Erasmus+ Project STEPS4EU: Fourth Transnational Meeting at Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences

On April 16 and 17, 2026, the Institute for Intercultural Communication (IIC) at Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences hosted the fourth transnational project meeting (TNM 4) as part of the Erasmus+ project STEPS4EU (“Shaping The Engineers’ Personal & Interpersonal Skills for Enterprises & Universities”). During the meeting, representatives of all five European partner institutions evaluated the current status of the project and coordinated the next steps.

The focus of the meeting was Work Package 4 (WP4), which concentrates on the development of practice-oriented learning formats in the field of project management. The aim of the two-day event was to review, consolidate, and strategically advance the results achieved so far.

A special highlight of the programme was a virtual “Train-the-Trainers” session attended by around 60 international project management experts from academia and industry. During this session, the “Knowledge Capsules” developed throughout the project were presented. These are compact, practice-oriented learning units specifically designed for project managers. The session also provided a platform for feedback and professional exchange with external project management trainers.

The Erasmus+ project STEPS4EU is based at the Institute for Intercultural Communication (IIC) at Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences and is led by Prof. Dr. Renate Link. Project members include Prof. Dr. Sylvana Krauße, Birgit Kraus, and Marwa Rahman. The project aims to sustainably improve the performance and overall success of engineering projects in Europe.

A central focus is the targeted development of transversal and interpersonal competences among engineers, engineering students, and project management teams in European companies. In doing so, the project responds to evolving competence requirements as outlined, among others, by the OECD (“Future of Education and Skills – Education 2030,” 2018) and the European Union (“Key Competences for Lifelong Learning,” 2019).

In addition to Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences, four other European partner institutions are involved: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy), Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Leiden Educational Institutions (Netherlands), and the Warsaw School of Economics (Poland). Together, they are developing innovative teaching and learning formats in project management that are intended for long-term implementation in higher education and continuing education institutions.

The meeting in Aschaffenburg highlighted the importance of transnational cooperation within Erasmus+ for the advancement of forward-looking educational approaches. The intensive collaboration among project partners, combined with the integration of external expertise, makes a significant contribution to the quality and practical relevance of the project outcomes.

Further information about the project can be found on the STEPS4EU website.