Integration Project Research Articles

Export of services by European Higher Education Area countries: Lessons for Russia

The article evaluates the influence of EHEA membership on the export of higher education services. Russia strived for joining the EHEA both for increasing the quality of higher education and its export. Due to the international situation since February 2022 Russian participation in the EHEA was blocked that made discussions about the necessity of remaining in the Area urgent. Thus, it is topical to identify possible consequences of leaving the EHEA for Russian export of higher education services. The article explores the consequences of EHEA membership for the export of higher education services by EHEA members as well as the factors influencing the geographical destinations of such export. The hypothesis is the following one: EHEA creation contributed to strengthening its general role at the world educational market, however, it did not change drastically the roles of its member-states that used to be both exporters and importers of higher education services. The article concludes that EHEA existence ensured the increase in common export of higher education services by the region but did not eliminate the differences of student mobility rates among the member-states. Nevertheless, the absolute numbers and the share of international students grew in most of these states. The research evaluates and forecasts the role of regional initiatives at the world market of higher education services. The research results may also be useful for evaluating projects of integration in higher education sphere as well as for elaborating the support tools for Russian export of higher education.

Reflection of Late Imperial Discussions on Education of “Foreigners” in The Practice of National Construction of Soviet Russia (1918—1925, on the Example of the Orenburg Region)

The author traces the continuity between the projects of integration of “foreigners” into the imperial space by means of an education system without the rigid conditions of linguistic and cultural homogenization of Muslims, dating back to the late imperial period, and the first decrees of the Soviet authorities on the “free national development” of representatives of all ethnicities and nationalities of the Soviet Republic. This right was realized especially visibly in the construction of a new system of education. The work shows the steps of the People's Commissariat of the Kazakh Autonomous Republic (KASSR) to create a unified labor school, to train teaching staff, including for Kazakh schools, to organize the publication of new textbooks and manuals on the history of the Kyrgyz Republic in both Russian and Kazakh languages.

COMMON DYNAMICS IN THE EU INTEGRATION PATH OF THE WESTERN BALKANS

The European Union's role in the region and in the world is changing rapidly due to several internal dynamics and external crises and challenges. EU's project of integration remains a role model for peace and stability in the region and beyond. The EU Integration has emerged as a shared key priority for the EU institutions and Western Balkan countries that are in different trajectories of the accession process due to several dynamics and developments within the Western Balkan countries, regional dynamics, and enlargement skepticism among EU member states. While a comprehensive academic thinking exists about the EU's enlargement policy at its approach to this region, this study aims to understand the internal/regional dynamics in the EU integration path of Western Balkan countries through an overview of their history of integration as well as the EC Progress Reports (2022) for each country. It combines theoretical and empirical knowledge to offer a descriptive analysis of internal and regional dynamics in the Western Balkans affecting their EU integration paths.

The Influence of Context Factors on Cooperation in IS Integration Projects for Horizontal Mergers

IS integration projects for horizontal mergers of large organizations have received scant attention from IS researchers. This study addresses this shortcoming by collecting and analyzing Technology and Social integration process data during the integration planning and implementation phases of a multi-year IS integration project for the horizontal merger of two large competitors. Using a power-dependence perspective to interpret our findings, we develop a mid-range propositional theory to explain how and why organization-level context factors influenced the cooperative behaviors of legacy employees participating in horizontal mergers and the success of IS integration processes.

Past, present and future of agricultural science in the Omsk Near-Irtysh region

The article examines the historical path of Siberian agricultural science in the Omsk region. The bicentennial anniversary of the Omsk region historically coincides with the development of agricultural science in the region. The article describes briefly the stages of agricultural science in the region, starting with the establishment of an experimental farm in the 19th century and then continuing in 1933 with the Siberian Research Institute of Grain Farming, followed in 1956 by the Siberian Research Institute of Agriculture and in 2018 by the integration project establishing the Omsk Agrarian Research Center, uniting agricultural research organizations of the region.

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A SYSTEM OF METRICS FOR EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF SOFTWARE PRODUCTS

This article discusses the development and implementation of a system of metrics for assigning employees of various levels of training to projects of varying complexity. Quality is an important aspect of software development, therefore, the development of a system that allows you to evaluate and control the assignment of employees to projects at various stages of creating a software product is an urgent task. The article suggests an approach to the development of such a system based on the analysis of existing methods and practices. The system of metrics for assessing competencies and complexity of projects may include various indicators, such as the number of integrations of a project, the complexity of the code, or experience in implementing complex integration projects or experience in implementing similar projects. The implementation of the system will allow you to evaluate the project and assign to it a certain training of analysts, testers and developers at various stages of software product development, which will allow you to implement it competently and without a large number of errors, as well as reduce development time. In addition, the article discusses the methodology of using a system of metrics for assigning human resources. This includes analyzing the data obtained, identifying trends and errors, as well as taking appropriate measures to assign resources to projects. Using the system will allow development companies to make more informed decisions regarding the quality of software products and increase customer satisfaction. In general, the article presents the basic principles and methods of developing and implementing a system for implementing a control system and assigning employees to projects, as well as describes the practical applications and benefits of using such a system.

Exploration and Practice of High-Quality Talent Cultivation Path in the Context of Industry-Education Integration Drive

Abstract High-quality talent cultivation is an inevitable trend driven by the development of industry-education integration. This paper analyzes the differences in project goals between enterprises and universities, selects a content-based recommendation method, establishes an interest theme model for both entities and generates cooperative recommendation partners. A new type of partner recommendation scheme for industry-education integration projects is established based on geographic proximity by introducing the factor of geographic distance. Interpret the meaning of high-quality talent cultivation, establish a joint talent cultivation mechanism among enterprises, colleges, universities, and industrial organizations, and develop a three-stage segmented cultivation model. Finally, analyze the degree of participation and influence of each subject and variable on the practice of industry-industry fusion, respectively, and explore the effectiveness of industry-industry fusion collaborative cultivation by combining the teaching characteristics of teachers from schools and enterprises with the development of industry-industry fusion activities in the college. During the three years of junior, senior, and graduates, College D’s industry-education integration activities are mainly organized by lectures, visits, seminars, and enterprise recruitment meetings, of which the proportion of inviting relevant enterprises to give lectures can reach more than 80%. The activities of the college’s industry-education integration organization are one of the effective paths to building development space for the cultivation of high-quality talents.

Zwischen Sorbonne-Rede 2.0 und Neuwahlen – Macrons Visionen im Realitätstest

On 25 April 2024 President Emmanuel Macron described in his second Sorbonne speech the current state of the European Union (EU) in drastic terms and presented solutions to protect Europe and its model of peace, politics, social welfare and prosperity. Seven years after his first major speech on Europe at the Sorbonne, he took stock and once again made a passionate case for the European integration project. However, the speech must also be understood in light of his domestic political challenges and the new European legislative period. This article analyses the speech and the resulting implications for European policy.

European solidarity and multi-speed integration: Results of a laboratory experiment

The conflict around grain and flour imports from Ukraine to the European Union, which made the interests of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia contradict the interests of the majority of member states, and which was taking place having mass farmers’ protests in the background, invites revisiting European solidarity. Any political decision adopted on the EU level by voting of all member states indicates solidarity among them. Authors of this article, however, suggest distinguishing between two types of solidarity, namely the solidarity of the majority with the minority, and the solidarity of the minority with the majority. Game theory provided with the means allowing suggesting the behavioral matrix, which helps distinguishing between the two types of solidarity. Negotiations preceding formal voting help achieving solidarity of both types; those negotiations can be bilateral or multilateral.The results of the experiment staged, again, with the help of game theory demonstrate that solidarity with the majority emerges more often after bilateral negotiations, while solidarity with the minority emerges more often after multilateral negotiations. That conclusion allows recommending choosing the format of negotiations depending on the expected outcome of consequent voting. Based on the experience of the European Union, that recommendation is applicable to all cases of regional integration, first of all, to the Eurasian Economic Union. It also helps explaining why despite the mounting number of the demands for solidarity that the majority of EU member states places on the minority, the latter fails to consolidate and thus to endanger the future of the entire European integration project.

Educational Practices to Enhance Learners’ Intrinsic Motivation — Based on the Learning Process of Medical Students in a Specialized Creative Integration Project

Abstract In innovation and entrepreneurship education, personalized Education is achieved through specialized creative integration and project-based learning to cultivate college students’ abilities in innovation, creation, and entrepreneurship. However, besides providing a wide range of course options and resources on the supply side, it is crucial to emphasize enhancing learners’ intrinsic motivation on the demand side of project-based learning. We conducted an educational practice to enhance students’ personalized learning inherent motivation in the medical school. Through assigning one project per student, we aimed to stimulate students’ curiosity, empathy, and sense of responsibility by focusing on the authenticity of project topics. Furthermore, the uniqueness of projects in innovation and creation was used to enhance students’ understanding of identification and ownership. Additionally, we promoted students’ courage to transform old habits, products, and services through a sense of belonging and conformity fostered within the student community. The timely supervision and rewards in competitions also contributed to students’ understanding of rhythm, fulfillment, and respect. After a project-based Practice, significant progress and improvements were observed in students’ professional abilities, multiple intelligences, creativity, and competition results.

Web Application Server for the publication of Integrative Projects of UTJ – CCD Students

The publication of WEB applications corresponds to transmitting the projects carried out by students on the Internet, in this way they can be opened from any point with access to the world wide web. This project aims to publish WEB applications developed as final projects, allowing a favorable impact on the training of students, since it will provide them with a real approach to the development of this type of technological tools in the public and private industry. Derived from the various certifications that the university undergoes, the central final project server will serve as a central repository in the evidence warehouse. Additionally, a central Web system was developed for the management of Integrative Projects carried out at the end of each period at the Technological University of Jalisco at its Ciudad Creativa Digital site, based on the software engineering process, dividing the work into phases and supported by the Scrum agile methodology for the management of each of them.

Application of remote sensing and UAV aerial survey techniques for water resources management in irrigated areas of the São Francisco River integration project in the municipality of Terra Nova-PE.

O sertão pernambucano, historicamente, dispõe de pouca disponibilidade hídrica. Com o surgimento da construção da transposição do Rio São Francisco, muito se especula sobre as possibilidades de melhores condições de vida da população sertaneja pernambucana. Para tanto, é necessária uma boa gestão de recursos hídricos que possa ser desenvolvida com sensoriamento remoto, aerolevantamentos de Vants (Veículo Aéreo Não Tripulado) e também processamento de dados em Sistemas de Informações Geográficas (SIG). O trabalho consiste em utilizar as tecnologias de informações geográficas para analisar as áreas irrigadas da transposição do Rio São Francisco no município de Terra Nova e desenvolver um mapeamento e caracterização da região.

Implementing an integrated care pathway for Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders (SSRDs) in paediatric population

Introduction: Somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRDs) are commonly encountered in pediatric hospital settings. These children and youth, who present with physical symptoms (e.g., headache, abdominal pain, dizziness) of emotional distress (e.g., anxiety, stress) are diagnostically and psychosocially complex, posing significant challenges for medical and behavioral health care providers. Children and adolescents with SSRDs have high health system utilization and costs and present in multiple clinical settings, have high school absenteeism, and are at elevated risk of iatrogenic harm and missed diagnoses. Patients and their caregivers present with variable readiness to engage in mental health assessment and treatment, with only 40% receiving physician-based mental health care within a year of diagnosis. There is a lack of standardization of care across and within institutions for youth with these disorders. As part of the hospital’s broader strategic direction to integrate physical and mental health care, a SSRD pathway, was developed to address care needs of one of the highest resource intensive populations at a tertiary care hospital. 
 Methods: In 2021, a survey was conducted by our hospital’s implementation team to understand hospital stakeholder priorities when considering the many areas where new integrated care project could be launched. Stakeholders engaged in the survey included physician and operational leaders, clinical staff across the spectrum of disciplines, and a youth and family advisory panel. Focus groups (n = 57) were also conducted to solicit input and feedback. The results highlighted the need to develop a specialized care pathway for children and youth with SSRD focused on integrating physical and mental health care and support with system navigation. Using a logic model with iterative presentations to key stakeholders, the design phase included an interdisciplinary team approach with project management and operational resources to support project implementation and evaluation. Care pathways were developed based on a patient’s readiness to engage in mental health treatment and where they we along their diagnostic odyssey and care journey and intensity of resources required to support their care needs.
 Integrated Care Pathway: As part of the pilot pathway, a patient’s care journey will be planned in accordance with their level of readiness to accept both a somatization diagnosis and a need for mental health treatment. Patients who are partially or non-receptive to mental health supports will have access to a care manager with both physical and mental health expertise. The care manager will engage with families in shifting their focus and understanding about the mind-body connection and provide extended support with care navigation. Patients who are receptive to mental health treatments, will be referred to a group treatment program led by psychiatry and psychology with a focus on psychoeducation relating to the mind-body connection. Patients in this pathway will also have access to occupational therapy and physiotherapy resources to support with restoring function and improving school attendance, when needed. Pilot evaluation will include process and outcome measures such as number of children engaged in this pathway, time to return to functioning, completion of various mental health measures, and health resource utilization."

Digitizing Integrated Care – Aligning technology to values

Introduction: This workshop will build on an international integrated knowledge translation project that seeks to advance meaningful adoption of digital health services to enable delivery of high-quality and equitable person-centred integrated care. 
 Problem: Digital health solutions and services are recognized as critical to achieve person-centred integrated health and social care. To date work in this area has focused on the development and adoption of these technologies in supporting the (functional) activities of integrated care delivery, but less known is how these technologies can advance, or upend, the (normative) values of the communities, teams, and organizations that underpin their vision for greater integration. With the global rapid uptake of digital health tools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, systems are faced with the opportunity to quickly leverage innovative solutions, and the risk of doing so without a clear view the path this adoption sets us up to follow.
 Audience: To address the problem this workshop will share findings from the work of the Value Aligned Digital Health Consortium to develop a set of recommendations to inform implementation, evaluation, scale and spread of value-aligned technologies in person-centred integrated care. The Consortium includes researchers, providers, systems leaders, industry representatives as well as a central community partnership ensuring representation of diverse patient, caregiver and community stakeholders. As such, the audience for this workshop will include a similar range of representative groups, bringing in additional international perspectives to discuss how recommendations can be refined and adapted to meet local needs and contexts. 
 Structure and engagement: The Consortium has been running a series of deliberative dialogues with diverse stakeholder groups to arrive at recommendations and guidelines. This workshop would run a modified dialogue session in which delegates will discuss and refine recommendations to account for contextual considerations across different regions. Delegates will work in small groups (5-6 per table), facilitated by our team members, to discuss three topics: values, implementation recommendations, and evaluation recommendations. Facilitators will use a live Google Jamboard to record ideas shared by the group. 
 Workshop structure: 1) Introduction and background of the project (10 minute presentation from project co-leads Carolyn Steele Gray and Jay Shaw); 2) Understanding values of integrated care (10 minute presentation by Nick Zonneveld); 3) patient/community reflection from a patient consortium member (8 minutes) 4) Dialogue methods and activity set up (7 minute presentation by Marissa Bird to describe methods and set up the dialogue activity for delegates); 4) Facilitated small group work on 3 topics, values, implementation, evaluation (45 minutes; 15 minutes per topic); 5) Wrap-up (10 minutes – facilitators present the live Jamboards and elicit any additional feedback from delegates.
 Summarizing take home messages: This workshop will directly inform the final report to be published on this project. We will additionally be generating info-graphics and short videos to help disseminate learning generated by this workshop and the broader project. All delegates of the workshop will be invited to join the Consortium should they wish to have ongoing engagement. 

Expansion of Integrated Care in Brazil: the experience of reorganizing the healthcare network in Santana de Parnaíba.

During 2018/2019, the State Department of Health of São Paulo in partnership with the International Center for Integrated Care delivered an integrated care pilot project- Transforming Together. The aim was to co-design and deliver a more integrated system in the North Coast Region and to build the capability of key players in the region and state to sustain the change. The demonstrator project generated knowledge transfer in 2020/2021 through an InterAmerican Development Bank webinar and publications to encourage other municipalities to develop integrated care networks. With their acquired knowledge and experience, a team of local consultants have spread the change methodology to another region.
 In 2022 a new integrated care project was launched in Santana de Parnaíba-SP, a municipality in the metropolitan region of São Paulo with around 145,000 inhabitants, an HDI of 0.814 and GDP per capita of 12.500 dollars. Primary and secondary care services are already strong, referring patients to the regional network only for tertiary services, and a new hospital is scheduled to open in 2023. The project aims to fully integrate this hospital within the healthcare network and with other sectors.
 The work plan, co-designed with the municipality, has three workstreams aligned to provision of services and care for the population: a diagnostic phase; technical support for managers; and a ‘train the trainers’ educational programme to build workforce competencies for integrated care. For the diagnostic phase, municipal services were visited, health and social care service data was analyzed and a novel Day of Care Survey applied to understand the current hospital inpatient profile. Workshops with managers from different sectors explored the concepts of integrated care, supported them to map local care pathways and to self assess the maturity of their network using the Scirocco self-assessment instrument. After agreeing the educational programme outline and selecting participants, learning cycles began in July 2022. Six thematic sessions focus on: Integrated Care and Innovation; Management and Assistance Models; Leadership; Participatory Policies; Effective Work Processes; and Governance. The sessions include masterclasses by international experts via videoconference.
 
 By November 2022, more than 100 health and social care workers have participated. They have had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge on integrated care, strengthen relationships with colleagues from other services/sectors, understanding the importance of working together between all the actors involved in the care of a person to improve their health and well-being. Managers have a growing understanding of how to tackle the main barriers to people centered integrated care, and how working together across sectors is still deficient. Scirocco tool scores reflected knowledge, certainty and readiness for integrated care.
 This initiative highlights how implementation can be transferred successfully from one context to another.
 By using international expertise to build local knowledge and leadership, we have demonstrated a methodology that builds capability for integrated care in the Brazilian system and a support programme that is transferable to different regions in São Paulo state. Scale up of the Transforming Together integrated approach across all states is necessary to strengthen the Brazilian public health system.

What is the contribution from INTEGRATED CARE to enhancing value-based care at the level of the person and the population?

Introduction: This workshop will build on an international integrated knowledge translation project that seeks to advance meaningful adoption of digital health services to enable delivery of high-quality and equitable person-centred integrated care. 
 Problem: Digital health solutions and services are recognized as critical to achieve person-centred integrated health and social care. To date work in this area has focused on the development and adoption of these technologies in supporting the (functional) activities of integrated care delivery, but less known is how these technologies can advance, or upend, the (normative) values of the communities, teams, and organizations that underpin their vision for greater integration. With the global rapid uptake of digital health tools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, systems are faced with the opportunity to quickly leverage innovative solutions, and the risk of doing so without a clear view the path this adoption sets us up to follow.
 Audience: To address the problem this workshop will share findings from the work of the Value Aligned Digital Health Consortium to develop a set of recommendations to inform implementation, evaluation, scale and spread of value-aligned technologies in person-centred integrated care. The Consortium includes researchers, providers, systems leaders, industry representatives as well as a central community partnership ensuring representation of diverse patient, caregiver and community stakeholders. As such, the audience for this workshop will include a similar range of representative groups, bringing in additional international perspectives to discuss how recommendations can be refined and adapted to meet local needs and contexts. 
 Structure and engagement: The Consortium has been running a series of deliberative dialogues with diverse stakeholder groups to arrive at recommendations and guidelines. This workshop would run a modified dialogue session in which delegates will discuss and refine recommendations to account for contextual considerations across different regions. Delegates will work in small groups (5-6 per table), facilitated by our team members, to discuss three topics: values, implementation recommendations, and evaluation recommendations. Facilitators will use a live Google Jamboard to record ideas shared by the group. 
 Workshop structure: 1) Introduction and background of the project (10 minute presentation from project co-leads Carolyn Steele Gray and Jay Shaw); 2) Understanding values of integrated care (10 minute presentation by Nick Zonneveld); 3) patient/community reflection from a patient consortium member (8 minutes) 4) Dialogue methods and activity set up (7 minute presentation by Marissa Bird to describe methods and set up the dialogue activity for delegates); 4) Facilitated small group work on 3 topics, values, implementation, evaluation (45 minutes; 15 minutes per topic); 5) Wrap-up (10 minutes – facilitators present the live Jamboards and elicit any additional feedback from delegates.
 Summarizing take home messages: This workshop will directly inform the final report to be published on this project. We will additionally be generating info-graphics and short videos to help disseminate learning generated by this workshop and the broader project. All delegates of the workshop will be invited to join the Consortium should they wish to have ongoing engagement. 

The integration movement by a central stimulation team or integrator: 8 success factors from Leuven Cares (Zorgzaam Leuven)

The “Leuven Cares” (Zorgzaam Leuven) project started in 2018 as a government supported change management project, focusing chronic care integration. It covers and uses the officially defined primary care zone of Leuven (102.000 inhabitants). The project Zorgzaam Leuven is created thanks to the funding of the federal government Integreo.be, and the contribution of 60 local organizations in Leuven.
 As a basic methodology Leuven Cares opts for an ‘integrator’, i.e. a centrally stimulated integration movement amongst all professional caregivers and their local organizations, using the principles of integrated care and a population health approach. The central integrator functions as a back office.
 A broad array of actions were needed to develop this centrally stimulated integration movement, initially by co-creation and cooperation with a broad field of existing initiatives. All initiatives were brought in line and actively supported by a new central integrator team, that focused on multiple key activity areas.
 We have gained insights into the success factors that have led to the “integration movement by central stimulation” (in random order):
 1.The integrator structure functions as a back office to permanently catalyze the transition towards integrated care.
 2.The integrator is defined as the involvement of up to 40 liaison persons working within the 60 collaborating organizations, and a small central support team. The structure of the support team is lean, effective and stays integrated with all partner organizations through the close cooperation with 40 liaison persons.
 3.The integrator facilitates a co-creation attitude in all aspects of the project. Up to 60% of the professionals are voluntarily united in primary care neighborhood teams.
 4.The integrator works in line with a shared plan for the region with the focus on population health and provides regular updates based on continuous evaluation of care interventions.
 5.Involvement of patients and informal caregivers is a basic principle in care planning and caring neighborhoods.
 6.The integrator provides nudge-wise financial incentives to support integrated care starting from a population health approach, which is crucial for ‘double accountability’.
 7.Academic researchers are involved within the integrator, to implement and evaluate interventions with proof of concept.
 8.Shared communication for professional caregivers and patients is provided by the central support team, in co-creation with all partner organizations.
 The Leuven Cares project is an ongoing integrated care project. To date, the process shows good voluntarily and motivated participation of professional caregivers and their organizations. Among several other success factors a strong central integrator team supporting the transition towards integrated care is essential to support this transition towards more and sustainable integrated care.
 The next steps for Leuven Cares include developing methods to spread the best practices, including an integration team, to other regions. The roll-out will be gradual, with specific evaluation of context-dependent factors influencing the process towards integrated care.

Towards Blockchain-Integrated Enterprise Resource Planning: A Pre-Implementation Guide

In the face of numerous challenges in supply chain management, new technologies are being implemented to overcome obstacles and improve overall performance. Among these technologies, blockchain, a part of the distributed ledger family, offers several advantages when integrated with ERP systems, such as transparency, traceability, and data security. However, blockchain remains a novel, complex, and costly technology. The purpose of this paper is to guide decision-makers in determining whether integrating blockchain technology with ERP systems is appropriate during the pre-implementation phase. This paper focuses on the literature reviews, theories, and expert opinions to achieve its objectives. It first provides an overview of blockchain technology, then discusses its potential benefits to the supply chain, and finally proposes a framework to assist decision-makers in determining whether blockchain meets the needs of their consortium and whether this integration aligns with available resources. The results highlight the complexity of blockchain, the importance of detailed and in-depth research in deciding whether to integrate blockchain technology into ERP systems, and future research prospects. The findings of this article also present the critical decisions to be made prior to the implementation of blockchain, in the event that decision-makers choose to proceed with blockchain integration. The findings of this article augment the existing literature and can be applied in real-world contexts by stakeholders involved in blockchain integration projects with ERP systems.

European Defense and Security Integration: a Retrospective Review

Although the end of the Second World War brought long-awaited peace to Europe, a new totalitarian threat, the Soviet Union, emerged almost immediately. After the former anti-Hitler coalition allies found themselves on different sides of the “iron curtain”, the countries of the democratic camp faced a difficult task: how to mobilise the efforts of the war-ravaged countries of “free Europe” and enable them to fend off a possible Soviet expansion. Given the fears that the societies of European countries might compel their governments to satisfy any demands of the Soviet Union for the sake of avoiding another war, it was crucial for the West to project unity and demonstrate readiness to resist the Soviet onslaught. hence the inevitability of the United States’ involvement as a guarantor of Western Europe’s security. Thus, the very first projects of European military-political integration – the Treaties of Dunkirk and Brussels – were to become no more than the basis for the gradual involvement of the U.S. It is noteworthy that even after the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the idea of purely European integration was not off the table. The reasons for this, however, are quite pragmatic. While Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman, the originators of the idea of unifying Europe, considered the ultimate goal of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Defense Community (ECC) to be the formation of a supranational European federation, the European countries and especially the United States considered the ambitious EDC project exclusively as a way of solving the more pressing problems, such as the rearmament of West Germany and its gradual integration into NATO. This, coupled with the general unpreparedness of European countries for such a close union, led to the failure of the EDC, which would largely determine the course of European integration for decades.

ESPO AND ACADEMY FOR GERONTOLOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION SECTION SYMPOSIUM: UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF OLDER ADULT EDUCATION

Abstract TThis symposium intends to echo one of the core values of the GSA 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting — empowering all ages. Online lifelong learning has become more common in the 21st century. The speed of technological development far exceeds people’s imagination. The speed at which technology develops is shown to create a widening gap between older and younger populations, known as the digital divide. Introducing technologies into intergenerational learning environments remains an important step to bridging the generational digital divide. In accordance with the AGHE gerontological education competencies, these authors will describe how older adults utilize technology. The first speaker will discuss the effectiveness of a virtual intergenerational program that addressed experiences of ageism for older and younger participants. The second speaker will introduce user-centered design principles and innovative tools that facilitate virtual Information Communications Technology (ICT) support and training for older people with limited abilities in using technology. The third speaker will illustrate concrete practice through international cases from different intergenerational technology integration projects. The fourth speaker will present key elements from the University of Rhode Island (URI) Engaging Generations Cyber-Seniors Program internship and describe student experiences enrolled in the program. The last speaker will discuss the benefits and challenges of technology use among older learners and state the experience of leading older learners using technology in Taiwan. This is a Geriatric Education Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.