TNMU Wins Erasmus+ VITAL International Project Grant to Enhance Academic Leadership and Digital Competencies of Faculty

Ternopil National Medical University has become a participant in a new international Erasmus+ KA2 Capacity Building in Higher Education project — “Virtual Innovation and Training for Advancing Faculty Leaders, Digital Competencies, and Research Excellence (VITAL)”.

The VITAL project (ERASMUS-EDU-2025-VIRT-EXCH-101253516) aims to support early-career faculty members in higher education institutions in Georgia and Ukraine. Its main goal is to address structural gaps in mentorship, academic leadership, digital pedagogy, and research development that have persisted due to the post-Soviet academic legacy.

Among the key challenges the project seeks to address are hierarchical management systems, limited career advancement opportunities for young educators, and insufficient institutional support for teaching and research innovation. In response, VITAL introduces a sustainable and scalable faculty development system grounded in European values — inclusivity, virtual collaboration, intercultural dialogue, and academic integrity.

The project integrates transformative learning, virtual exchange, digital tools, and modern mentorship models to create a framework for continuous professional growth and lasting institutional change in higher education.

The VITAL consortium includes:
• University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) — project coordinator;
• INFOR ELEA Academy (Italy);
• P. Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (Georgia);
• University of Business and Technology (Georgia);
• I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University (Ukraine);
• Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine).

The total project budget amounts to €500,000, and its implementation will span three years — from 2025 to 2028.

The VITAL project represents an important step toward modernizing teaching practices, strengthening digital competencies, and promoting academic integrity in universities across Ukraine and Georgia. Currently, TNMU is implementing six Erasmus+ KA2 projects. надала Тетяна Ковальчук.