The principal aim of the project is to develop proposals for improvements and innovations in higher education programmes and learning modes in the area of languages. This aim is based on the conviction that the enlargement of the European Union, which will bring the number of national languages up to 16 and eventually to 21, presents an enormous challenge for all institutions and organisations concerned with transnational language use and with language-related education. If the principle of the equality of all Community languages is to be maintained and if the assumption that multilingual and intercultural competence constitute an essential element of European citizenship is to become reality, renewed efforts will have to be made at all levels and by all sectors of education to promote the study of languages and cultures and the learning of languages and to develop the human resources needed for language education and mediation. In view of their wide-ranging responsibilities, higher education institutions have a crucial role to play in this respect, and the project is designed to urge universities to live up to the challenge posed by increasing European integration.

The proposals to be developed will focus on three themes:

1. Curriculum innovation;
2. New learning environments - the European learning space;
3. Quality enhancement in language studies.

These three themes will be underpinned by three horizontal issues: universities as actors in life-long learning; the relevance of language studies to professional life; the European dimension. The most important target groups to be reached are higher education institutions in general and faculties, departments and other units specialising in languages in particular, other TNPs, policy-makers and decision-makers at all levels, academic and professional associations, student organisations, the social partners, EU institutions, and the Council of Europe. The project is designed to span a period three years; funding is initially requested for one year. In year one, the project partnership comprises higher education institutions from all the participating countries, Malta and Switzerland as well as six European associations (EUA, EAIE, ACA, UNICA, CIUTI, AEGEE, and CEL/ELC). As of year two, the partnership will be expanded to include organisations representing non-academic target group organisations. In year three, non-university stakeholder representatives will increasingly besome involved in TNP activities; this is expected to lead to the formation ofa permanent network of academic and non-academic organisations with s stake in languages.

The project will be structured into three sub-projects, each dedicated to one of the three themes. Each sub-project will have its own Scientific Committee initially comprised of up to 30 experts representing HEIs from across Europe. Following discussions about relevant changes in education and in the non-academic environments, about the potential of new learning environments and about factors relevant to quality enhancement, Committee members will prepare national reports focusing on innovative developments in the said areas and describing examples of good practice. The national reports will be synthesised, and the three synthesis reports, together with initial sets of recommendations, will be disseminated to the partnership and other target-group organisations identified before the beginning and during the first few months of the project. In year two, questionnaires will be circulated among target-group organisations designed to elicit comments on the synthesis reports and recommendations as well as information about the needs existing in the organisations. The results of this inquiry together with revised recommendations will be presented and discussed with target-group representatives at three workshops. In year three, the sub-projects will produce finalised recommendations complemented by examples of good practice, course outlines, and project proposals.

The expected outcomes and products include a major document synthesising the aforementioned recommendations etc., a number of major European projects launched from within the partnership, and a network of academic and non-academic organisations with a stake in languages designed to carry discussions about innovations and improvements in the area of languages beyond the end of the project period. All the products will be disseminated via the TNP Web-site, and all pertinent organisations will be requested to comment on and to add to the findings of the project.