EDUC- SHARE

EDUC- SHARE picture

Strengthening the Research Dimension of the EDUC Alliance

EDUC-SHARE (European Digital UniverCity - Research and Innovation with and for Society) project - the research and innovation part of EDUC funded by the Horizon 2020 program - aims at introducing pilot tools to enhance multidisciplinary collaborative research, working on a long-term roadmap addressing key global challenges. Thanks to EDUC-SHARE, citizens, and youth specifically, have the chance to be engaged in science exploring ways to speed up technology transfer in diverse areas, spanning from ICT to social sciences and humanities, and nurture entrepreneurial mindsets among students and researchers.

Common R&I agenda developed within EDUC-SHARE facilitates joint research projects based on shared infrastructures, co-designed with the socio-economic stakeholders and citizens. Thus, the EDUC alliance will turn into a fully integrated university meeting all its missions (education, research and innovation at the European scale).

 

Knowledge transfer and innovative research networks

Knowledge emerges in diverse ways in different contexts and disciplines. EDUC-SHARE believes that a successful collaboration between these different perspectives can contribute to tackle the complex interrelations and central challenges of our time.

EDUC-SHARE therefore strengthened inter- and transdisciplinary research, opening EDUC partner universities for joint research and innovation in terms of structure and content. As a first step, seminars took place within the European Digital UniverCity since March 2021 until early 2024. These explored mutual research interests and structurally promoted possible research partnerships under thematic focal points.
Further steps within EDUC-SHARE included the development of a joint research agenda, open science and citizen science approaches, the opening up of research infrastructures and involvement in the HRS4R process for all partners. In order to continue tackling global challenges, stabilise knowledge transfer and open up attractive career and further training opportunities for researchers, structural work in the area of research and innovation will be expanded through the subsequent "EDUC-WIDE" project.

  • The development of a common research and innovation agenda has been discussed also with the Vice Rectors/Presidents of the 6 partner universities and formalized through a roadmap in which is defined the process leading to its implementation and alignment within the universities’ priorities.
  • In order to guarantee to all researchers a high quality support to their activities, it also aims to reinforce research support services within the EDUC Alliance.

  • The WP aims at reinforcing the development and implementation of the EDUC research agenda by stocktaking of available research infrastructures within the EDUC consortium and by facilitation their mutual opening.
  • A catalogue of research infrastructures (RIs) is available to all EDUC researchers, and external parties, to increase awareness about opportunities offered by EDUC. This catalogue will enable, promote, and pilot open access to research infrastructures within the EDUC alliance. Also training sessions will be set up to empower the researchers to make use of the available facilities.
  • A pilot call for access to research launched on 1st March 2023, offering the possibility to EDUC researchers and PhD students to use the participating research infrastructures and core facilities for free.
  • As our main goal is to mobilize the research infrastructures to tackle the prioritized research challenges of EDUC, the piloting of open access and user training will be particularly focused on the long-term research agenda and research topics.
  • Finally, we aim to create tools and conditions to maximize the openness of science in EDUC.

  • The aim is to find effective ways to engage citizens in science and thereby raise public awareness of the role of science, researchers, and the general public in political decisions. It will look into the development of needed structures in politics, administration, and science.
  • Youth has been identified as the main target group of our activities. Through different formats of events, we will look at good practices throughout the EDUC member universities. In the piloting phase, we will focus on the two research themes “cybersecurity + culture and heritage”. The events will address the expectations and fears of citizens towards digitalization and will enrich our down-to-earth exchanges with vulnerable groups the general public on an emotional/sensory level.

  • The WP aims at strengthening the relations of the member HEIs with the socio-economic stakeholders (in particular for topics related to the RIS3) within the regions of the EDUC-SHARE members.
  • It fosters the interconnectivity of all relevant university stakeholders to inspire and catalyze innovative and entrepreneurial collaborations, building on the ‘university-centered entrepreneurial ecosystem model’ and the state-of-the-art IoT platform solution (https://educ.openup.education).
  • EDUC-SHARE will deploy two pilots regarding the cooperation on innovation and technology transfer ecosystems: one in the ”Cybersecurity and AI” area and one on “Culture and Heritage”.
  • This WP will also develop resources to increase the entrepreneurial spirit and competencies of researchers by guiding and supporting entrepreneurial venture creation. It strives for a complex platform solution catering to the needs of modern higher education institutions with special attention to innovation and entrepreneurship.

  • The aim is for all the EDUC institutions to receive the “HR Excellence in Research'' label by the end of the project. It also aims at strengthening the action plans of EDUC members already labeled or involved in the labeling process and favoring their success in the assessment phases.
  • Three universities of the Alliance are awarded:

  • Finally, it aims at defining common principles on Ethics, Equality and parity and improving young researchers’ environments (training offers, supervision, working conditions, professional integration). In particular, on gender equality in research and academia, it will share the best practices inside and outside the partnership taking advantage of the results of several projects funded in this field by EU.

  • The digital transition, automation, and artificial intelligence are all increasing the need for upskilling in the 21st century, notably in 'soft skills'.
  • In 2021, EDUC universities carried out a survey among research and administrative staff to identify key interpersonal and transversal skills they would like to develop. Following on from this, in 2022-2023 EDUC universities will experiment in bringing together expertise from across the alliance to offer a training program in 21st-century skills.

  • It aims to ensure (i) efficient and flexible technical and administrative management of the project - in line with the EDUC (Erasmus+) management structure; (ii) project reporting and interface with the European Commission and (iii) appropriate management of open research data.

  • The aim is to organize in a coherent way the activities leading to maximize impact and visibility of the EDUC-SHARE project. We will make use of communication channels established by the Erasmus+ EDUC project to fortify the alliance’s efforts and complement with research activities and collaboration and mutual awareness of strengths and opportunities in the consortium, in its international networks, and among its local, regional, and national communities.
  • Additionally, the EDUC Alliance is being supplemented by the OpenUp network, brought into use via EDUC-SHARE WP4.
  • The quality of our communication will be reinforced by involving journalism students in the delivery and production of our promotional activities and materials.

  • The project “EDUC-Share” received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101017526.