Health and Nutrition

Virtual Physical Therapist for Upper Extremity Motor Control in Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Parkinson’s Disease is a common neurodegenerative disease affecting neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra. Those neurons based in the basal ganglia area of the brain produce are responsible for the dopamine production. When the become impaired or die coordination and movement problems appear to PD patients. The recent discovery of mirror neurons has led to the development of a new rehabilitation method called Action Observation Training is a physical rehabilitation approach through observation and imitation. Its efficacy on patients with stroke and cerebral palsy paved the way for further scientific exploration. The aim of the proposed project is to apply Action Observation Training with augmented feedback to PD patients in order not only to improve upper limb function but also to allow them to retain those skills after the completion of therapy.

African BlendEd Course: novel pedagogies boosting employability and socio-economic prosperity

Developing curricular activities involving students from different countries and disciplines, collaborating as a team to complete projects that generate relevant outputs to the local communities, improves students’ enthusiasm as well as core competences for the labour market such as teamwork, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and communication skills. The European universities in the partnership created and keep developing one such course unit since 2008 (BlendEd). The purpose of the ABC BlendEd project is to empower African universities in the area of Agriculture to setup and run such courses and to escalate the model to other areas in Africa. The objectives of the project are to foster student employability and generate added value to the local communities, stimulate the adoption of BlendEd courses by its key stakeholders, students, teachers, and beneficiary companies and promote multiplier effects to mainstream the adoption of BlendEd courses in Africa. The ABC BlendEd work plan is organized in three technical work units (Design, Implement and Mainstream) plus a project management unit.

Institute for Networked Biofabrication for Healthy Ageing

The Iberos+ strategy focuses on responding to the socio-health challenges associated with population ageing in the Euroregion and the EU, but also focuses on other major challenges such as the shortage of organ and tissue donations, the development of low-cost and reduced-time medicines, the ethical commitment to reducing animal trials and the need to advance the medical model, using tissues and organoids biofabricated from the patient’s own cells.

Cosmetic preparation school

Digitalising Academic Catalogues for Enhanced Mobility (DACEM)

DACEM aims to address longstanding challenges faced by Erasmus students, dating back to the programme’s inception in 1987. Since its launch, Erasmus has facilitated student and staff mobility, eventually evolving into Erasmus+ in 2014 to enhance higher education quality and foster transnational cooperation. Despite its evolution, Erasmus+ students continue to encounter difficulties accessing timely and accurate information about host institutions’ academic offerings. This lack of transparency affects crucial decisions regarding study courses and recognition of achievements abroad, contributing to lower-than-desired levels of recognition. The DACEM project seeks to tackle these issues by developing a solution to maintain and provide up-to-date Course Catalogues (CCs) in an accessible, consistent, and interoperable manner. HEIs are mandated to digitise and regularly update their CCs to ensure transparency and accessibility. However, the digitisation process poses technical and cultural challenges, hindering progress towards sustainable and interoperable solutions. DACEM partners have identified persistent issues with CCs, prompting the project’s focus on developing an open-source solution, reference manuals, and a cloud platform. These outcomes aim to support HEIs and students in navigating mobility decisions and learning agreements effectively.

Teaching Accounting for Sustainability, Social and Environmental Transparency

The project aims to incorporate sustainability into accounting education to prepare accounting students for their future careers and promote their critical roles toward a global sustainability. It aims to design digital educational packages and Intensive Study Programmes, producing guidelines for accounting teachers, and creating collaborative relationships with stakeholders. The project also aims to create a collaborative international space among universities.

Engineering for Good: Including social perspective in engineering programs

The project aims to build a training programme for a multidimensional development of technology courses that integrates the analysis and evaluation of engineering technologies from different perspectives: political, economic, and environmental. The ultimate goal of the project is to equip future engineers with the skills required for a comprehensive review of how new technologies, and even their commercialisation, can impact on personal, social, economic or political level.

UMCS 4 ATHENA PLUS – Strengthening International Cooperation of UMCS in the ATHENA Consortium

The project is implemented as part of the cooperation between UMCS and the ATHENA Consortium, a European alliance of higher education institutions from EU member states, aimed at developing an integrated educational and research space that supports internationalization and the sustainable development of higher education. The project addresses these needs through the implementation of six tasks, with a key component being the development of staff competences that support the internationalization of education and research.

International Master in Intertwined Humanities and Technology

The international master’s program “Intertwined Humanities and Technology” offers an innovative approach to higher education, bridging the gap between the fields of technology and the humanities. Unlike existing programs, its goal is not merely to educate technologists who are aware of the humanities or humanists who are aware of technology. Instead, the program fosters a new space at the intersection of these disciplines, training versatile professionals who can become genuine agents of technology transfer and responsible innovation. These specialists will be particularly skilled in multi- and interdisciplinary teaching and will be mentally prepared to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of a technology-driven world, emphasizing responsible innovation, user-centered design, and the protection of cultural heritage. Focusing on societal challenges, the proposed international master’s program aims to recruit outstanding candidates from around the world and to prepare graduates to effectively lead diverse teams.

Higher Education for Openness, Peace, and Empathy

HOPE proposes a transformative partnership of universities from Germany, Greece, and Israel to make higher education institutions central to fostering peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and reconciliation. The project addresses the role of universities in the context of building a peace education curriculum to support the coexistence of Arab – Israelis with Jew – Israelis, especially after the recent conflict in the Middle East. The project envisions universities as key agents in promoting a constructive conflict resolution (CCR) culture and reconciliation aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). HOPE contributes to the objectives of the call through four strategic goals: – Enhance the capacity of universities to design and implement curricula reflecting peacebuilding and CCR and reconciliation practices. – Equip students and professionals with skills and knowledge to actively contribute to peace and conflict resolution efforts locally and globally. – Foster interdisciplinary collaboration and networking among partner institutions to share and implement best practices cross-regionally. – Create sustainable peace education and research frameworks by establishing shared platforms and partnerships. – Active engagement of students, researchers, teachers, and community in the intercultural dialog via dialogue groups. These goals will be achieved through the following activities: knowledge exchange and training, curriculum development, faculty and staff upskilling, virtual mobility, collaborative publications, and targeted outreach events to engage policymakers, civil society, and the general public. Expected results: – Development of updated curricula reflecting peacebuilding and CCR methodologies. -Establishment of cross-institutional research networks Sustainable partnerships of universities and civil society to amplify the role of universities in peacebuilding. Enhanced capacity among 100+ faculty and staff and 1000+ students across participating

Virtual Exchange Soft Skills Training in the Age of Digitalization

The project envisions shaping future-ready educators by designing an innovative curriculum on digital and soft skills (Task 1) and empowering Virtual Exchange facilitators through specialized training (Task 2), fostering excellence, inclusivity and global collaboration. The implementation of Virtual Exchanges encompasses the recruitment and enrollment of participants (Task 1), the piloting of Virtual Exchanges (Task 2), and the organization of student debates on digital and soft skills (Task3), fostering intercultural dialogue, skill development and inclusive internationalization. Building soft and digital skills through Virtual Exchange equips students with essential competencies for global employability and collaboration. By combining intercultural dialogue with hands – on digital engagement, Virtual exchanges foster adaptability, communication, critical thinkin, and digital literacy, creating inclusive pathways for professional and personal growth.

Life Skills for Employability in the Age of Digitalization

Research from Harvard, Stanford University, and the Carnegie Foundation showsthat 85% of job successis due to well-developed soft and people skills, with the remaining 15% from technical skills. Therefore, HEIs must focus on developing programs that enhance students' soft skills and technical knowledge to ensure their employability. Moreover, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI like ChatGPT, are reshaping the future of work. Despite this technological progression, the importance of human-centric soft skills in employment, is increasing. Jamie Merisotis, CEO of the Lumina Foundation, highlights the need for a blend of technical and soft skills in the AI workforce. Individuals in AI must possess collaboration and communication skills to interact effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders. Moreover, a recent webinar by the Times Higher Education (‘Empowering students with data skills for an AI-driven world) highlighted the importance of soft skills on how to read, use, and exploit the data our students receive. The rise of Generation Z poses new educational challenges. These 'digital natives' expect a higher integration of digital tools in learning. Universities are urged to adapt their teaching methods and content to align with Industry 4.0 trends, catering to the unique learning styles of Gen Z students. This adaptation involves enhancing educators' digital competencies to embrace innovative teaching methods and student- centred-pedagogies, strong ties with industry and promotion of work-based learning. The Life Skills (Digital and Soft) project aims to teach, train, and bridge the skill gap between the graduates of the current higher educational programs & market needs. It utilizes the experience of Programme countries to teach soft skills using modern student-centred pedagogies and digital tools & environments. The knowledge transferred will be piloted through upgrade of curricula, micro-trainings, study visits & work-bas