Erasmus Mundus Project

In the fall of 2022, National Aviation University received a European grant to implement the EMDM Project “Design of Joint Master Degree in Sustainable Transport Engineering”, the main purpose of which was to develop a joint international master’s program in sustainable transport engineering.

It is a two-year training program aimed to combine transportation engineering, air transport, energy and the environment. Details on project registration and approval may be found here.

On Thursday, December 8, 2022, the project team presented “Design of Joint Master Degree in Sustainable Transport Engineering” at a cluster webinar meeting for winners of the EU Erasmus+ program “Strengthening the Capacity of Ukrainian Education for European Integration”.

The event was co-organized by the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine, the Directorate-General of the European Commission, the European Agency for Education and Culture of the European Commission, the National Erasmus+ Agency, the Representation of the European Union in Ukraine, the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, ESN-Ukraine, EMA-Ukraine, and other beneficiaries.

Details about the event, its program, and the project developers’ presentation may be found here.

On December 14, 2022, project developers participated in the online 35th Anniversary of the Erasmus+ Closing Event, held in Brussels, Belgium.

This event was organized to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Erasmus+, learn from participants’ experiences, and exchange information about the program’s history and thoughts on its future. The program’s founders, beneficiaries, and collaborators working at national or European levels on Erasmus+ participated in various sessions and seminars dedicated to Erasmus+ priorities, best practices, and the program’s history.

Project team representatives received letters of appreciation and certificates confirming their participation in the event, namely:

• Sc.D, professor, project coordinator, Dmytro Shevchuk

• Ph.D., associate professor, project manager, Olena Sokolova

• Senior Lecturer, project manager, Kostiantyn Cherednichenko

• assistant, senior expert, Ivan Steniakin

Detailed information about the event and the project team participation presented here.

During the period from February 1 to March 31, 2023, project participant took international internship at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University on the topic “Sustainable transport system and technologies.”

The online internship at Vilnius Tech consisted of two parts: initially, K. Cherednichenko attended lectures by leading experts on sustainable transport systems and technologies at the Faculty of Transport Engineering.

Subsequently, he conducted his initial research within a team of scientists on the concepts of sustainable electric aviation, autonomous control systems for transportation systems, and urban aviation mobility. It is worth noting that an equally important aspect of the internship was the study of the experience of colleagues from Vilnius Tech in the Eurointegration issues of the Lithuanian transport system.

In February 2023, a meeting took place between the project coordinator, Dmytro Shevchuk, and Dmytro Bespalov, the CEO of “Bespalov LAB” and “ProMobility” companies. The outcome of the meeting was the signing of a cooperation agreement, within which the future students of “Sustainable Transport Engineering” educational program will receive free access to student versions of PTV Vissim and PTV Visum software.

• PTV Vissim: It is a microscopic multi-modal traffic flow simulation software that helps in modeling and simulating complex traffic scenarios. It is widely used for analyzing traffic behavior, optimizing signal controls, and designing transportation infrastructure.

• PTV Visum: This software is a comprehensive solution for strategic traffic and transportation planning. PTV Visum is often used for tasks such as demand forecasting, network planning, and evaluating the impact of various transportation scenarios.

Both software applications play a crucial role for professionals specializing in sustainable transport engineering. They offer sophisticated features for modeling and scrutinizing traffic patterns, optimizing infrastructure, and facilitating well-informed decision-making in the realms of urban planning and sustainable transportation management.

On June 29, 2023, the project participants from National Aviation University held an interim meeting with partners – Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Lithuania) and Zilina University (Slovakia).

During the meeting, the collaborative educational-professional program was discussed, covering its key provisions, goals, teaching methods, curriculum content, and program competencies. Additionally, potential admission rules and the procedure for entry into the joint master’s program were considered.

Detailed information about the event and the preliminary curriculum of the joint educational-professional program “Sustainable Transport Engineering” for the Master’s degree is available for review here.

In September 2023, as part of the work on DIMSTE project, participants from Ukraine underwent training by the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (NAQA) and became experts in the following specialties:

• Dmytro Shevchuk (project coordinator): 275 “Transport Technologies (by types)”, 174 “Automation, Computer-Integrated Technologies, and Robotics” and 151 “Automation and Computer-Integrated Technologies”.

• Olena Sokolova (project manager): 275 “Transport Technologies (by types)” and 073 “Management”.

• Kostiantyn Cherednichenko (project manager): 275 “Transport Technologies (by types)”.

The Swedish Council for Higher Education, in collaboration with the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine and co-organizers, held the Swedish-Ukrainian Contact Seminar 2023 “Digital Conference on Education and Research” on October 3rd and 4th, 2023.

The purpose of this digital conference, conducted on the “invite people” platform, was to strengthen cooperation between Sweden and Ukraine and provide an opportunity to learn more about education and research funding possibilities.

As part of the event, DIMSTE representatives from National Aviation University – Dmytro Shevchuk (Sc.D. in Engineering, Head of Air Transportation Management Department, project coordinator), Olena Sokolova (Ph.D. in Economics, Associate Professor, project manager) and Kostiantyn Cherednichenko (Senior Lecturer, project manager) – presented the results of “Development of an international master’s program in Sustainable Transport Engineering” project within the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarships international program.

Detailed information about the event is available for review here.

In November 2023, the DIMSTE team met with aviation industry experts and Bees Airline representatives – CEO Yevhenii Khainatskyi and CCO Oleksandr Dzhydzhora.

Within the DIMSTE project presentation at the National Aviation University, key aspects and achievements obtained during project implementation were effectively highlighted. The application of innovative methodologies in educational programs related to sustainable transportation engineering is already laying a stronger foundation for training professionals adapted to the challenges of the contemporary transport industry.

Attendees received a detailed overview of the project, its key deliverables and development experience. They also had the opportunity to discuss questions with experts and representatives from the aviation sector.

In January 2024, an online workshop with participation of all consortium members was organized for final approving and signing of the EMDM Partnership Agreement. As a result of the conducted online seminar, a corresponding protocol was formed and signed.

The completion of the DIMSTE project is a significant step both in the development of Ukraine’s transportation sector and within the framework of international cooperation. This project not only contributes to the improvement of education in sustainable transportation engineering but also opens up new prospects for future professionals in this strategically important sector. The DIMSTE team is confident that this experience will serve as a springboard for further initiatives and projects aimed at enhancing and modernizing the transportation system, as well as expanding international collaboration in this strategically vital field.