Kick-off Meeting of the Project “Modernisation of master programmes for future judges, prosecutors, investigators with respect to European standard on human rights” (CRIMHUM) within ERASMUS+
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz hospitably hosted the Kick-Off Meeting and Initial Conference of the CRIMHUM-project from 28 April to 2 May 2019.
This event was attended by representatives of the partner organizations: the University of Graz (project coordinator / Austria), the University of Potsdam (Germany), Aix-Marseille Université (France), the Faculty of Law of the University of Rijeka (Croatia), Vilnius University (Lithuania), Belarusian State University (Minsk, Belarus), Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (Belarus), Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko (Ukraine), Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (Kharkiv, Ukraine), National University “Odesa Law Academy” (Ukraine), Belarusian Republican Union of Lawyers (NGO, Belarus).
The events were chaired by the project coordinator Professor Gabriele Schmölzer and the project managers Professor Thomas Krüssmann and Associate Professor Vadzim Samaryn.
During the Kick-off Meeting, the project and the participants were welcomed by the Vice-Rector for Studies and Teaching, Prof. Dr. Martin Polaschek and by the Dean of the Law Faculty, Prof. Dr. Johannes Zollner. The participants were greeted by H.E. Oleksandr Scherba, Ambassador of Ukraine to Austria, Mag. Andrei Yaroshkin on behalf of H.E. Alena Kupchyna, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Austria, Abg.z.NR. Prof. Dr. Josef Smolle on behalf of Landeshauptmann Hermann Schützenhöfer.
The project coordinators presented the main idea and goals, forms of interaction of the project partners. Quality Manager Vadzim Samaryn delivered a detailed report on the main stages and content of the project implementation. Then Project Manager Thomas Krüssmann introduced the partner universities from the European Union (Programme Countries). The representatives of the universities from Belarus and Ukraine presented their institutions.
In the evening, the participants attended the reception on behalf of the mayor in the Town Hall, where they also heard information about Graz as the city of Human Rights (the Graz Human Rights Council, Mag. Daniela Grabovac).
The first part of the following day covered a wide range of issues, including discussion of the content and the financial part of the project, its methodology and principles; project managers and logo were adopted, working groups were built, as well as the planned activities for 2019 were discussed. The participants discussed prepared structures of the National Concepts of the new Master program and the questions for the questionnaire as well as the methodology its carrying out.
The preliminary content of the course books was presented by the national teams and discussed. The last part of the event was devoted to the discussion of the books and equipment to be purchased within the project.
The useful part of the conference were study visits: a visit to the management of the High Regional Court and the State Prosecutor’s Office of Styria (the project participants were explained about the system of training for judicial and prosecutorial staff in Austria), a visit to the Museum of Criminology at the Law School of the University of Graz, where the excursion was led by its director Priv.-Doz. MMag. DDr. Christian Bachhiesl.
The host university organized for the participants of the event a city tour with a “climbing” to the Schlossberg mountain.
Participants from Belarus and Ukraine also took the opportunity and attended Eggenberg Palace and the Park nearby.
Following the implementation of the work program of the events, all the planned issues were discussed and a solid foundation was laid for further fruitful and barrier-free work with the project coordinators and partner organizations.
Project monitoring during the visit of Mr. Ralf Rahders in Belarus (Minsk)
November 21, 2019 as part of Mr. Ralf Rahders, Head of the Unit Erasmus+: Higher Education - International Capacity Building of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), visit to Belarus the monitoring of the project “Modernisation of master programmes for future judges, prosecutors, investigators with respect to European standard on human rights” (CRIMHUM) was held by the National Erasmus+ Office in Belarus. The event was attended by CRIMHUM project managers Aleh Maroz and Vadzim Samaryn, as well as representatives of project teams from the Belarusian State University (senior lecturer of the Department of Criminal Law, Master of Laws Kiryl Zakhilko) and Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (Associate Professor of the Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminalistics, Candidate of Legal Sciences Uladzimir Sorkin).
After greeting by the Head of the National Erasmus + Office, Alena Belanovich, the project itself and the level of its development were presented by the project quality manager Vadzim Samaryn.
The presentation ended with a discussion on the financial management of Erasmus + projects. Mr. Ralf Rahders asked questions about the feasibility of the project.
Kiryl Zakhilko presented the results of a survey of graduates, laid the foundation for the Concept of the master's program in criminal justice (version - Belarus).
In general, the development of the project was evaluated positively.
First CRIMHUM Evaluation Seminar in Kharkiv, Ukraine
December 18-19, 2019 at the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (Kharkiv, Ukraine) a two-day Evaluation seminar was held under the CRIMHUM project.
The seminar was attended by representatives of partner universities: Project managers prof. Thomas Krüssmann (Graz University, Austria), assoc. Vadzim Samaryn and assoc. Aleh Maroz (Belarusian State University, Belarus), as well as assoc. Ryhor Tratsiakou and assoc. Uladzimir Sorkin (Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, Belarus), representative of the Ivan Franko Lviv National University as the national coordinator of the project assoc. Vasyl Lutsyk and Vice-Rector for International Relations of the National University of Odessa Law Academy prof. Vyacheslav Tulyakov. The Yaroslav the Mudryi National Law University was represented by members of the working group on the project prof. Bogdan Golovkin (team leader), prof. Dmitry Lukyanov, assoc. Elena Kharitonova, assoc. Alexander Chastnik and assoc. Alla Grinchak (project coordinator).
At the beginning of the meeting Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs prof. Yuri Barabash greeted the participants. During the meeting, issues on the status of the project were discussed, existing results were assessed, coordinating further actions for the successful development of the project.
The national Concepts of the master's program and the results of a survey of students and graduates in Belarus and Ukraine were discussed. The structure of the prepared course books was analyzed. Project Quality Manager Vadzim Samaryn made suggestions on the content of the course books, as well as on the implementation of a mechanism for assessing the quality of prepared books.
As part of the acquaintance with the university and the training of students within the seminar tours to the university’s art gallery, its extensive library with a collection of dissertations and rare books, as well as the forensic museum, were conducted.
You can also enjoy a video about our event via the link: https://www.facebook.com/crimhum/videos/813136489202996.
Programme of the International CRIMHUM Conference is published
The Programme of the International Scientific Conference on Criminal Justice in the Training of Future Judges, Prosecutors, Investigators in Respect of European Human Rights Standards (February 20-21, 2020) is published.
You can download it via the link: https://crimhum.bsu.by/images/pdf/Programm.pdf.
The conference is organised within the framework of the Erasmus + project "Modernisation of master programmes for future judges, prosecutors, investigators with respect to European standard on human rights" (project number: 598471-EPP-1-2018-1-AT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP) - CRIMHUM.
The conference will be held at ul. Sichovykh Streltsiv 14, Lviv, 79000, Ukraine, Faculty of Law, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
The Conference will work in Plenary session as well as in two panel sessions (Criminal law in preparation of future judges, prosecutors, investigators with respect to European standard on human rights / Criminal procedural law in preparation of future judges, prosecutors, investigators with respect to European standard on human rights). There will be a Round table devoted to current issues of reforming criminal justice in EU, Ukraine and Belarus.
According to the results of the conference, a collection of scientific articles is planned to be sent to the direct participants of the event.
CRIMHUM online-meetings
On June 2, Law Faculties of the Belarusian State University and Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno held a working online meeting of Belarusian CRIMHUM project participants. The Corona crisis cannot stop activities and students should receive their skills from the 1st September 2020. Colleagues discussed the achieved milestones within the project, the preparation of an interim report on the project. Participants also set tasks for the summer months (especially in course-books drafting). As you know, educators like to use vacations to work creatively.
The meeting was moderated by Project Quality Manager Dr. Vadzim Samaryn and Regional Project Manager (BY/UA) Dr. Aleh Maroz. At the suggestion of the Regional Project Manager (BY/UA) Dr. Aleh Maroz and Project Quality Manager Vadzim Samaryn, a working online meeting was held also with Ukrainian CRIMHUM project participants on the same day.
Colleagues with the participation of the Project manager for Ukraine Dr. Vasyl Lutsyk, discussed the milestones reached within the project in Ukraine. The tasks related to the preparation of the interim report were distributed.
Heads of authors groups spoke about work on course books. Sufficient progress has been made in the development of teaching materials.
Dissemination plans were discussed, Ukrainian colleagues prepared articles on the implementation of the project for publication in professional journals.
The absence of significant obstacles to the introduction of a modernized master's program in all three Ukrainian universities (Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, National University "Odesa Law Academy") since September 1, 2020 has been established. The presence of formal obstacles to the approval of curricula at individual universities due to COVID-19 quarantine was revealed.
Particularly discussed issues of financial management. The participants set tasks for the summer months to "prepare the sled from the summer".
So, the new CRIMHUM Master programme will be implemented from autumn 2020 at all participating Partner Countries' universities!
CRIMHUM online-meetings - 2
On October 8, Law Faculties of the Belarusian State University and Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno held another working online meeting of Belarusian CRIMHUM project participants. The Corona crisis cannot stop activities and students are mostly in classrooms from the 1st September 2020. The Coronacrises made such online meetings regular, but they cannot replace face-to-face communication.
Colleagues discussed the achieved milestones within the project, work of authors on course books in Belarus. Participants also set tasks for the next months of 2020. The meeting was moderated by the Project Regional Manager (BY/UA) Dr. Aleh Maroz.
The meeting was moderated by the Regional Project Manager (BY/UA) Dr. Aleh Maroz. At the suggestion of the Regional Project Manager (BY/UA) Dr. Aleh Maroz, a working online meeting was held also with Ukrainian CRIMHUM project participants on the same day.
Colleagues with the participation of the Project manager Prof. Thomas Kruessmann, discussed the milestones reached within the project. Matters of equipment procurement were also discussed.
Heads of authors groups spoke about work on course books in Ukraine.
Sufficient progress has been made in the development of teaching materials. All three Ukrainian universities (Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, National University “Odesa Law Academy”) provide CRIMHUM courses during 2020/2021 study year.
Particularly discussed issues of financial management. The participants set tasks for the next 2020 months.
The last set of online meetings was the project management meeting. Prof. Dr. Thomas Kruessmann, Dr. Aleh Maroz, and Dr. Vasyl Lutsyk discussed the coordination of equipment procurement in Ukraine and the preparation of training materials in Belarus and Ukraine.
During a visit of representatives of the National ERASMUS+ Office in Belarus, meetings with working groups on the projects MODEST and CRIMHUM were held at Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno
The representatives of the National ERASMUS+ Office in Belarus Oksana Minich, Alexander Rytov and Irina Labkova monitored the projects "Modernization of Doctoral education in Science and Improvement of Teaching Methodologies" (MODEST) and "Modernisation of master programmes for future judges, prosecutors, investigators with respect to European standard on human rights” (CRIMHUM).
During the monitoring, the Erasmus + representatives met with projects’ working groups, which include employees of the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno and partners from other Belarusian universities, as well as representatives of HEIs in Latvia, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Austria. The Erasmus + representatives commended the performed work on the projects and commitment to their implementation. The meeting participants also discussed issues related to the further development of project activities.
It is worthwhile noting that Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno has 11 projects under the Erasmus+ programme. In terms of the number of projects in the Republic of Belarus, YKSUG ranks second after the Belarusian State University. With each new project, YKSUG not only expands and strengthens partnerships with Belarusian and foreign HEIs, but also improves the quality of education in various disciplines.
The First Project Coordination Meeting and International CRIMHUM Conference in Lviv
The First CRIMHUM Coordination Meeting was organised back to back with the First International CRIMHUM Conference on February 20-21, 2020 in the glorious city of Lviv. Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko was the host university.
The project coordinators from the University of Graz (Grantholder / Austria), the Faculty of Law of the University of Rijeka (Croatia), Vilnius University (Lithuania), Belarusian State University (Minsk, Belarus), Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (Belarus), Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko (Ukraine), Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (Kharkiv, Ukraine), National University “Odesa Law Academy” (Ukraine) attended the meeting.
The participants discussed the following issues:
Implementation of the program in Belarus and Ukraine: milestones, difficulties and their overcoming (Dr. Aleh Maroz and Vasyl Lutsyk)
The procedure of the Project registration in Ukraine (Dr. Vasyl Lutsyk)
Information on Project reporting (Dr. Aleh Maroz)
Purchase of Equipment: problems and solutions (discussion)
Current issues of financial management (Prof. Thomas Kruessmann and Dr. Vadzim Samaryn)
Repeat: refund of staff costs, travel cost, equipment, printing and publishing, other costs and the necessity of co-financing by each partner (discussion)
Progress planning of the next period (discussion)
Content of textbooks and progress in their writing (discussion)
Development of ‘to-do’ for each partner (discussion)
The aim of the conference was to pay attention to the Erasmus+ CRIMHUM project and its interim results, as well as to discuss issues of modern legal education in the field of criminal justice.
The first day of the conference was opened with a welcoming speech by the Dean of the Law Faculty of the Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko Prof. Volodymyr Burdin. He noted the importance of the CRIMHUM project for Ukrainian legal education. A welcoming speech was also made by Professor Dr. Vasyl Nor, Head of the Department of Criminal Procedure and Criminalistics.
Each report made a heated discussion. Of particular note, the report of the Prof. Viacheslav Navrotski "How to teach criminal law, but not legislation?". It raised the problem of the need to learn the law, rather than constantly changing legislation, so that students can understand the very essence of the rule of law. Prof. Vasyl Nor described the reforms in the institute of settlement in criminal proceedings in Ukraine. Dr. Igor Martinović and Iva Parenta raised the problem of upholding human rights while using firearms: European standards and challenges to young professionals in Central and Eastern Europe. Dr. Olga Petrova explained the need for training in the interrogation of minors in criminal proceedings. Dr. Olena Kharytonova devoted her report to gender equality issues in the legal profession. Prof. Tuliakov revealed sustainable development goals, human rights and criminal jurisprudence. Dr. Vadzim Samaryn revealed the issues of human rights violations during the use of the Interpol mechanism and told what a modern law student in this field needs to know. Dr. Larisa Brinch informed participants about the ECHR practice on the verification of the means of proof in criminal proceedings (Khmelnytsky university of management and law)
The first day of the Conference was followed by a Round-table discussion «Current issues of reforming criminal justice in EU, Ukraine and Belarus» with the participation of Ukrainian stakeholders, which was consisting of two sessions. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Olena Kharytonova.
As a result of the conference, it was noted that it is necessary to overcome the difficulty of teaching students relevant judicial practice (especially the practice of the ECHR) in the light of changing legal positions.