M I N U T E S

of the First Steering Committee Meeting
of Tempus JEP Contract IB_JEP-14047-1999
       
24-27 February 2000, Sofia

Agenda:

February 24 – Arrival Day
February 25 – First Session
February 26 – Second Session
February 27 – Departure Day

List of Participants:

            A. Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Sofia (BG)
1.	Dr. Roumen Nikolov, contractor of the project
2.	Prof. Panayot Bonchev, coordinator of the project 
3.	Dr. Krassen Stefanov – CIST (Center of Information Society Technologies)
4.	Iliana Nikolova – CIST
5.	Veselin Spiridonov – CIST 
6.	Gergana Raducheva – CIST 
7.	Boriana Rukanova – CIST 

B. Bulgarian Institute for Legal Development – BILD, Sofia (BG)
8.   Dr. Nelly Ognianova  (represents also DES and DPA of Sofia University)

C. International Banking Institute (BG)
9.   Kamelia Stefanova
10. Galena Slavova
11. Vasil Kalinov
12. Jordan Genchev

D. Ministry of Education and Science, Sofia (BG)
13. Mirolyuba Madjarova
14. Pencho Mihnev

	E. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sofia (BG)
15. Tatyana Petrova
16. Victor Gyurov

	F. National Employment Service, Sofia (BG)
17. Ivelin Madjarov

	G.  St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo (BG)
18. Marga Georgieva, Ph.D.
19. Mihaela Dimitrova

	H. Universite des Sciences Humaines de Strasbourg, Strasburg (F)
20. Terence Boyle
21. Pierre Frath

	I. University of Twente, Enschede (NL)
22. Svetoslav Stoyanov

	J. Bulgarian Tempus Office, Sofia (BG)
23. Kapka Andreicheva

FIRST SESSION, February 25, 2000

Preliminary Agenda
9:00  –  9:45	Partners and project presentation (brief).	
9:45 – 11:15	Presentation and discussion of the Intermediate Report:
•	overview of the outputs foreseen for 1999/2000;
•	deviations from the original application;
•	progress made;
•	experience of the launching phase.	
11:15 – 11:30	Coffee break	
11:30 – 13:00	Specifying of a more detailed version of the work plan accordingly to the outputs planned for the first year.	
13:00 – 14:00	Lunch	
14:00 – 16:45	Specifying of a more detailed version of the budget accordingly with the outputs planned for the first year.	
16:45 – 18:00	Development of the overall course organization and structure.	

1.	Opening the meeting.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov opened the First Steering Committee Meeting. He proposed discussion of the agenda. He proposed to make the agenda optimal in order to make the meeting more effective.
He also stated that the opportunity provided by the EC can be used in order to develop as many courses as possible. He also said that he would comment on the decisions, stated in the Intermediate Report and that the second day would be organized as a workshop; course development teams have to be formed. 
The preliminary agenda was accepted by the participants.

2.	Partners and project presentations

2.1.	Partner presentation

Dr. Roumen Nikolov presented the Center of Information Society Technologies and Sofia University Departments participating in the project.

Terence Boyle presented University of Strasbourg participants. He mentioned that they are in charge of many projects under ERASMUS and TEMPUS programmes and many activities with European institutions. They use lecturers from European institutions. Involved in projects in Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, etc. 

Pierre Frath added about their work in teaching linguistics and setting up a language resource center.

Svetoslav Stoyanov presented University of Twente, the Faculty of Educational Science and Technology and the Master's Program. 

Dr. Roumen Nikolov mentioned that the representative of GMD (G) couldn’t arrive due to grand CeBit exhibition at the same time, but all participants know about GMD, the largest German organization in the field of Information technologies, very technologically advanced and may provide expertise.

Marga Georgieva presented the University of Veliko Tarnovo, where she is a Vice Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics.

Kamelia Stefanova, Galena Slavova presented the International Banking Institute, established in 1991 as professional training center; involved in several international projects to transfer the practice to Bulgaria; the objective is to make some of the programs modern and more efficient; distance learning modules to become web-based.

Mirolyuba Madjarova said she is an expert in Euro integration: There is an intensive preparation for integration going on and the staff needs these courses (as shown by the needs analysis). Office automation course already started.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov added that Mirolyuba Madjarova was one of the catalysts of the project and personally took part in the preparation of the proposal.

Tatyana Petrova said she is the Head of the qualification department, language training Human Resource Directorate, and they'll try to make use of every opportunity provided by the project

Ivelin Madjarov is the Head of Information Technologies section of the National Employment Agency. He stressed that a large national network which is suitable to be used for distance learning is under development.

2.2.	Project presentation

Dr. Roumen Nikolov presented the project. He also said : “We will try to satisfy the needs of client institutions and we already found a formula that satisfies the National Employment Service and the International Banking Institute (IBI)”. Some core courses are Information Technologies and Language courses.
We seek for sustainable development. In that respect we introduced 2 fundamental courses HRD, ETSD -  we'll try to create critical mass of people to train employees from their own organizations and to make a network of partners- the spin off effect in action, and to provide the opportunity to those who want to go deeper to joint the MSc Programme in ETSD. 
Now the things are clearer than they used to be at the beginning.”

3.	Presentation and discussion of the Intermediate report 
The role of the Intermediate Report is to see where we are, to outline the deviations and to make a more detailed plans for the future. We will discuss the following:
•	Deviations from the original application;
•	Progress made;
•	Development of module outline;
•	Experience of the launching phase;
•	Revised Budget 1999/2000.
 
Deviations from the original application
Reduction of budget by 1/3 
Still number of people to be trained remains unchanged. 
Reduction to be compensated by use of flexible and cost-effective schemes: 
	- Exploitation of intellectual property rights of existing
        courses and adaptation for non-commercial use;
-	Use of local human resources.
Two additional courses added - Economics and the Role of Banks, Spesifics of Employment Service
Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	Are there any objections?

Terence Boyle:		Is there a possibility that the budget be cut again?

Kapka Andreicheva:	 I think that this will not happen. 

Terence Boyle:		When will the second installment be paid ? 

Kapka Andreicheva:	 When the Intermediate report is approved, the second half will be paid. 

Steering Committee decisions
Everybody agreed with the changes proposed. The two additional courses were approved.

Progress made
Centre of Excellence established 
University decision signed; Premises at Sofia University provided for the project; We have 6 room for training. We rely on third party for the repair work - from the industrial partners.

Purchase of basic teaching and administrative equipment and books 
Marketing research carried out. Purchase of equipment is to be done soon.

Development of the necessary organisational and management structure
Two general meetings of all the Bulgarian partners; Individual meetings with Bulgarian partner representatives; Meetings with the partners from UT and GMD; E-mail and telephone communication with partners from Universite des Sciences Humaines de Strasbourg.

Learner's needs analysis
•	Face-to-face meetings
•	Job descriptions and personal qualifications of the staff
•	Questionnaire covering: 
- Positions of people to be trained
- Working conditions, infrastructure availability
- Time availability of course participants 
- Experience level and kind of qualifications of staff
- Preferred type, subjects and content of future courses

Learner's needs analysis results
-  Staff has easy access to information technology 
-  Preferred type of course structuring prevailingly distant 
-  Computer education is viewed as a prerequisite
Still, only a few of the computers have CD-ROM and sound blaster.

Courses analysis, adaptation and development of  the Module's Outline
Human Resource Development – FMI-DIT, with UT support
Economics and Role of the Banks – IBI, FMI-DIT
Fundamentals of ETSD – FMI-DIT
Internet Technologies – FMI, MFA, UVT
Office Automation – MES, FMI, UVT
Bulgaria and Europe – DES, MFA, FMI
Fundamentals of Public Administration – DPA, FMI
Fundamentals of European Law – DES, BILD, MES
Information Society – BILD, FMI, UVT
Language courses – flexible in content and instruction strategy
Specifics of Employment Services – NEA, FMI

Experience of the launching phase
-  Period for re-training of BG academic staff (activity 2.3) slightly modified;
-  Number of people to be trained is not revised. Difference to be compensated by:
•	course development performed locally using lower development rates;
•	a flexible delivery scheme prevailingly distant allowing for less face-to-face training and more simultaneous course participants. 
-	Weak multimedia features of the equipment.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	All client partners need some core material - we can rely on existing courses, link existing books to reduce the development part which is costly and go to training, some courses from the MSc program, some third party is to provide the HRD course for non-commercial use.

We already started some discussion with University of Strasbourg for establishment of a language lab. The NES courses will be developed the with the help of internal trainers and the infrastructure, that is unique in order to reach participants all over the country. 

Deviations from the original application
Budget
1	Staff costs		
1.1	Administrative tasks	18 500	
1.2	Academic tasks 	12 700	
2	Travel & subsistence		
2.1	Staff and/or trainees		
	•	Total for East-West flows	32 010	
	•	Total for West-East flows	21 945	
3	Equipment	24 000	
4	Printing and publishing	9 800	
5	Other costs	2 000	
6	Overheads	6 286	
	TOTAL	127 241	

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	The distribution of the budget should be fair for the tasks being done. Our intention is to match the payments against the involvement. We should think together how to plan the activities and match the budget. We should start planning mobility. Discuss the printing and publishing costs. The money available for Academic staff is insufficient, while the sum for administrative staff is too big. In that respect, those who work on administrative tasks should work on the course development as well. 
(He made Presentation of the MSc Programme in ETSD).
We have associate members, students, people in other countries.
We’ll get external support for some of the activities -Three scholarships are given from MATRA programme to Miroljuba Madjarova - MES, Ivan Kurtev - FMI, Boriana Rukanova - CEIT. The time they will spend in UT they will work on the TEMPUS project. 

Pierre Frath:	 	I'll need a partner in the field of linguistics who can come to France for several weeks and we can share our experience.  

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We can select one person for each language.

Kapka Andreicheva:	 You have to select a clear methodology for sending people abroad. How will you solve this problem? Training is for professionals, not for academic people, these people have to go back to their institutions and become trainers themselves.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	This is to be defined on the meeting.

Kapka Andreicheva:	 It should be defined now while the foreign partners are present to declare their institutions’ time preferences and capacities.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We'll follow the procedures recommended by the TEMPUS Office.

Terence Boyle:		We have to define limits: we can do this and not do that about the course content, they seem too broad to be covered.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We only aim to provide some background on the subjects within the project framework.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We are also going to establish a small library in the Center with the books and electronic materials collected.

BREAK
4.	Specifying of a more detailed version of the workplan accordingly with the outputs planned for the first year.
Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	Let's reflect a bit how we can combine our effort to achieve better outputs and spin-off effect.

Marga Georgieva:	What we plan to do is: first to equip the VTU Center branch; train people next year; maybe some of the lecturers should get in touch with the foreign partners; but first thing is to establish the VTU Center of Excellence branch.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	 (to Strasbourg University) How do you see your involvement?

Pierre Frath:		Help establish and set up the language  resource centre: cost, organization, database support, train the people to run the centre (it is cheaper to purchase resources and create only when needed).

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	Twinning the center and adapt the know how to the current situation
Terence Boyle:		We can contribute in other subject areas too, for example: Law, Financial structures; We can train people in Strasbourg University and send experts to Bulgaria for intensive training. 

Galena Slavova:	(Presents the IBI, the current distant education program). We wish to adapt the first module for web delivery; the current version of the module is based on printed materials but also using the distant learning method.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We can enrich the current practice.

Ivelin Madjarov:	Our needs are more specialized. We deal with employment market, unemployment, activities close to Bulgarian Law, we need to track changes in legislation and we need a system to help develop our qualification and be more efficient. Our staff is 4000, they are specialists in different fields and they need different courses.

Svetoslav Stoyanov:	(presents ETSD)  Training is based on fundamental constants, the main is how to design a good training. The tendency in the world is to invest in web-based training. I think I see already prepared materials for HRD and we can contribute in this field. Our faculty is responsible to several majors- one is HRD. 

Mirolyuba Madjarova:	I see the contribution of the consumer partners in enriching the content with specific knowledge, not theoretical but more practical. It is very important to develop a sustainable system of training of the administration within the project. There is no HRD department in MES for example.

Tatyana Petrova::	We have a HRD department but still we have to do a lot in HRD. We would like to establish a constant system for transmission of courses from one trained employee to the rest. We are most interested in courses in: IT, HRD, languages – special courses for negotiations and EU integration terminology. We have our own teachers but the courses they teach are intended for our employees; we can distribute our knowledge in this field; about International Law: we can also help in; people working in the Euro-integration department can contribute to: Bulgaria and Europe, Fundamentals of European Law; we have experts who can be lecturers. 

Victor Gyurov:		For teaching Information Technologies, the communication should be via on-line connection, e-mail, chat, etc. For Internet Technologies we have 5 people who can be teachers - they are professionals.

5.	Demos
Demo 1.	Demonstration of the web-based course HRD developed together with a  UK company; we reached agreement to use it for non-commercial purposes; CD-ROM and web delivery; can be used for the core content and then adapted for the client institutions

Demo 2.	Web site of the TEMPUS project - tool for collaboration 

Demo 3.	Business English - as a resource for the language courses; multimedia, etc.

Demo 4.	Demand - ETSD or as a separate topic

Demo 5.	Svetoslav Stoyanov:	
Teletop (shell to put your course in);
 		Smile (to support people when they confront ill-structured situations)
Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We should decide on what platform to use. We might try to negotiate one, develop our own, etc.

Break

Demo 6.	Iliana Nikolova: Course developer, ETSD - presentation

Demo 7.	Gergana Radoutcheva: MNM, Top Class platform, Web Board

Discussion about the way the target group will accept the distant education, possible difficulties, resistance.

Discussion of the work plan:
1.1.	is O.K.
1.2.	- the deadline will be reached;
1.3.	management - now to be discussed;
2.1. needs analysis - completed and described in the Intermediate Report; course analyses - now underway; 
2.3. is to be discussed
2.4. development – is the April deadline feasible? (see the work plan in the Intermediate Report).

Dr. Krassen Stefanov:	The hurry is because we have to train 231 administrators. Proposal: The development of some courses to be extended and training to start later. There are various levels of learning needs and people from different organizations. After the needs analysis new courses were added and because of that it is not realistic to follow initial workplan. For some of the courses, there should be a delay.

Kamelia Stefanova:	Are we supposed to put all the courses on the web?

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We should find the right balance. We cannot postpone starting training. There could be face-to-face training, parallel to the course development. It's a nice logistic task to solve.

Iliana Nikolova:	May be not all the courses are to be put on the web.

Dr. Krassen Stefanov:	We'll try to use available resources; we have to start in May at least with some of the courses. The administrator should choose not all but a subset of the courses, because some of them are very specific.

Kamelia Stefanova:	We first have to train the trainers. We have the topics, we need to train people respectively for the content development, web-development, etc. We should change academic staff to the more general trainers. By April it should be clear which trainer needs what kind of training. 

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	When we develop teams, we'll involve one who is a specialist in groups and training will start in March.

Pierre Frath:		 Train the trainers first; it is unfeasible to have course development completed by the end of April.
Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	about activity 3.1: Forming the students groups - March-June.

Kamelia Stefanova:	it is impossible for IBI; we start the academic year in September.

Victor Gyurov: 		our groups: 80-IT, 20-HR, some can start in the beginning of May.
Ivelin Madjarov:	IT to start with and then the others, start in May too.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	activity 3.4: Evaluation - feedback ; Implementation for on the job support.

Dr. Krassen Stefanov:	Course delivery methodology proposal: 8-9 teaching blocks, each block – 2 months long, start with face to face training - 2 weeks; the rest - distant; most partners cannot allow their people to be absent from work; we have a set of courses; we have to define content and study load for each one. We have some number of administrators to be trained from each institution and each institution have the right to train people and for each of them they have 80 hours - each student should  have to choose courses up to this limit.
For example: 	100 to be trained
100* 80 = 8000 hour/people
11 courses. C1 - 7 people, C2 - …, etc.
Cij is the number of people to be trained for course i. Sij is the study load for course i. So Q should be equal to 8000. Each course have different load and it should be specified by the course development team.

Criteria to settle the teams: one specialist in web-based training, at least one content expert, one or more consultant to participate in the development, one representative from each client organization. One member can serve for three positions. 

When we know how many people are going to be trained we should try to form groups; each group should be trained within 2 months; groups to be approximately 15 people each.

Kamelia Stefanova:	It is necessary to define the programs and how these programs will be organized; course delivery strategy.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	Each client to propose a strategy and to show the specifics of the target groups. We have to design now the mobility scheme and to see how it will fit into the logistic scheme.

Coffee break
Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	Decision about teams and mobility has to be taken; Logistics for homework; Back to the courses and how to develop them, how to form teams.

Task force group for logistics formed : Dr. Krassen Stefanov, Kamelia Stefanova.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We might decide to start face to face with core training and specialized training - when the trained trainers come back. The course development team will have to say what will be the main content and duration within next 2 weeks.
The two courses IT and OA should be at the beginning of all.
We must establish some rules how to decide about the mobilities.
There are basically two types of mobilities:
1. Short visits: for trainers' update;
2. If there are appropriate courses - longer visit up to two months.
We should have rules to choose people, eligible for visits; the contractor will be responsible to apply these rules; We have to collect applications from the partners. On the basis of this request the coordinator will choose according to the rules.
We need to know which institution, in which period is ready to accommodate people. We have some offers from the UT- courses from the ETSD program. They offer us to have short and longer visits. Krassen negotiated to use the framework of the MSc program, to match the funding and to send people to attend 2 courses (HRD and Instructional Design), then they will come back and will work further on the course development. We have now 3 stipends. We'll have a remote team. We have some partners in Germany and The Netherlands (Twente). We might discuss the opportunity in France as well. 

Terence Boyle:		Logistics - the courses are taught in French, English and German. We have similar experience of a project in Poland, pre-accession period too.

Pierre Frath:		Another criterion: the teachers -  one in French, English and German must have the authority and capacity and when they come back to establish the resource center. 

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	Clear description of tasks and responsibility, purpose and the outcome is expected from the issue and somebody must evaluate the mission.

Pierre Frath:		Compensation - will they be relieved from obligations in order to go abroad?

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We might involve other foreign partners in case it is feasible. We are eager to engage people from Sofia University for language courses.

Iliana Nikolova:	We have to investigate for courses where the partners can accept our people; we should decide what kind of visits they need, apply, afford all of them or minimize. How many people can University of Twente accept?

Svetoslav Stoyanov:	I can't say now. Will discuss it when back in Twente.

Mobility Board election:  Dr. Roumen Nikolov, Terence Boyle, Kamelia Stefanova, Svetoslav Stoyanov, Tatyana Petrova.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	The Mobility Board is to define a list of mobility criteria. In the 	task force to have both academic and non-academic people.

6.	Specifying of a more detailed version of the budget accordingly with the outputs planned for the first year.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	Part of the money for administrative tasks is to be used for academic tasks. We have to consider how much we can afford for course development. Some of the numbers in the budget are fixed (travels, equipment is limited), we have small flexibility.

Pierre Frath  - demonstration of a software used in his teaching - dictionary.

SECOND SESSION, February 26, 2000

Dr. Roumen Nikolov	presents Prof. Bonchev who has an important role in signing the project and the agreement with University of Twente.
Brief description of the things done in the previous day; decisions announced to those who were not attending the day before.
Now we have to form teams. Language courses - Irena Vitanova promised to design conceptual scheme.

Dr. Nelly Ognianova:	Presents herself. The institutions she represents will contribute for the following courses: Bulgaria and Europe, FEL, IS, PA. The social content for IS will be ready till the end of April.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	May be we have to make a joint meeting with the others responsible for PA, BE, FEL, proposed by Nelly Ognianova. I would like to suggest to elect a board, responsible for the evaluation and certification of the courses we are going to produce in order to achieve high standards.

Evaluation board: 
1. Dr. Nelly Ognianova 
2. Prof. Panayot Bonchev

We would like to get support from foreign partners. If we have recognition from some foreign partners this will be considered as a plus.

Iliana Nikolova:	Could we afford to invite external evaluators - academic people from abroad; at least one evaluation for each course.

Dr. Nelly Ognianova:	It’s a question of time.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	We can discuss it with the UT.

Iliana Nikolova:	It could be done later, at the end of the course development.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	Also members of the course development and delivery board: Let’s include Terence Boyle.

Terence Boyle:	Especially regarding EL, FPA.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	There could be some criteria, common for all of the courses too. Also:  Svetoslav Stoyanov for UT.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	and Pencho Mihnev - as an evaluator 

Terence Boyle:		Let’s formulate some criteria, ideas how the course could be certified nationally and internationally. Prof. Hotzel can speak of that evaluation; Once you have something developed, e-mail it to us, we’ll give opinion and send it back.

Dr. Krassen Stefanov:	We should start forming the task teams - at least one expert in ETSD, one content provider and one consultant.

Course Development Teams

Course ID*	Content provider	Web Development	Consultant	
HRD	Pencho Mihnev (MES)	Elisa Stefanova (CIST)	Svetoslav Stoyanov (UT)	
FPA	Emil Markov, Ph.D. (SU)	Iliana Nikolova (CIST)		
FEL	Kristina Terzieva
Mariana Karagyozova (BILD)	Krassen Stefanov (CIST)	Miroljuba Madjarova (MES)
Terence Boyle (US)	
IS	Nelly Ognianova (BILD)
Iliana Nikolova (CIST)	Iliana Nikolova (CIST)	Mitko Gospodinov (UVT)	
B&E	Biserka Benisheva (MFA)
Dimtyr Pehlivanov (MFA)
Mirolyuba Madjarova (MES)	Krassen Stefanov (CIST)	Terence Boyle (US)	
IT	Iliana Nikolova (CIST)
Victor Gyurov (MFA)	Eliza Stefanova (CIST)	Snejina Borisova (UVT)	
OA	Mirolyuba Madjarova (MES) 	Eliza Stefanova (CIST)	Valentin Bakoev (UVT)
Victor Gyurov (MFA)	
FETSD	Svetoslav Stoyanov (UT)	Nevena Mileva (CIST)
Slavka Tzanova (CIST)
Krassen Stefanov (CIST)	Svetoslav Stoyanov (UT)
Marga Georgieva (UVT)	
SES	Ivelin Madjarov (NES)	Kiril Bankov (CIST)
Anton Velev (CIST)	Gergana Raducheva (CIST)
Boriana Rukanova (CIST)	
ERB	Vassil Kalinov (IBI)
Jordan Genchev (IBI)	Gergana Raducheva (CIST)
Boriana Rukanova (CIST)	Kamelia Stefanova (IBI)	
LC	Dimitar Vesselinov	Pierre Frath (US)
Roumen Nikolov (CIST)	Terence Boyle (US)	

* Course ID:
HRD – Human Resource Development
FPA – Fundamentals of Public Administration
FEL – Fundamentals of European Law
IS – Information Society
B&E – Bulgaria and Europe
IT – Information Technologies
OA – Office Automation
FETSD – Fundamentals of Educational and Training System Design
SES – Specifics of Employment Services
ERB – Economics and Role of the Banks
LC – Language Courses

Break

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	I suggest that we now make separate meetings with the teams. We can now form several teams. At the end reports should be presented. Brief report of team decisions:

Language courses
We decided to approach the language training with resources from both sides. Pierre proposed to twin their language center. We should have 3 levels at least. Core course - we can use resources available in France and Bulgaria. We have to decide on how to equip the language center with equipment available. For the specialized needs we can use materials available locally and in Europe. For communications we can use global simulation method.
Mobility scheme
We could send people to France in the beginning of May to see what's available and how the things could be adapted. We’ll then negotiate West-East mobility (June or September).
We will then organize seminars and maybe the second Steering Committee Meeting. June is the beginning of the training phase, and maybe some decisions have to be taken- summer holidays could be used as well. Mobility scheme should consider also the duration of stay.

Terence Boyle:		We need some support for defining the specialized needs of the partners.

Tatyana Petrova:: 	What professional background the teachers should have in order to be appointed to go abroad?

Dr. Roumen Nikolov:	This will be decided locally. Irena Vitanova might be a coordinator.

Pierre Frath:		We should look at the resources available at the University (i.e. Penka Damjanova - Professional Communication Center).

Economics and Role of the Banks

Gergana Radoutcheva:	The materials are available in electronic form; the methodology is structured; Communication strategy is not clear; The problem with the security of the materials should be solved (maybe a common strategy for all project courses). Benefits from the use of the distant web-based education should be outlined and how to start using the course; Some re-engineering would be needed.

Information Society, Public Administration, Bulgaria and Europe, Information Technologies

Iliana Nikolova will summarize this. 

HRD

Svetoslav Stoyanov:	The version available concerns only the training part of HRD. People in teams should decide on the content according the needs of clients. May be a textbook could be used for non-web-based training.

Tatyana Petrova:: 	To receive information about people who participate the courses in order to constitute the contents - from the other institutions.

Specifics of Employment Services

Ivelin Madjarov will report later.

Office Automation

Victor Gyurov:		We can use our own resources, this can save time; we can combine the resources and infrastructure; mirror the courses to the servers of NEA, MFA. We can provide security.

Iliana Nikolova:	Now within the teams we have to decide on who will do what, define the deadlines and so on.

Dr. Roumen Nikolov  closes the First Steering Committee Meeting.