Erasmus+ projects provide opportunities to enhance the quality of education, promote knowledge exchange, and connect with institutions across Europe and the world. They contribute to creating an inclusive, adaptable, and forward-looking educational environment tailored to the needs of future generations.
Two of the four projects are coordinated by FOI, further strengthening its role in international academic circles and enabling proactive management of projects with a significant impact on education systems in Europe and beyond.
- The SuMoS – Strengthening the Ecosystem for Sustainable Student Mobility project started on October 1, 2024, and will run until September 30, 2027. FOI is the project coordinator, with a total budget of €400,000. The project is led by Assoc. Prof. Katarina Pažur Aničić, Ph.D.
The goal of SuMoS is to strengthen the institutional ecosystem for strategic, structured, and sustainable cooperation between higher education institutions in student mobility by developing and purposefully using green practices, digital tools, and curriculum comparison approaches. This initiative involves five partners from four European countries (France, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Croatia) and one candidate country (Serbia).
The project’s kick-off meeting will take place in mid-December at FOI. More details about the project, its activities, and expected results can be found on the official website: https://sumos-project.eu/en.
- FOI is also the coordinator of the DIGITAsia – Digital Transformation of Asian Higher Education project, which will run until October 31, 2027, with a total budget of €719,634. Led by Full Prof. Igor Balaban, Ph.D., the project aims to transform educational systems in Asian countries, including the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. It promotes Education 5.0 and digital transformation in alignment with the principles of Society 5.0.
The project will train 150 higher education lecturers to design and implement 130 hybrid courses across seven Asian higher education institutions and establish a sustainable framework for digital transformation. The project also seeks to foster inter-institutional cooperation and knowledge exchange through national events and training programs. In addition to FOI, eight other partners are involved: Open University of Catalonia (Spain), Maldives National University, Islamic University of Maldives, Villa College (Maldives), SLT Campus and University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Malaysia).
In addition to these coordinating projects, FOI is a partner in two other new projects:
- AI-HED – Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, coordinated by Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), running until August 2026 with a budget of €250,000. FOI, alongside University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna (Austria) and Polytechnic University of Lisbon (Portugal), will investigate, test, and conceptualize the impact of AI on teaching and learning. The project aims to enhance teachers’ and students’ skills, competencies, and attitudes in using AI tools in education and develop recommendations for integrating AI into higher education teaching practices.
- My Robot, My LearnMate, which runs until September 30, 2026, with a budget of €250,000, involves FOI as a partner alongside educational institutions and schools from Germany, Portugal, and Poland. Led by Ivana Ružić from the 1st Primary School Čakovec, with Full Prof. Igor Balaban, Ph.D., heading the FOI research team, the project focuses on developing an interdisciplinary approach to learning through robotics, AI, and STEM education for sustainable development and an inclusive culture tailored to all students.
In summary, FOI continues its active participation in various Erasmus+ initiatives and projects, including iLed, CUTIE, DEMO, OOOP4FUN, AI2SEP and UNIC, further contributing to educational innovation and international collaboration.
