The hybrid mode event started with a warm welcome from Svitlana Shytikova, the coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine, and Kate Moore, the Project PI from the Languages Unit, Faculty of Information Technologies and Communication Sciences at Tampere University.
Yulia Shumilova, the project manager, outlined the key objectives for the first year of the project, including tasks, plans, and expected outcomes. The participants engaged in discussions regarding project management, finalizing implementation plans and scheduling future events.
The Day 2 agenda featured the overview of DigiFLEd budget by Tetiana Chelombitko, a lecture by Professor Päivi Pahta on “World Englishes,” as well as a ‘World café’ workshop focusing on “Digitisation in teaching foreign languages: trends, challenges, and best practices”. This interactive workshop allowed participants to exchange ideas and insights on the project topic.
On Day 3, the DigiFLEd kickoff participants attended lectures by experts from Tampere University on topics such as “Post-editing Strategies for Academic Writing” by Kate Moore and “Teaching Translation Strategies/Techniques” by Annamari Korhonen. Kaisa Koskinen shared insights on “Community Translation Projects as Assignments,” and Miia Santalahti gave a lecture on “Professional Tools and Practices in Teaching Translation”.
The kickoff event for the DigiFLEd project was a success! In addition to the official meetings and conten lectures, we had the pleasure of attending a Tampere city reception hosted by the deputy mayor, Ilkka Sasi. We practiced traditional songs and folk dances at Ukraina Talo, and for the brave souls among us, there was even a sauna with winter swimming!
The project launch brought together a dynamic team of professionals, including academics and university administrators from Finland, Ireland, Greece, and Ukraine. This collaboration has set the stage for an exciting and productive partnership in the months to come.
