The Staff Observation and E-Tutor Summer School, hosted at TU Dresden as part of the COWEB Project, to which EPOKA University is the Project Leader, was held with an intense agenda aimed at fostering collaboration and achieving project objectives. The event brought together approximately 90 participants, including academic and administrative staff, as well as students from more than 7 countries and 10 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). EPOKA University was represented by a large delegation of 15 students, 5 Teaching Assistants and 5 Academic and Administrative Staff members.

The event commenced with a warm welcome from Professor Eric Schoop, Mattis Altman as the hosts, and Dr. Esmir Demaj, the Project Manager of COWEB. The day's activities included the kickoff and discussions on the Virtual Collaborative Learning arrangement between EPOKA University and TU Dresden on the theme "Smart City Tirana" by Dr. Demaj. Participants also received training on Microsoft Teams by Dr. Samuel Reeb and had the opportunity to observe the Smart City Dresden Project guided by Prof. Dr. Michael Breidung, the Head of the IT department of Dresden Municipality. Additionally, a workshop on Microsoft COPILOT, facilitated by Dr. Christian Kummer from COMMUNARDO GmbH, provided valuable insights. The day concluded with a campus tour of TU Dresden and a cultural exploration of the city.

The second day was dedicated to workshops and meetings. Participants engaged in a workshop on International Virtual Collaborative Learning, focusing on learning objectives and outcomes of VCL course activities, led by Mattis Altmann and Dorsaf Ben Malek. Simultaneously, a Project Steering Committee Meeting was held where consortium partners discussed crucial points for the ongoing progress of COWEB such as local VCL module implementation, upcoming PowerBI training, research output, project dissemination, quality assurance, and financial matters.

The focus of the third day was on training and observation visits. Dr. Demaj led a training session on “How to Pitch an Idea” to help students and E-Tutors with their ideas pitching session on the Smart City Tirana project. Participants also visited various learning spaces, including the University Library of TU Dresden, CODIP (Center for Open and Digital Innovation and Participation), and the Glass Factory of Volkswagen gaining insights into assembly line processes for full electric vehicles.

Day 4 commenced with a lecture and discussion led by Prof. Dr. Michael Kobel, Vice-Rector of Education at TU Dresden, addressing the challenges faced by Higher Education and the need for adaptation, including the adoption of AI. A significant portion of the day was dedicated to student group pitches from the International VCL module between EPOKA and TUD. Prof. Peter Rosenbaum, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, hosted a gathering of project consortium contact points, praising the project objectives and collaboration efforts. A Get together Dinner in the heart of the city of Dresden was reserved to all participants to Discuss COWEB project sustainability, and future synergies of the consortium.

The final day offered an opportunity for informal networking and discussions while hiking the Saxon Switzerlands, fostering relationship-building among participants.

Throughout the week, the Staff Observation and E-Tutor Summer School exemplified the collaborative spirit of the COWEB Project, providing a platform for knowledge exchange, skill development, and forging lasting partnerships across borders.

For more updates on the COWEB Project and its outcomes, visit COWEB Website and our social media channels.