The general aim is to create globally competitive graduates who can identify critical aspects of renewable natural resource management for economic, environmental, institutional, and societal development and develop appropriate and feasible solutions. MERGED graduates will become professionals in private and public companies, I/NGOs, government bodies, and research institutions. They benefit from interdisciplinary knowledge, direct sector exposure, practical field experiences, specialised abilities to target sustainability problems, and thus high employability. MERGED is unique in educating graduates who can deal with interdisciplinary challenges at the nexus of renewable environmental resources and sustainable development. MERGED was developed with all partners' full participation and fully integrated into the participating institutions while operating jointly, from application assessment through selection to evaluation and graduation. We aim to deliver the first-ever joint degree across the partner universities and the 4EU+ European University Alliance. MERGED is offered by the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Science; the University of Warsaw, Centre for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development; and the Università degli Studi di Milano, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. All are partners in the 4EU+ Alliance and are committed to simultaneously deepening teaching collaboration, enhancing teaching quality, and increasing collaboration. We collaborate with a strong global Associate Partner network. MERGED acts globally to promote a European vision of the environmental-development nexus, enhancing EHEA attractiveness through the programme's reputation, innovative teaching approaches, integrated cross-country and cross-institutional collaboration, and the career profiles of graduates. Experiences are directly available to others through programme-level tools and explicit documentation and sharing of collaboration lessons learned.

The overall aim of this project is to create an easily accessible on-line E-resource repository for exchanging course content within European veterinary schools with reference to the outcomes as defined by EU directive 2013/55. and the Day One Competences and Underpinning Knowledge and Understanding required by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE; see ESEVT Standard Operational Procedures, as approved by the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe.Three renowned veterinary schools from Denmark (School of Veterinary and Animal Sciences; University of Copenhagen), Finland (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; University of Helsinki) and the Netherlands (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Utrecht University) will, together with the EAEVE as an associate partner, establish a long-desired collaboration on sharing and developing on-line resources for use in their veterinary curricula. The overall goals of this collaboration are to bridge the skills and knowledge gaps at the personal and the curricular levels as well as between curricula of the participating veterinary schools. In this project, the partners, in close collaboration with their teaching staff and students, will: map the requirements for an online repository and platform for sharing educational online resources, establish the shared veterinary platform as part of the already existing learning platform at Utrecht University; and manage the online veterinary platform for sharing resources, including quality control of submitted resources. In addition, a virtual quality guide for developing online veterinary teaching resources as well as instruction videos on E-learning will be made and information will be shared through webinars. All contributions to this repository will be delivered in English as part of this project. Common important themes not currently taught using E-resources in partner institutions will be identified and subsequently developed in collaboration. Results of this collaboration will be disseminated by publications, through a new series of online annual international meetings on the use and development of E-resources in veterinary curricula, as well as in the annual assembly of EAEVE and in other veterinary conferences. The goals is to propagate the initiative and to recruit more schools into this initiative.The outputs of this collaboration will be established through four work packages: - WP1. Establishment of an online platform for e-learning content including an associated editorial board ; WP2. Creation of an online instructors' forum for exchange of requirements, expertise and collaboration; WP3. Selection of educational resources for submission to the repository. New topics will be identified and be developed. This WP includes the development of a virtual quality guide for developing online veterinary teaching resources ; WP4. Dissemination of results.After completion, this project will result in an easily accessible and academic framework for sharing veterinary educational online resources, which will provide schools with available 'state-of-the art' online teaching material. Inclusion and strategic application of this platform by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) will secure the continuation of this important initiative. Adoption of a quality guide for the uploaded material and the subsequent editorial process will secure uniformity and high quality of the resources. The availability of a larger variety of online resources in English, regularly supplemented by new material, will support veterinary students all over Europe in obtaining their intended learning outcomes and day-1 competencies in a 'student-centered' classroom. By sharing these resources, educators will complement each other and time and money will be spent more efficiently.

CONTEXTIn the face of the major environmental problems facing European cities, nature-based development solutions offer a relevant answer. By relying on ecosystems, these solutions can significantly improve climate change resilience and quality of life, while contributing to a functional economy. Yet while these solutions offer many environmental, economic and social benefits, their development remains marginal. In question, a lack of knowledge of plant engineering in urban areas and its functionalities, combined with a limited experience feedback from project owners and local authorities (overall costs, management, maintenance and upkeep modality, long-term sustainability of ecological interest) which constitutes a brake in the decision on the choice of the good practices to adopt.The PROGRESS Project focuses on environmental professionals and stakeholders in urban areas by offering them the opportunity to meet and discuss the issues of development, maintenance and sustainability of urban green spaces. The program consists of sharing and transmitting experiences, methodologies and know-how in different issues and contexts (cities, populations, climate contexts, local and governmental policies, economic and institutional feasibility, etc.). It is also about training future professionals (students, apprentices, young graduates) by giving them new tools and new methods.OBJECTIVES- Contribute at a European level to a transfer of knowledge, methods and experiences on sustainable management practices of urban green spaces;- Strengthen the technical knowledge and alternative management methods of green spaces for professionals and environmental stakeholders in urban areas.In a global approach, it is also a question of being able to approach the question of urban spaces through:- The elements of control and management of urban green spaces: modalities and costs of management and exploitation of these spaces, notions of sustainability, economic, social and political contexts ...- The notion of the commons and the citizen reappropriation of urban spaces, particularly through participatory management;THE PARTNERSThe project brought together 4 partners from 4 European countries who bring complementary skills in the fields of green engineering, environmental education and citizen participation.- Orchis Engineering, Montpellier, France: Engineering consulting firm specializing in the fields of water, environment and renewable energies. Specificity: urban water management and green engineering, islands of freshness- Eco-Union, Barcelona, ​​Spain: A non-profit organization that works to connect agents of change in different sectors of society to catalyze the transition to sustainability. Specificity: Urban Mobility, Citizen Participation, Capacity Building and Advocacy- Goodplanet, Brussels, Belgium: A non-profit organization that helps young people and adults learn to live in a sustainable way. Specificity: environmental education, youth, training and learning tools- Forest and Landscape College: Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen. Specificity: maintenance, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) and use of plants in an urban contextTRAINING ACTIVITIES- Activity C1: Urban planning and management of urban natural spaces. From March 27 to 31, 2017, Montpellier, France.- Activity C2: Citizen participation in the management of urban green spaces. May 8 to 12 2017, Barcelona, ​​Spain- Activity C3: The design of urban green spaces for young audiences. From 23 to 27 April 2018, Brussels, Belgium- Activity C5: Sustainable management of green spaces. August 20-24, 2018, Skovskolen, Denmark.- Activity C8: Transition to the natural city. October 22 to 26, 2018, Barcelona, ​​Spain.RESULTSIn total, there were more than 123 participants - professionals, students, elected officials ... from various professions related to the creation, development and management of green spaces - who met during the training seminars.The PROGRESS project has globally contributed to:- Strengthen international cooperation;- Develop professional networks;- Acquire new methodologies and new knowledge on UGS;- Mapping the issues and solutions to be implemented;- Develop an original form of teaching: a mix of learners on intensive training seminars- The use of urban space as a living experimental laboratory

"The ever-growing global relevance and complexity of ""China"" has long generated an urgent need for high-quality, innovative and diversified ""China Studies"" (CS) in HEI. The particular circumstances of the Nordic countries with their unique yet widespread expertise, partly small-scale local resources and limited organizational networks have made it difficult to face this challenge. On top of these “Nordic conditions”, the academic subject as such has only gradually transformed from classical philology into a more applied, multi-disciplinary area of study, teaching and research of modern and contemporary China. In terms of resources, CS is a subject of modest size and departmental restructuring in recent years has made its visibility even more difficult. From an educational policy perspective, Nordic countries in general register a comparatively high drop-out rate of BA students, a low number of MA students and a general resistance to studying abroad for a longer period of time. The establishment of a Nordic Consortium of China Studies (NCCS) is the result of a joint effort from 4 Nordic universities aiming to address these challenges in a long-term perspective. Consequently, the overall objectives have been to facilitate innovative educational organization at regional (Nordic) level, to pool a variety of joint activities in order to strengthen ”Nordic China Studies” at the European and international level and to enhance the quality of education.The NCCS now works as a strategic promotion and communication platform that focuses on strategic development, organizational management and internationalization by increasing synergies and promoting structured inter-regional cooperation within CS and amplifying visibility internationally; increasing attractiveness of CS and employability of students as well as minimizing the drop-out rate by enhancing the quality, diversity and relevance of the studies; promoting internationalization and strengthening network building by establishing a joint Nordic Center for China Studies at the Chinese partner university (Zheda); establishing a Nordic Network of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NordNet of TCFL) that focuses on enhancing the professional development of language teachers and teaching within CS.All 4 participating organizations (Aarhus, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm) have: different disciplinary profiles either in Social Sciences or Humanities, a high academic standing and have partly cooperated earlier within a NordPlus project.The main activities in building this strategic partnership have been the establishment, promotion and official launch of the NCCS by consolidating regular exchange, meetings and inter-university cooperation structures. A common website (http://www.su.se/asia/english/nordic-consortium-for-china-studies) serves as a platform to tie together common activities, to provide an organizational, administrative and communicative forum for involved partners. A Nordic-Chinese Master program with double degree in China Studies has been promoted, monitored, coordinated, and re-organized by developing a series of intensive courses since language serves as the backbone of CS. The NCCS has also established NordNet of TCFL that works towards professionalization and enhancement of Chinese language education within CS. The project has resulted in the NCCS website and social networks hosted by Nordic students who created StudNet of NCCS. Additionally, Japanese and Korean Studies at Stockholm University have started working towards Nordic cooperation in their respective fields. 8 intensive courses have been developed, co-taught, evaluated, re-worked, and are now accessible at the NCCS website. NordNet of TCFL coordinates language teaching and learning activities among the involved partners and in cooperation with Nordic high schools. They hold yearly international workshops and have cultivated efficient cooperative exchange on formal and informal levels, e.g. they continue their work within a NordPlus teacher mobility project; on a regular basis teachers visit their partner universities for observing colleagues’ classes, co-teaching and monitoring, evaluating classes and student/ teacher performance.As a long term benefit the project has worked towards making CS an appealing MA specialization based on a well-structured educational organization, as it has created attractive study conditions of excellent quality with innovative and relevant courses. Due to joint efforts, efficient monitoring, continuous evaluation and re-working of the courses, as well as effective communication on the basis of mutual understanding, the drop-out rate during the pilot-period was 0%. Student feedback was almost exclusively positive. European-wide problems like the general decline of student numbers in China-related MA programs or the continuous economization of education still exist, however NCCS functions as the perfect platform to discuss and face these challenges."

The context/background of the projectBlockchain technology (BCT) is arguably one of the most promising and most hyped innovations of recent years. This promise of BCT highlights the need for a comprehensive understanding of how this new technology is affecting and improving existing structures and relationships in business environments. Furthermore, increasing numbers of job adverts for Blockchain-related positions show that there is a high demand for experts and personnel with knowledge and skills in the field of Blockchain.Blockchain is a highly interdisciplinary area, bringing together new challenges and opportunities at the intersections of computer science, economics, engineering, finance, business and law. However, there is a lack of educational programs, incorporating different perspective of Blockchain from across multiple disciplines. This makes it necessary to develop interdisciplinary courses giving students of different majors comprehensive essential skills and knowledge of BCT and its application and impact on different business environments.Objectives of the projectSufficient effort from academic institutions to educate and transfer accumulated knowledge about blockchain technology will foster creation of professional workforce, help exploit the benefits of this innovation, and create other innovations. Given the paradigm-breaking nature of BCT, graduates who have not received knowledge on versatile features and applications of blockchain will face challenges of understanding this advanced technology in the later stage of their career.This project aimed to contribute to education on paradigm-breaking technology with the development of interdisciplinary small network online course (SNOC) covering disciplines which are most relevant to both the practice of developing of information systems and technologies (IT) and their application in business: Computer Science, Information Technology Security, Supply Chain and Logistics, and Business, Economics, and Finance. The project efforts must help students acquire the knowledge and skills needed to exploit the new research, market, innovation and policy opportunities created by the introduction of the nascent technology.Description of undertaken activitiesThe Blockchain interdisciplinary small network online course (SNOC) project included the following milestones and intellectual outputs:1. Conducted a benchmarking study analyzing best blockchain course examples from universities, corporations and associations’ educational programs. Analyzed the competencies requirements as presented in job adverts.2. The insights from course examples and job adverts on skills and competences were empirically validated by case studies with European companies. Those case studies allowed identifying best practice use cases for BCT and additional skills and competencies. As a result of a comprehensive and systematic analysis, a skill concept was developed.3. A didactical and organisational concept was developed for interdisciplinary Blockchain SNOC. The didactical and organizational concepts facilitate the online learning opportunities and are required for adaptation of the course to different educational environments of partner universities and across Europen universities.4. Multimedia learning materials for interdisciplinary Blockchain SNOC were created and evaluated.5. The interdisciplinary online BCT course was technically realized, conducted and evaluated in online Learning Activity with the students of participating universities.Number and type/profile of participantsIn order to achieve the objectives and milestones, a consortium with four project partners and advisory board was formed, bringing together leading universities: Vilnius University (Lithuania), TU Dortmund University (Germany), University of Tartu (Estonia), University of Copenhagen (Denmark). The partners and the associate partners of the project carry the experience and excellence in international project management, domain competence in the science and educational fields they represent in the project, and practical exposure with industry partners and international academic networks.Results and impact attainedThe final measurable result of the project is BlockNet interdisciplinary Blockchain online course, which was implemented at an open e-studies portal Open.eStudies.vu.lt.The project implementation gave the participants an opportunity to deepen their respective discipline’s knowledge on blockchain and broaden the relevant knowledge by learning from project’s immediate and associate partners.The international collaboration within the project has also had a tremendous positive impact on partner’s learning through exchange of ideas, discussions, problem solving, project activities planning and the development of common vision for activities and deliverables.In terms of target groups, BlockNet has had an impact on all groups that the project targeted: students, industry partners, broader industry through the development of skills and competencies for blockchain technology projects, and for the Higher Education System (HES) through the skills development and international cross-learning by the project partners in the fulfilment of the project tasks.Few important quantitative indicators of the project’s impact can be mentioned. Two Multiplier Events (MEs) and the Learning Activity (LA) organized by BlockNet project attracted over 430 participants.Close to 300 participants took place in two Multiplier Events (MEs) organised in Dortmund (2019) and Kaunas (2021, virtual event), yielding from the participants a very positive feedback. The virtual mode of ME resulted in international diversity of participants, additionally to the professional: additionally to the four project partner countries of Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, and Germany, representatives from Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, and Ukraine took part in the 2021 ME.Following the implementation of the BlockNet interdisciplinary online course at an open e-studies portal Open.eStudies.VU.lt in December 2020, the course was evaluated under the organised virtual Learning Activity (LA). Over 150 students from the four partner universities and students from University of Latvia and Excelia Business School in France participated in the LA. Students provided feedback on the course, which, on the one hand demonstrated the good overall quality of the prepared materials, while also allowed the project partners to eliminate certain technical and didactical deficiencies, which were indicated by the students.All project’s quantifiable impacts can be summarized as the following:- 16 domain experts provided feedback on the Skills Concept (O1)- 14 domain experts were interviewed to identify Blockchain Best Practice Use Cases (O2)- 54 (or more) participants taking part in ME in Dortmund, 2019- 225 (or more) participants taking part in ME in Kaunas, 2020- 150 (at least) students take part in the Learning Activity- 20 (at least) local management and research stakeholders reached at each partner institution.Longer-term benefitsThe project has been an example of successful collaboration between partners with different disciplinary foci at the times when interdisciplinarity is in high demand in European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Interdisciplinary and modular by design, the developed Blockchain course has already had impact at the international level and will continue to impact the development of the European HES as it continues to be available at the open e-studies platform.Project reports and scientific publications cater for another significant long-term impact of the project. Available for download on the project’s website, from the publisher’s websites, and ResearchGate.net, we can estimate the total readership for the multiple project-produced intellectual outputs to be in thousands. By the time of writing the project report, two project reports and two white papers available on ResearchGate.org were downloaded more than 500 times. Two research papers – more than 700 times. The high interest of the academic community towards the BlockNet project results as expressed by the high number of downloads creates the base for the long-lasting effect of the project efforts.