FOSTEX Capacity Building Training: The experience from the trainers’ point of view.
From August 31st to September 11th 2020, the training of FOSTEX Capacity Building took place under on-line format due to the current limitations to travel derived from the worldwide Covid-19 situation. During these two weeks, a total of 12 trainers from 5 different EU institutions (AEI TÈXTILS, CIAPE, INCTDP, UNIWA and UPC) joined to the virtual platform for sharing their expertise with near 20 trainees from 5 different Jordanian and Moroccan institutions (ACI, BAU, ESITH, JUST and UH2C).
In the last months, virtual platforms have revealed as a useful tool to reduce the limitations of the distance learning in the academic environments at all levels, by approaching teachers, academics and experts to the reach of students and trainees, shortening the physical distance for interaction and easing the comprehension of the topics. The on-line training of FOSTEX Capacity Building is another example of the usefulness of such platforms in times of difficulties for mobility and interaction.
Day 1 of the meeting started with the welcome words of Nora Yousfy, Vicedean of research and cooperation, and director of the Doctoral School from UH2C. The University of Hassan II Casblanca (UH2C) has 18 institutions and around 120,000 students and remarkably joint laboratories with ESITH and Univ. Mohammed VI. The faculty were the meeting was held has 3000 students and several research and teaching labs. Day 2 and 3 of the meeting were scheduled in Marrakech which offered the possibility to join forces.
According to the UPC trainers, “it was a very good experience. The trainees had no problems to connect to the platform and were very participative by asking questions”.