Media
Centre
Giunti Labs
Master
List
Giunti Labs, Exchange House, 494 Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9
2EA
Tel +44 (0)1908 306009/ +44 (0) 7733 365063; Web
www.giuntilabs.com
14th April 2008
Giunti Labs hosts an international training event in Sestri Levante
More than 100 teachers and trainers involved in 'eLearning for teachers
and trainers in the MEDA region', an important European initiative on
e-learning for North African and Middle East countries, have taken part
in an international training event hosted by Giunti Labs.
The initiative, which is part of the wider regional project MEDA ETE
(Education and Training for Employment) aims at enhancing the use of
ICT for teaching and learning and promote their further integration
into the overall Vocational and Educational Training (VET) reform
processes in the countries.
Around 150 trainers from the ten MEDA countries learn via blended
learning - both online, through an e-learning open source portal (Moodle)
and in classroom with cycles of face-to-face meetings in each
participating country to support the participants' learning path.
This important regional training was the first regional classroom-based
training meeting organised under the project. For the first time, this
event brought together all the teachers of the MEDA region who are
attending the course.
The event took place in the Annunziata Convent in the Bay of Silence (Baia
del Silenzio), in Sestri Levante - the headquarters of Giunti Labs, a
world leading provider of learning and knowledge content management
solutions which leads the design, development and delivery of the
e-learning programme in the MEDA ETE project.
ETE (Education and Training for Employment) is an ambitious project
which has been introduced within the framework of the Euro –
Mediterranean Partnership. It is being implemented within the
'Barcelona process' - a wide framework of political, economic and
social relations between the Member States of the European Union and
Partners of the Southern Mediterranean.
The ETE project, which has identified education and training as the
main tools to facilitate the economic and social development of the
North African and Middle East Mediterranean region, focuses on
vocational education and teacher training as ideal drivers of change to
help the economic and social development of the MEDA region, in order
to make the markets of those emerging areas more competitive.
The MEDA ETE regional project, which lasts for three years, is financed
by the European Commission with a € 5m budget. It is implemented by the
ETF (European Training Foundation), an EU agency which supports the
development of education and training systems in its partner countries.
Acting on behalf of the European Union, ETF supports these countries in
the development of individuals' ability and knowledge in order to
improve living conditions and provide an active community and
democratic society which respects human rights and cultural diversity.
The e-learning component of the regional MEDA ETE project aims to help
the countries of the MEDA region (Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine,
Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco) to further develop
and strengthen teachers' and trainers' professional qualifications.
This is done through the increasing use of e-learning solutions and
services and aims to train around 150 teachers of public and private
institutes throughout the ten countries of the region in the use of new
technologies for online teaching and training.
The e-learning initiative is unique as it is tailor-made to the needs
of a specific target groups. In addition, using new learning
technologies enhances the participants' knowledge and skills.
The participants can use these skills in their own working context,
improving their professional performance. The collaborative learning
approach ensures the sharing of knowledge and experience in their own
country as well as at regional level.
Giunti Labs is responsible for the development of the e-learning
component of the MEDA project. It has scheduled the planning and
implementation of an e-learning course which lasts 192 hours on the
technologies of distance training and supporting teachers with
interventions in class directly in the MEDA countries through its
network of experts.
end
Notes for editors
Pictures of this event are available, on request, from Bob Little, Bob
Little Press & PR, on 00 44 (0) 1727 860405 or via
bob.little@boblittlepr.com
About The Barcelona
Process, MEDA (www.meda-ete.net) and so on
The Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held
in Barcelona on 27th and 28th November 1995, marked the starting point
of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Barcelona Process), a wide
framework of political, economic and social relations between the
Member States of the European Union and Partners of the Southern
Mediterranean.
The latest EU enlargement, on 1st May 2004, brought two Mediterranean
Partners (Cyprus and Malta) into the European Union, while adding ten
Member States. The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership thus comprises 35
members, 25 EU Member States and ten Mediterranean Partners (Algeria,
Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority,
Syria, Tunisia and Turkey). Libya has had observer status since 1999.
The Barcelona Process is a unique and ambitious initiative, which laid
the foundations of a new regional relationship and which represents a
turning point in Euro-Mediterranean relations. In the Barcelona
Declaration, the Euro-Mediterranean partners established the three main
objectives of the Partnership:
1. The definition of a
common area of peace and stability through the reinforcement of
political and security dialogue (Political and Security Chapter).
2. The construction of a zone of shared prosperity through an economic
and financial partnership and the gradual establishment of a free trade
area (Economic and Financial Chapter).
3. The rapprochement between peoples through a social, cultural and
human partnership aimed at encouraging understanding between cultures
and exchanges between civil societies (Social, Cultural and Human
Chapter).
The Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership comprises two complementary dimensions:
-
Bilateral dimension.
The European Union carries out a number of activities bilaterally with
each country. The most important are the Euro-Mediterranean Association
Agreements that the Union negotiates with the Mediterranean Partners
individually.
-
Regional dimension.
Regional dialogue represents one of the most innovative aspects of the
Partnership, covering at the same time the political, economic and
cultural fields (regional co-operation).
The existing MEDA
programme is the main financial instrument for the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership. From 1995 to 2003, MEDA committed € 5,458m in co-operation
programmes, projects and other supporting activities - the regional
activities comprising some 15 per cent of this budget. The other
important source of funding is the European Investment Bank which has
loaned € 14bn for developing activities in the Euro-Mediterranean
Partners since 1974 (€ 3.7bn in 2002-2003).
About Giunti Labs
Giunti is unique in the international publishing industry.
In 1497, Giunti publishers and typographers in Florence, together with
others in Venice, began modern book manufacturing. Over the years
Giunti has built a 'historical catalogue' of huge dimensions, through a
gradual process of 'fusion' of different publishers, but also through
the creation of new brands, including Giunti Labs. Giunti Editore now
includes 20 companies in the publishing sector.
Giunti Labs, which has its global headquarters in Italy and offices in
London (UK), Frankfurt (Germany), Lund (Sweden) and in Boston (US),
provides a wide range of services, in response to any content, learning
and knowledge management need, covering:
-
Content production
-
Research and
development
-
Technological
solutions for content, learning & knowledge management
-
Architectural and
technological solutions for mobile & wireless
-
Training and
consulting
Giunti Labs provides
the learn eXact® suite, Europe's leading e-learning and mobile learning
content management technology. This suite is interoperable with all
major vendor-driven and open source LMS and VLE solutions in the market
including Plateau, Oracle, SumTotal, Saba, WebCT, Blackboard, Sakai,
LRN and Moodle.
Moreover, Giunti Labs does not just adhere to the international
standards relating to the LMS/LCMS world, it is one of the
organisations that helps to determine and drive these standards:
co-writing and developing them. Giunti Labs plays a key role in most of
the international institutions for the definition of eLearning
specifications (IEEE LTSC, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC36, CEN/ISSS WSLT, AICC, IMS,
ADL-SCORM and OKI).
Further information from:
Minna Leikas, Giunti Labs, +39 3489 399127
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405
