Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Program
Intercultural communication along the Eurasian Axis

The EMJM Intercultural communication along the Eurasian Axis Program addresses several highly important issues related to globalization and qualification of young people in the 21st century and the development of higher education in Europe and worldwide. Through a wide range of dicsiplines introducing languages and cultures along the Eurasian axis the graduates will deepen knowledge, sophisticate communication skills and bring theory to practice through internships, research and practical activities. The ambition of the project is to enable successful graduates to become better “cultural ambassadors” for problem solving in tensions and frictions between Eastern and Western Europe, Europe and Asia, humanities and science, academia and business, tradition and innovation.

The project brings together institutions along Europe – Asia axis in a subtle combination to represent equally tradition and innovation, European values and Eastern spirit, various religious, political, economic and social systems, ambition to grow and internationalize. The partnership is formed by 4 full member institutions and 4 associate members, finely situated along the Strategic Axis West-East. The consortium members are situated in regions which have a certain history of political and cultural relations, and are representative of multicultural expertise, religious tolerance and regional networking – the Balkans and Central Asia. The consortium is formed by Sofia University “St Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgaria; Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey; Kazakh National University Al-Farabi and the University of Pula, Croatia; and 4 associate partners representatives of culture, business and academia.

In regard to the study process the program operates in two main tracks – General and Teaching. In General track semester 1 is spent at KazNU, Semester 2 – at UNI-SOFIA. The general track continues at COMU for Semester 3 and finishes in home university. Students from this track might consider options for additional qualification in Hokkaido OGGs summer program or CQU Business administration certificate. For students choosing Track 2 – they spend their Semester 1 at COMU, semester 2 at UNIPU, semester 3 at UNISOFIA, semester 4 at home university. Internships in semester 4 for both tracks are mutually recognized and could be conducted at either location in accordance with interest and opportunities offered by corresponding partner universities and non-academic partners. Graduation committees will include experts from consortium institutions to secure integrity and coherence in graduation policy of the consortium. 

Each Fall there is a three-day seminar for current EM Eurasia students at COMU and each Winter in February – a two-week winter school at UNISOFIA, organized in cooperation with associate partners in three modules: Arts and Communication; Philology and Business; and Humanities in the 21st century. The aim of the seminar and winter school is on one hand to bring together students from both Tracks (Fall seminar is open to students in semester 3 of Track 1 and students in semester 1 of Track 2; Winter school is open to students in semester 2 of track 1 and students in semester 3 of track 2). These initiatives will include the participation of invited and internationally recognized professionals both from academia and from the fields of culture and business and will work for the integrity and acquisition of goals set by the program. The initiatives are planned on an annual basis and strive for interactive participation of all stakeholders involved in the Program – students, academic staff, guest-lecturers, business, HR specialists and employers, arts and culture representatives, educational tutors. These are thought as highlights of the program and opportunities twice a year to organize a complex educational event which will consolidate the student teams and will contribute to the goals acquisition of the whole program.

During their study students are encouraged to take  classes in partner languages and cultures (Bulgarian, Croatian, Kazakh, Turkish) in order to get a better understanding of the multicultural and plurilingual environment, which is a major goal in the proposed EMJM. The study process is organized in general Modules, which allow the program to develop in future to include other language and cultural tracks or subtracks. These are: Academic theory and practice (fundamentals of history and philosophy of science, research methodology, pedagogy); Culture and language diversity 1 (Geography, History, Philosophy, Ethnography, Societies); Intercultural communication and contemporary Eurasian discourse 1 (Politics, Conflict solving, Migration, Economics, Political systems, International relations, Eurasian initiatives, Human rights); Culture and language transmission (Interpreting and promoting foreign cultures); Eastern language 1 (Japanese, Korean); Eurasian language and culture  (Kazakh, Turkish, Bulgarian, Croatian).

Students are involved in various activities during their stay at the universities, which include seminars, conferences, cultural festivals, student clubs, competitions, out of class activities, etc. The student councils at each university as well as the participating departments and faculties make open their initiatives to EM Eurasia inbound students in order to facilitate a most appropriate milieu for developing intercultural communication skills. All participating universities offer rich formal and informal opportunities to students, especially active East Asian student groups, organizing a variety of out of class activities, involving students as well as the general public which strengthens the potential for intercultural communication at each location. The faculty students council at UNISOFIA together with the Japanology Student Club will become the coordinator of student efforts at partner institutions and will also initiate events and projects for EMJM students. Student councils network will participate also in the promotional activities of the program.

Participating Organisation Legal Name Country Role Action

1. SOFIA UNIVERSITY ST KLIMENT OHRIDSKI Bulgaria Coordinator
2. CANAKKALE ONSEKIZ MART UNIVERSITESI Turkey Partner
3. Institute for Advanced Studies and Additional Education Kazakhstan Partner
4. SVEUCILISTE JURJA DOBRILA U PULI Croatia Partner
5. Yordan Kamdzhalov Foundation Bulgaria Associated
6. Japan-Bulgaria Business Association (JBBA) Bulgaria Associated
7. KOKURITSU DAIGAKU HOJIN HOKKAIDO DAIGAKU Japan Associated
8. Central Queensland University Australia Associated

_________________________________________________