Implementing the strategies of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine and the main goals of the Strategy for the Development of International Activities of the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music for 2018-2025, the Academy joined the EU Erasmus + Program in 2019, forming the main axes of cultural diplomacy in the system of higher art education of Ukraine.
The program opens up wide opportunities for cooperation of NMAU with the leading European higher music education institutions and implies academic exchanges of students and teachers, conducting series of master classes and lectures of outstanding artists, the opportunity for students to study at partner institution during the academic year, enables development of joint creative and research projects.
The Partner Institutions of the Academy under the Erasmus+ Program are:
1. Higher Conservatory of Music of Vigo (Spain)
2. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)
3. Conservatorio di Musica Nino Rota, Monopoli (Italy)
4. Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Tartini di Trieste (Italy)
5. Freiburg University of Music (Germany).
During the three years of implementation of Erasmus + 24 students took part in the academic mobility program studying in the partner-institutions in Italy and Spain.
The implementation of the Erasmus + Program at the Academy is embodied in new formats and projects that are unique in the field of higher music education in Ukraine. Among them is a project with the Freiburg University of Music (Germany) which began in the 2020-2021 academic year and implies three years of cooperation between departments of composition in the field of electronic music and composition, academic exchanges, creating a new repertoire and performing it by leading ensembles of contemporary music in Ukraine and Germany.
Students from all faculties of the Academy, in particular Orchestral, Vocal, Faculty of Folk Instruments and Historical-Theoretical Faculty actively participate in mobility program. Mobility is carried out within the first (bachelor) and second (master) levels of higher education.
Within the framework of cooperation under the Erasmus+ Program, the mobility of teachers and administrative staff is being actively implemented. During the period of the Program’s implementation, eleven exchanges of teachers and administrative staff took place between the Academy and its partner-institutions.
Teachers’ mobility under the Erasmus + program is carried out at the Academy mainly within the framework of large international cultural and educational projects (such as international festivals, competitions and scientific-practical conferences) and includes series of master classes and lectures, concerts and presentations. Such format integrates the teachers’ mobility into educational and cultural activities of the Academy and is an effective mechanism for building up the potential of students.
The EU Erasmus + program has been implemented at the Academy with the support of the National Erasmus Office in Ukraine, and further implementation of the program is carried out in constant cooperation with leading specialists of the Office.