DUSHANBE, November 18, 2011, Asia-Plus -- European Union''s education program TEMPUS announces the Information Day, which is being held today in Dushanbe, at the Hall of the Tajik State University of Commerce.

According to the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan, Information Day aims at: presenting the Tempus program and the funding opportunities for Tajik universities in the framework of the recently published fifth Call for proposals; providing practical recommendations on project preparation and informing about recent and past activities of the Tempus program in Tajikistan; and presenting the latest developments and funding opportunities under the Erasmus Mundus II program (2009-2013).

Planned in the frame of the European Education Initiative for Central Asia, the event is organized by the Ministry of Education of Tajikistan, the Education, Audiovisual and Cultural Executive Agency (EACEA), the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan, the National Tempus Office in Tajikistan (NTO).  Representatives of country''s higher education universities, line ministries and international organisations are expected to participate in the event.  Ms. Alba Chiara Tiberi, Tempus project manager for Central Asia at EACEA (Brussels, Belgium) is also taking part in the Information Day.

The European Union funded Tempus program supports the modernization of the higher education sector through funding  joint projects between  higher education institutions from Europe and  the partner-countries in Central Asia, Western Balkans, Eastern Europe Northern Africa and Middle East.

The overall objective of the Tempus program for Central Asia is to contribute to the reform of the higher education and the cooperation between the EU and Central Asia and among Central Asian countries in this sector.  This fits with the objectives of the Development and Co-operation Instrument (DCI) of poverty reduction and it is part of the general commitment of the EU to enhance its partnership with Central Asian countries, as set out in the “EU and Central Asia: Strategy for a New Partnership” approved by the European Council in June 2007.  This includes a “European Education Initiative” as one of five main areas of action: a coordination mechanism among EU donors to further support the reform of the education and vocational training sector as part of a more comprehensive strategy to consolidate stability and prosperity in Central Asian countries.

In Tajikistan, Tempus was launched in 2004. In the period 2004-2011 Tempus has funded 30 projects for an overall budget of approximately EUR 7.1 million allocated to Tajik partner institutions.

The current Tempus IV Fifth Call for proposals was launched on November 4, 2011, with a deadline for the submission of project proposals set for February 23, 2012.  The overall budget allocated by the EU to the five Central Asian countries amounts to EUR 10 million.

The results of the Tempus IV Fourth Call for proposals (deadline on February 15, 2011) were announced in July 2011.  In total  29 project proposals involving Tajik higher education institutions were submitted  and  6 projects were selected,  with an overall budget awarded valued at EUR 2 million.

In close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the new projects support the creation of new curricula in the field of information technologies, water resources management and environment in line with Bologna principles, geoinformatics, management in education, economics as well as activities aimed at enhancement of education quality and accreditation, strengthening links with enterprises and science, promotion of Bologna process.

Currently, there are fourteen ongoing Tempus projects which involve seventeen Tajik higher education institutions from five regions as well as non-academic institutions.

The program enjoys in Tajikistan an active participation of universities, and in particular the Tajik State University of Commerce, Tajik Technical University, Tajik Technological University and Tajik Agrarian University.