Reason for the Project: The DIREKT project aims to instill best Information Literacy (IL) practices in higher education systems in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan & China. The project is much needed in order to up-skill library and academic staff specifically their transferable, pedagogical and lifelong learning skills in the Information Literacy field thereby developing capacity and affecting all stakeholders including students. The project aims for improved, more relevant University services in the Information Literacy area leading to better awareness, modernization and improvements in teaching and learning. Concise Description: Creation with Librarians and Faculty, of curriculum-integrated IL programs (embedded in the three cycle system (bachelor/master/doctorate), quality assurance and recognition of qualifications for the development of lifelong learning in higher education and in Society at large and incorporating appropriate electronic media. Development of training programmes supported by 7 ECTS modules- a DIREKT Curriculum for Information Literacy which will be embedded in curricula in PC universities and with involvement of external stakeholders to ensure maximum transfer effect to Society at large.Impact envisaged: As Information Literacy is a vital transferable skill for lifelong learning that transcends all academic disciplines what is truly special and unique about this project is that the results will benefit a huge learner group- all University staff, students and librarians and the effects will be felt in RF, KZ and Chinese Society through university links with external stakeholders.

Gaps remain in our understanding of how different combinations of business, technology and relationship strategies influence the growth of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), especially in the context of networked interactions by SMEs at regional, extra-regional, and sectoral levels. In each new round of economic and technological development, these strategies evolve, highlighting the importance of tracking in close to real-time the nuances of emerging enterprise strategies. In this project, we will probe differential strategies for SME growth and the role of regional clustering in the growth of innovative companies, building on new and unobtrusive methods of web mining to gain timely information about enterprise developmental pathways. Three key research questions will be addressed: (1) What differentiates the business strategies, technology pathways, and relationships of innovative companies that stay in business and grow? (2) How does regional clustering influence the business strategies, technology pathways, and relationships of innovative companies that stay in business and grow? (3) What are the contributions of policy-induced resources in supporting innovative companies that stay in business and grow? These questions will be probed through a mixed-methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative data. We focus our research on the emerging green goods sector (GGS) - comprising firms producing outputs that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources, with an international comparative element involving the UK, the US, and China. We will identify 300 GGS companies in each country established during the time period 2004-2007, for a total study sample of 900 companies. We will apply a stratified sample selection procedure, to match the distribution of the UK GGS sector by broad product classes with the US and Chinese GGS sectors. We will then combine structured and unstructured data sources to track the origins, business, technology, and relationship strategies, and performance outcomes of these firms through to 2011. Structured data will include corporate databases, corporate patents and publication records. Unstructured data will be derived from new methods of web-scraping and data mining the current and archived web-sites of the sample enterprises. Survival analysis will indicate the pathway of firms from the founding period through to the current period. Hierarchical cluster analysis will be applied to explore differential business strategies by the three countries and by types of metropolitan location and product class. Multivariate regression will relationships between high growth (and other) outcomes and business strategies, technological approach, and the role of regional relationships and policy instruments, controlling for country and other factors. Insights from US and Chinese enterprise growth strategies will be compared with those of UK firms. In the subsequent phase, we will undertake case studies with selected UK enterprises, to test and refine propositions about differential strategies, regional and policy interactions, and outcomes. Interviews (60) will be conducted with high growth firms, stable firms, and other key informants in five UK metropolitan areas. The interviews will examine what differentiates the most successful firms, trace the use and benefit of technology-related and other programmes, and probe for wider policy-related locational attractiveness. The project will be led by the University Manchester in partnership with Experian UK, Georgia Institute of Technology (US), and Beijing Institute of Technology (China). An active dissemination and engagement programme will be pursued with the academic and non-academic worlds, including mechanisms for advanced training and outreach to users in the business sector, including start-up firms and business support programmes, to university and other technology transfer managers, and to local and national policymakers.

The CIPnet project is a Joint Action to be implemented in China. Its general objective is to promote the modernisation and harmonisation of Intellectual Property Management practices in the higher education system in China, with a view to enhance university-industry collaborations and contribute to economic and social development.The CIPnet consortium identified several deficiencies in the Universities’ TT and IP management performance in China such as low levels of entrepreneurial attitude, shortage of TT skills, inadequate IP protection, low industry-academia engagement and mismatch between the needs of the firms and the university research results. In this context CIPnet present an innovative proposal to improve the TT&IP system based on a network with a bottom-up approach. The project specific objective is to establish a National HE IP Network as a learning platform to foster the modernisation, harmonisation and strategic planning of IP Management practices and regional integration in HE of China.The CIPnet activities implemented by 7 CN HEIs & 3 EU HEIs with a long-standing tradition on IPR & TT issues (as partners) with a series of key actors on IP field (as associates), will include:- Benchmarking & needs analysis activities will identify good practices on IP services and strategies in CN and EU HEIs, providing a good insight of the situation of the China HEIs in terms of the level of IP awareness and creating a database of IP experts in China.- CB on TT&IP management, via face-to-face and on-line workshops that trainees will adapt for the implementation of the IP replication workshops. - Creation of a National HE IP Management Network with a strong networking focus.- An ambitious dissemination and exploitation strategy of the network fostering that new members join the network, contributing to the development of modern IP management policies for HEIs in CN and widening the impact and exploitation of the project results beyond the consortium.

The Project is cooperation between Universities of Northumbria (UK), Universidad de Castilla - La Mancha (Spain), Universita Politecnica Delle Marche (Italy), Beijing Institute of Technology and Harbin Engineering University (China); Seifullin Kazakh Agro Technical University and Pavlodar State University (Kazakhstan); South Ural Sate University and Bauman Moscow State Technical University (Russia).A significant number of vehicles in the above Partner Countries are equipped with Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) having technical and ecological performance inferior to that deployed in EU, US etc. A switch to modern ICE designs, similar to that, deployed in the developed countries, is required. New technology requires a new type of specialists with a deep knowledge of the state-of-the-art and technological advances in this area. All Partner Universities have Departments of Internal Combustion Engines or Transport. However, the current syllabus remains based on outdated materials and approach and also problems were identified in education of PhD students. The project aim is the deep modernisation of existing syllabus in advanced ICEs technology, improving quality of education and teaching, which includes enhancing existing and application of new learning and teaching tools, methodologies and pedagogical approaches. This will involve modernisation of learning outcomes and ICT based practices. At least 36 modules in all 6 partner Universities will go through modernisation. Approximately 50% of content for each of 36 modules will be renewed with structure, outcomes and teaching methods for each module being revised. In application to all 6 partner Universities the modernised part of the selected modules will worth about 180 ECTS credits. Additionally, Improvements in Skills Development of PhD students will be carried out for meeting career targets and their better integration into international community.