The Course “Principles and Basics of International Cooperation” in Petrozavodsk

On September 25-26, 2013 the course “Principles and Basics of International Cooperation” was arranged in PetrSU. This course is organized by Barents EU Centre. It is the second part of the training program devoted to the cooperation with the European Union. The programme is intended for representatives of municipal and regional authorities, regional institutions of the civil society (non-commercial organizations, business associations, friendship societies, mass media) of the Republic of Karelia within the framework of the project “Establishing the EU Centre in the Barents Region of Russia”, implemented under the financial support of the European Union.

The aim of the programme is to provide the essential information on the European Union, its institutions, programs, to form the skills for the development of international cooperation and project activity.

27 people have attended the course. They represented ministries, municipal administrations, cultural, social, and educational institutions of Petrozavodsk, Olonetsky, Kondopozhsky, Kalevalsky, Pitkyarantsly, Sortavalsky, Muezersky, Kostomukshsky and Segezhsky regions. The course was introduced by the head of the Contact Centre of the Nordic Council of Ministers Pavel Petrov. The course consisted of such issues as international cooperation principals and basics, the Russian Federation in the system of international cooperation, the programs of the European Union, of the Nordic Council of Ministers, of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat, ENPI, the basics of grant applications writing and project management, the work with the websites of European organizations.

The participants emphasized that the course was very useful and had practical significance as for their professional activity as for the personal enhancement. The majority of them have the experience in the project activity, so the course was very essential for them. Aside from this course the training programme also included integrated course devoted to the EU. Within the framework of this program one-day workshop on European donor organizations which will be arranged.