building of Asian Universities by way of staff exchanges between universities as well as student internships in European and local high technology textile companies. The project is fully funded by Erasmus+.
The objectives of the project are:
- To analyse the competences necessary for graduates of textile engineering and related faculties’ bachelor studies in Asian universities as far as technical and smart textiles are concerned.
- To update the curricula of Asian Universities, by developing new or by updating existing courses in textile engineering and related faculties’ bachelor studies.
- To integrate innovative teaching/learning methods into the reformed curricula of Asian Universities.
- To develop learning material for the new and updated courses and their correspondence to ECTS.
- To promote the internationalisation of Asian HEIs by implementing international exchanges of staff and students.
- To build capacity of academic and administrative staff of Asian HEIs by organising training sessions for them in European HEIs.
- To enhance the competitiveness of Asian HEIs’ graduates in the labour market with the organisation of national and international internships in companies.
Project partners:
- UNIWA – University of Western Attica, Greece
- UGent – Ghent University, Belgium
- UPV – Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
- IDEC – IDEC SA, Greece
- MARA – Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
- UTHM – Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Malaysia
- STTT – Politeknik STTT Bandung, Indonesia
- FSRD-ITB – Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia
- BZU – Bahauddin Zakariya University, Pakistan
- NED – NED University of Engineering & Technology, Pakistan
Project Partner P7-Politeknik STTT Bandung
Due to Covid-19, all training and meeting activities are conducted online. Various training activities have been conducted between January and February 2021. The 1st trans-national meeting was held on January 18, and then the 2nd training on trainers was on February 22. Currently, Politeknik STTT Bandung is developing the modules in collaboration with other Asian partners and European universities.
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Project Partner P7 Participation in Smartex Training
The project started on January 2020 and is expected to finish in December 2022. Other programs to come are pilot teaching for the updated courses for the 3 departments in Politeknik STTT Bandung, i.e.: “Smart Textiles and Fashionable Technology” for the students of the Dept. of Textile Chemistry, “Technical Textiles” for the students of the Dept. of Textile Engineering, and “Advanced Garment and Smart Clothing” for the students of the Dept. of Garment Production (and with the conc. of Fashion Design).
The next interesting program in this project will be Student Exchange which will possibly be conducted at around spring next year (2022). Prospective students will be selected to get the opportunity for the study exchange program that required 3-6 months stay in one of our European partner countries. Then there will be Professor exchange, as well as some final conferences or seminars.
For more information about the program in Politeknik STTT Bandung, you can contact the Project Manager of P7 Smartex Program, Ida Nuramdhani, Ph.D.
(Reported by: Irfandhani Fauzi)
Sources:
https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/about-erasmus
https://www.ugent.be/ea/match/textiles/en/research/projects/current/smartex.htm