EXTEND Project: Systematic Approach to Curricula Development

Abstract EXTEND project is aimed at modernizing approaches to teaching engineering disciplines in Russia and Tajikistan, increasing quality of education and possibilities of employment for young engineers, students’ motivation and making engineering education attractive. Modern universities carry out not only professional training of students, but also prepare competitively capable personnel who can survive and thrive in modern free market relations, accompanied by a variety of forms of ownership and competition. International educational projects are relevant as they supply universities with international experience and job possibilities. Therefore, foreign languages competence is of key importance for engineers of future generation, and is a means of forming professional, communicative, linguistic and cultural competences. Success of teaching foreign languages depends not only on teachers’ skills, but on carefully selected and elaborated didactic materials as well. EXTEND project team exchange ideas and experience that result in fruitful discussion of issues concerning elaborating new courses to improve engineering education. International teams, which include EXTEND project participants from European, Russian and Tajik higher educational institutions will carry out the task. Project EXTEND is an open kind of consortium, which implies that members from partner countries subordinate to its leader and share joint responsibility for commitments of the consortium.