Slovak University of Technology as part of the EULiST consortium has succeeded in the European Commission with a project within the "European Universities Initiative". The project focuses on the link between society and technology. For STU it is the first major milestone on the way to achieving the goals with the vision of European values, high European quality of education and the degree of cooperation that is to be guaranteed by the alliances of European universities.
The Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava has been awarded a project under the "European Universities Initiative" under the Erasmus+ scheme from the 2023 Call for proposals. The awarded project is focused on the European Universities Linking Society and Technology. The EULiST consortium has been granted over 14.3 million euros from the European Commission, of which STU itself has been granted 877 thousand euros.
"After the recent admission to the EIT Manufacturing network, this is another international success for STU. It has placed us in the company of universities with a high level of scientific research and educational activities in the European context," said Oliver Moravčík, Rector of STU.
"The EULiST consortium represents stable partners for STU Bratislava for research and education, internationalisation of our institution, creation of a sustainable green campus and sharing of common resources and information. It also means a lot of challenges for our researchers and students given the topic, which is very actual," said Ľubica Vitková, Vice-Rector for Propagation and Foreign Affairs.
The mission of the EULiST consortium is based on the observation that the relationship between society and science, especially technology, is complex and often problematic - yet for the implementation of sustainable development and climate action in particular, this relationship is essential.
The aim of the Alliance is reflected in its name: linking society with science and technology. With its research capacities, the Alliance focuses on innovative ways of integrating social sciences and humanities with technology, with an emphasis on sustainability and IT. The consortium of partner universities emphasises the involvement of students, educators, researchers as well as representatives of civil society and practice in innovative processes aimed at applying sustainability principles through new technologies at local, regional, European and global levels.
The project will develop these themes within four core areas, which are contained in the five work packages: EULiST Governance, Coordination and Strategy, EULiST Campus, EULiST Teaching and Learning, EULiST Research and Innovation and EULiST Outreach, Engagement and Transfer.
The EULiST Alliance sees the creation of coherent management structures and the development of a clear and strong strategy as the core of success on which we can build further. To this end, the EULiST Governance, Coordination and Strategy work package will establish a governance structure that promotes inclusiveness and co-creation, with strong student participation as well as close links to society. STU will co-lead the theme of sustainable management within this work package.
The main objective of the EULiST Campus work package is to create an infrastructure to support the planned activities of the consortium. It is intended to facilitate collaboration between EULiST stakeholders, through a digital library, shared information or an academic support centre. The EULiST Campus aims to provide relevant and diverse services for students, administrative and academic staff and the wider community. As part of the theme, STU will champion the development of sustainable campuses at partner universities.
An important platform for improving collaboration within the consortium will be the creation of the EULiST Digital Knowledge Hub - the so-called "Digital Campus". It will serve as a unique digital environment for sharing knowledge, resources and information between partners.
Education is the flagship of the EULiST consortium, addressed by the EULiST Teaching and Learning work package. The proposed EULiST Agora platform will provide an umbrella for a variety of methods and activities in the field of teaching, learning and lifelong learning. It will focus on flexible learning activities, innovative learning models and methods, including the intensification of student and teacher mobility or the creation of joint study programmes. STU will be responsible for the topic of Artificial Intelligence in this area. The EULiST Agora will be a common platform linked to the digital campus (information resource), to research results and to practice.
In the area of EULiST Research and Innovation, the aim of the consortium is to develop a common strategy and thus ensure synergies between the EULiST members. This will create a solid basis for common scientific excellence. An important part of the common strategy and synergy will be the transfer of knowledge into practice and a career centre for young researchers and PhD students. STU will act as a co-lead institution in the field of research and innovation. The EULiST Research and Innovation Academy (ERIA) will play an important role in this area, acting as an umbrella platform for the exchange of expertise between EULiST members and at the same time as a bridge between universities and local/regional stakeholders.
Outreach is an important tool of the Consortium. EULiST package Outreach, engagement and transfer plays an important role in creating social trust in technology. It complements the Knowledge Quadrant - Teaching, Research, Scientific Innovation and Interaction with Society. STU will be co-responsible for science-based advice to decision makers and the general public. The flagship of the outreach and transfer area will be the EULiST Co-Creation Cluster.
The EULiST consortium consists of 10 universities from ten European countries:
- BUT - Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic)
- IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom (France)
- JU - Jönköping University (Sweden)
- LUH - Leibniz University Hannover - main coordinator (Germany)
- LUT - Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (Finland)
- NTUA - National Technical University of Athens (Greece)
- STUBA - Slovak University of Technology (Slovakia)
- TUW - Technical University Wien (Austria)
- University of L'Aquila (Italy)
- URJC - Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain)
The EULiST consortium of universities started to take shape in 2020. As a transnational alliance of higher education institutions, it was established in May 2021. The aim of the alliance is to develop long-term cooperation in education, research and knowledge transfer and to provide innovative solutions to existing and emerging societal challenges.
The General Assembly of the EULiST Alliance partners was held at the National Technical University of Athens on 26-27 June 2023. Rector Oliver Moravcik, Vice Rector Ľubica Vitková, Vice Rector Maximilian Strémy and Local Coordinator Natália Gurská attended on behalf of STU. The General Assembly summarized the activities of the consortium so far and prepared a plan for the next annual period.
Author: STU (Juraj Rybanský, Ľubica Vitková, Natália Gurská)
Website: eulist.university
Photos: EULiST photo bank
