5-6 December 2019 | Cracow
FH Münster continues to develop international cooperation and makes use of the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme by engaging in an Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Strategic Partnerships project for the exchange of good practices. Within the project "ARDENT - Advancing Rural Development through Entrepreneurship Education for Adults" FH Münster takes the lead partner's role. ARDENT has been developed in cooperation with five other European partner institutions. The project aims at triggering the much-needed economic and social change in rural regions, via the development of awareness on the challenges facing rural areas in Europe and entrepreneurial skills among the adult population.
Rural depopulation is becoming a major policy challenge in Europe as the population and employment have become increasingly concentrated in the urban centres and rural regions showing an ever-continuing downfall in terms of the population size. Further pressing challenges in rural areas include risk of poverty and social exclusion and raising unemployment rates. ARDENT is an intentional action by six European partners including FH Münster (Germany), UNIVATIONS (Germany), UIIN (Netherlands), University of Osijek (Croatia), Cracow University of Economics (Poland), Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (Portugal) to increase the engagement and activities of the HEIs within their local environment through their continuing education offers in the form of lifelong learning. The project further aims at boosting the attractiveness of rural regions among youth and urban communities, by creating new employment opportunities.
S2BMRC was honoured to organise the project kickoff meeting held in Cracow (Poland) on December 5 and 6 together with Cracow University of Economics. At the Kickoff Meeting, led by Iulia Stroila (Project Coordinator, S2BMRC) the partners set things in motion detailing the timeline and scope of technical activities as well as defining the management and administrative structure for project implementation.
During the next two years, the consortium will identify the rural needs and bridge the divide between the HEI and its regional community through regional consultation events that require innovative solutions. The partners will further develop educational resources to target skills development of adults from all professional backgrounds through community-based learning in the field of rural entrepreneurship.
