ThinkBS Context: About EU Higher Education Policy: EU leaders have agreed a target that 40% of those aged 30-34 should have a higher education or equivalent qualification by 2020. While higher education graduates are more likely to find employment than people with lower levels of qualifications, higher education curricula are often slow to respond to changing needs in the wider economy, and fail to anticipate or help shape the careers of tomorrow. Addressing Europe’s high-level skills needs requires action. First, more people need to be attracted to the fields of study that prepare students for jobs where shortages exist or are emerging. In many EU Member States there is unmet demand for graduates in SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, (arts) and MATHS (STE(A)M) fields, medical professions and teaching.ThinkBS objective:The aim of the project is to develop mechanisms for supporting young individuals that are talented in abstract scientific disciplines, in particular in mathematics. The goal is to implement innovative practices for identifying, encouraging, educating and monitoring such individuals in an international setting. The present strategic partnership concentrates on individuals at the college level, with the purpose of developing an educational scheme that would be applicable in future.The 36 month strategic partnership aims to identify non-math major students that are interested in learning mathematics and to provide a training equivalent to a minor program in mathematics via blended learning (face-to-face and on-line). Participating institutions will be involved in identifying non-math majors interested in further studies in mathematics or in using advanced mathematical techniques in engineering applications. The institutions involved in this program will develop dedicated curricula and course materials, build a learning platform and organize summer schools, along a road map designed in project meetings. Although the strategic partnership aims to support young individual interested in basic sciences in all areas and levels, the scope of the present proposal is framed as students in higher education institutes. Profile of participants: In higher education institutions, engineering departments attract students with different talents and interests. Among these, there has always beeen a group that is more suited for basic sciences. But for various reasons, such students are misplaced and they underperform in an environment where fast thinking/computing and social/enterpreunial skills are overemphasized. On the other hand, non-standard and extreme engineering applications require theoretically more sophisticated methods that should be implemented by engineers with a stronger background in basic sciences. The project aims to reach these group of students, to offer them career opportunities ranging from basic sciences to reserch and development engineering.Description of activities and methodologies:In this project we aim to develop a curriculum adapted for blended learning (in class, in the home institution/on-line/self-study/summer schools) leading to a mathematics minor for for engineering students. The 3-year minor program will include the following basic courses to be supplemented by electives courses in various engineering disciplines, to be decided on during the course of the project, via the initiatives of the partner institutions.1st level Advanced Linear Algebra, Advanced Calculus, Engineering Electives (8 courses)2nd levelAbstract Algebra, Partial Differential Equations, Engineering Electives (8 courses)3rd level Topology and Geometry,Introduction to real and complex analysis, Engineering Electives (8 courses)The workload will consist of the following: 1) Tailoring the standard mathematics curriculum for a compact yet complete basic material, following, classical well known, standard textbooks. The design of curricula includes topics covered for a 14 week semester, with detailed description of the content with reference to sections of specific textbooks. 2)Selecting those engineering subjects that would benefit from a treatment more rigorous than current practice, in engineering curricula and deciding on the additional basic science material that has to be added, based on standard textbooks in both disciplines. The design of curricula (O1) includes topics covered for a 14 week semester, with detailed description of the content with reference to sections of specific textbooks. 3) Preparing course material (O2), such as, but not limited to, sample problems, additional reading material, background material for self-study.4) Constructing a learning platform (O3) as an interactive website, to recrute/monitor/coach students and to share good practices5) Organizing summer school (C1n C2 and C3, 96 students from 4 countries) in HU, RO and TK.6) Disseminate project results in multiplier Events, E1 and E2.