Erasmus+ OPATEL

Erasmus+OPATEL is another EU project titled: Online Platform for Academic TEaching and Learning in Iran & Iraq - OPATEL. The project was implemented during October 2017 to October 2020 coordinated by Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, Leipzig-Germany. The programme Erasmus plus funded by the European Union in the framework of the Capacity Building for Higher Education.
This project was based on the following reason:
The educational system in Iraq and Iran is facing many challenges such as lack of professional skills and competencies of teachers, lack of efficient methods and lack of teacher’s ability to respond to challenges of the 21st century, weakness of methods and applications, inadequate access to technology and lack of sufficient knowledge and ability to exploit technology. PC universities have overcome these challenges by preparing relevant and updated policies and programs. The aim of OPATEL consisted in establishing and developing a center to train staff and students in IR&IQ universities by using Online Platform for TEaching and learning to be as a hub for using best practices in ICT in education, as well as raising competencies of lecturers and teachers by enhancing the learning processes of students.
The Objectives of the project were:
1. Establish a well-equipped center for E-Learning in partner unit.
2. Transfer EU-experience in areas of E-Learning, skills development and merge new generations in this experience.
3. Training and follow up with staff and students on how to develop, share learning objects, and
collaborate their courses, presentations and exercises on online platform.
4. Improve quality of teaching and learning by building the capacity of universities how to evaluate, develop and design e-courses.
5. Enhancing cooperation with EU partners through mutual visits to develop strategies how to move from teaching to learning and developing scalable sustainable solutions.
The use of Online Platform will steer the education, technical ICT in the right direction. Training of staff to enhance and develop their abilities, will promote reform and modernization of higher education in both countries.
Through this platform, partner universities will have a new vision in education systems and this will enhance quality and relevance of higher education. They publish their results to other universities in the region.
Training coaches mentors continuously through EU trainers, this will achieve the application of means and methods of modern and innovative education and training. Accordingly, the transfer of EU-experience in areas of E-Learning in education will be applied.
This solves problems of usage of E-Learning in education; participants create and publish common methodology and documentation for lifelong learning, E-learning and training for Iran and Iraq in accordance with EU-Standards.
3 languages will be used in the project: Arabic, Persian and English.
Many factors will be used for dissemination and success of OPATEL such as press and media; presenting progress via websites; participation of staff and students, governmental support participation of ministries of high educations and other HEIs.
Thus, the general objective of the project improving the quality of teaching and learning at the Iran and Iraq universities through incorporating technological tools in consistence with pedagogical best practices and by building the capacity of the universities to evaluate, develop and design e-curricula, as well as raise the competencies of individual lecturers and teachers to become ability to use the ICT and e-learning for teaching. Another target of this project is building a strong and deep connection between
higher education, teachers, students and society. Specifics of target groups like teachers, lecturers and administrators in Iran and Iraq.
My greatest appreciation to Dr. Riyadh Qashi for his unlimited cooperation and support, during the life period of the project implementation.
For more information, please visit the project website:
[https://opatel.tums.ac.ir/ ]
With the compliments of:
Dr. Mohammed Azeez Saeed,
Salahaddin University-Erbil,
Kurdistan Region-Iraq.