ENGAGE

Enhancing Next-Generation Engineering Education through Challenge-Based Learning and Industry Engagement

ENGAGE (referred to as ENGAGE+ throughout the proposal) is a transnational capacity-building project aimed at transforming engineering education in Kosovo and Albania by strengthening institutional capacity, modernising teaching approaches, and reinforcing structured cooperation between higher education and industry. The project responds to persistent skills mismatches and limited applied learning opportunities that constrain graduate employability and innovation capacity in the Western Balkans. ENGAGE+ brings together a balanced consortium of EU and Partner Country universities, research organisations, industry associations, and innovation actors. This partnership combines advanced European expertise in engineering education reform, digital pedagogy, and challenge-based learning with strong regional knowledge and implementation capacity. The project builds on validated European practices and previous Erasmus+ results, scaling them into institution-wide and sustainable transformation models rather than isolated pilot initiatives. The project promotes a shift towards learner-centred and challenge-based engineering education, enabling universities to move beyond traditional discipline-driven teaching models and informal industry engagement. By strengthening academic staff competences, embedding applied learning methodologies, and supporting long-term university industry cooperation frameworks, ENGAGE+ enhances the responsiveness of engineering programmes to technological change, sustainability challenges, and labour-market needs. ENGAGE+ directly contributes to the objectives of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education action by supporting systemic reform, international cooperation, and long-term institutional impact. It aligns with key EU priorities, including digital transformation, the European Green Deal, skills development, and regional convergence. Through its integrated and transferable approach, the project establishes a scalable model for engineers