Author Archives: imessalas

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The 2nd and 3rd Newsletter of the UPDATE project by DAISSy-HOU, trigger the interest in outcomes and results achieved so far

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update-logoThe two most recent newsletters of the UPDATE- User-friendly Practical Distance Active Training Experience European project, were published and drew the interest of the vocational training community. The project is implemented by the DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), as the Greek partner.

The general objective of the UPDATE project is to improve the quality of vocational training delivered by Vocational Education and Training (VET) organisations – in view of increasing the learning opportunities, inclusion and training success of learners, as well as their employability – reinforcing the trainers and tutors’ abilities to implement forms of blended and distance didactic and apply the new technologies to the training activities of high practical and manual content (specific feature of vocational training).

The newsletters include detailed information on the project’s latest outcomes and results, towards the achievement of its main objective.

Stay tuned and check the 2nd newsletter and the 3rd newsletter.

The UPDATE is a two-year project, funded by the European framework ERASMUS+ and implemented by a consortium of four (4) partners representing four (4) European countries (Greece, Italy, Estonia, Denmark). The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU, is the Greek partner, participating in all work packages of the UPDATE project and being responsible for the technical realization of the project’s learning platform and the coordination of the development of the educational and training material.

For more information on the UPDATE project, and other activities of DAISSy:

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The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University joined the 2nd Transnational Partners’ Meeting of the TOUR-X project

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The 2nd Transnational Partners’ Meeting (TPM) of the TOUR-X European project took place on the 23rd and 24th of March 2023, in Dolo, Venice (Italy) and provided an excellent opportunity for discussion and exchange on the progress of the project deliverables and outputs.

The TOUR-X is a Center of Vocational Excellence (COVE) ERASMUS+ Project for the Tourism Industry that aims to enhance the ability of the education providers to adapt the provision of skills to everchanging economic and social needs by setting up Knowledge Triangles of VET providers, representatives of the business sector, and public authorities to collaborate better and contribute to regional development in the Tourism sector.

More specifically, during the 2nd TPM, the TOUR-X partners examined the synergies with other projects and pact of skills. Also, they checked all information related to the study visit in Germany, focusing on the German Knowledge Triangle. Furthermore, they enjoyed working in groups to discuss the content of TourX’s “Hospitality Labs” ToolBox for Excellence. They exchanged thoroughly at the World Café on the strategic objectives of the TourX CoVE network, its mechanism of governance and communication flows, as well as the transnational activities to be carried together for the benefit of the VET excellence at the European level. They also agreed on the dissemination actions and planed the next steps based on the objectives and project schedule.

The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) is a Greek project partner, actively involved in all TOUR-X deliverables, that participated in the 2nd TPM and was represented by Panagiota Polymeropoulou, Senior Researcher of DAISSy, who delivered a presentation about the quality box for increasing the quality in VET through feedback loops and graduate tracking systems. She explained the main aim, which is to promote the communication between VET and the labour market for adding to knowledge triangles of the regional areas involved in TOUR-X by tracking the careers of fresh graduates. In this way, providers can further improve their training programmes and services specifically for the tourism sector. A quality feedback loop will be developed within this framework, focusing on designing a tourism Graduate Students’ Tracking System (GSTS). Indeed, the ability to track graduates is also considered a core component of effective Quality Assurance systems as it provides a mechanism for gathering intelligence on skills utilisation in the labour market and placement rates. The discussion among the TPM participants was vivid since DAISSy had to note their opinions and proposals to incorporate them into the current GSTS development process.

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The TOUR-X is a four-year project co-funded by the ERASMUS-EDU-2021-PEX-COVE program of the European Union. It is coordinated by the “AKMI ANONIMI EKPAIDEFTIKI ETAIRIA-AKMI SA” (Greece) with twenty-two (22) partners in six (6) EU member states (Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal) and China.

For more information about the TOUR-X project as well as other activities of the DAISSy-HOU:

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The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) participated successfully in the Teachers’ Training activity of the “Innovation Station” project

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Innovation Station -logoThe Teachers’ Training activity co-organizated by the EuroClio European network (Netherlands) and the EGInA (Italy), was implemented on 5-8 July 2023, in Foligno (Italy). It was carried out within the framework of the “Innovation Station: A new approach towards online and blended education / InnStation” European project, which targets the creation of a support system for teachers as well as formal education students and University students, in order to successfully respond to the challenges posed by online blended learning.

The main aim of the training activity was to train teachers in Self-directed Learning (SDL) and Self-regulated Learning (SRL) by applying the Blended Learning Model.

In fact, twenty eight (28) teachers/trainees and trainers were involved, coming from ten (10) countries, namely: Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Turkey. Greece was represented by five (5) secondary education teachers, who were selected as a result of an evaluation process through an open call for interest, released by the DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), the Greek partner of the InnStation project.

More precisely, three (3) workshops were implemented during the five-day training activity, that enhanced the trainees’ active participation through working in transnational groups alongside with lectures and also promoted the InnStation project to the European educational community. Furthermore, the characteristics and the principles of Self-Directed Learning and Self-Regulated Learning were presented by the trainers and good practices from four (4) EU countries were demonstrated by the participants. Additionally, relevant strategies and digital tools, which were tested during the pandemic, were recommended by the international working groups, in which teachers’ experience was merged with new knowledge. In addition, the trainees were invited to offer feedback on the Guidelines manual which aims to support European teachers regarding the development of Self-Directed Learning and Self-Managed Learning skills of students in the context of Blended Learning Model. Upon its completion, the Guidebook is to be promoted to education institutions at European level.

The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) participated in the training activity and was represented by Anestis Exaftopouos, Eleni Rossiou, Konstantinos Mathiopoulos, Spyros Papadakis, and Zeta Tsigka. Additionally, the DAISSy-HOU delegation participated in the “Digital Invations” event and the Social Hackathon of Umbria, organized by EGInA, Italian partner of the InnStation project.

The InnStation is a two-year project, co-financed by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union and implemented by a consortium of five (5) partners from five (5) European countries (Greece, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland), with the DAISSy-HOU as the project partner in Greece.

For more information on the InnStation project and other activities of DAISSy-HOU:

 

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Empower Girls’ Creativity Through Use of Digital Technologies: Multiplier Event of the SparkDigiGirls EU project organized by DAISSy-HOU, in Patras (Greece)

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With the successful organization and implementation of the Multiplier Event entitled “Empower Girls’ Creativity Through Use of Digital Technologies”, the DAISSy research group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) completed the activities of the “SparkDigiGirls: Empower Girls’ Creativity Through Use of Digital Technologies“ European project. The event took place on-site on July 12 2023, at the “Byzantino” Hotel in Patras, Greece.

The SparkDigiGirls aims at encouraging girls to explore digital technologies such as AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of things) and come up with new and exciting ideas by utilizing their newly acquired digital knowledge to chart the waters of the male-dominated STEM industry with fresh, different, and creative viewpoints.

The event was addressed to teachers, vocational education and training providers, apprenticeship advisors, vocational training teachers, IT solutions providers, Government representatives, University representatives, students e.t.c..

The launching speech was delivered by Achilles Kameas, Professor of HOU and Director of DAISSy, who presented the activities of the Research Group and emphasized on its valuable projects and their impact on society. Then, Mr. Konstantinos Potsis, Project Manager of DAISSy, introduced the agenda of the event to the audience and briefly explained the aim of the SparkDigiGirls EU project.

Furthermore, Mrs Evgenia Pierri, Director of the Directorate of Secondary Education of Achaia (Prefecture at the Region of Western Greece-RWG), held the session entitled “Women’s participation in information and communication technologies (ICT) – The role of secondary education”, by elaborating on the gender gap of women’s participation rate in ICT and STEM professions, the role of the secondary education in closing this gap, and the measures already taken or planned by the Directorate, towards this direction.

The sessions continued by Pr. Fotis Lazarinis, Researcher of DAISSy, presenting the SparkDigiGirls project, its activities and deliverables, namely:  the “Twofold analysis of ways how innovative technologies may develop creativity of girls”, the “Unleash your creativITy with technology” online learning program, the “Digital Female Role Model Campaign” and the “Guidebook to empower youth workers as mentors to pursue girls’ creativity through usage of digital applications”. It is worth mentioning that twelve (12) youth workers/secondary education teachers and sixty five (65) girls were engaged in the project activities in Greece, who participated in the “Unleash your creativITy with technology” online learning program, and are school students at the Achaia (Prefecture at the RWG), the city of Agrinio (Prefecture of Etoloakarnania of the RWG) and the city of Mytilene (at the Lesvos Island of North Aegean). In addition, inspirational videos of women with a leadership role in the IT, created during the “Digital Female Role Model Campaign”, were presented.

A joyful part of the event was the following presentation from the group of teachers and students from the 6th General Highschool of Patras, who won the educational trip to Ljubljana, Slovenia! This was the award of the evaluation process of their performance in the SparkDigiGirls online learning program. The winners shared their experiences and explained how their involvement in the project expanded their horizons.

Emphasis was put to the firm links of SparkDigiGirls with two other EU projects currently ongoing by DAISSy-HOU on STEM education i.e. SpicE: Special Education STEAM Academy and NEFELE: Neet prevention in Educational systems through positive Future vision Enhancing Learning and teacher Education, that were presented respectively,  by Mrs Natalia Spyropoulou and Mrs Vasiliki Takouli, Project Managers of DAISSy-HOU.

An interactive and interesting discussion with the audience followed the speeches, regarding suggestions on activities to motivate girls to take part in STEM-STEAM, just before the ceremony on commendations awarded to the schools and the teachers, involved in the “Unleash your creativITy with technology” learning program.

More precisely, the following schools obtained an award for participation in the SparkDigiGirls learning program: Vocational High School of Paralia Patras, 6th General High School of Patras, General High School of Dafni Kalavryta, 5th General High School of Agrinio, 2nd Vocationa High School of Agrinio and Model Experimental High School of Mytilene.

The multiplier event ended in a pleasant atmosphere with the participants expressing positive remarks for the implementation of such projects and their willingness to be actively involved in initiatives of this kind, in the future.

The SparkDigiGirls is a two-year project, funded by the European framework ERASMUS+ and implemented by a consortium of six (5) partners representing six (4) European countries (Greece, Lithuania, Slovenia, Portugal), with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU, being the Greek partner. The Research Group participates in all work packages of the SparkDigiGirls project and is responsible for the coordination of the development of the “Guidebook to empower youth workers as mentors to pursue girls’ creativity through usage of digital applications”.

For more information on the SparkDigiGirls  project, and other activities of DAISSy:

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Learning Training Teaching Activity of the WINBIZ Project implemented by DAISSy-HOU, in Patras (Greece)

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The DAISSy research group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) successfully organized the Learning, Training, Teaching Activity (LTTA) of the European project “WINBIZ: Women’s Innovative Business Incubation Zone” that that took place on June 6, 7, and 8 2023 in Patras, Greece. The activities were carried out on-site at the facilities of the Hellenic Open University. The WINBIZ project targets migrant women or women with a non-Western background, with medium-high levels of education, in a training pathway aimed at enabling the acquisition and development of personal, transversal and specific competencies and skills necessary for their full integration/ reintegration in the European labour market, thus generating well-being for themselves and for the society they live in.

The three-day Tutor Training, involved twenty five (25) participants being adult education trainers working in the field of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and or linked to the refugee/migrant context and representing five (out of six) partner countries of the WINBIZ project, namely: Portugal, Greece, Germany, Romania, Republic of North Macedonia. They had the opportunity to be introduced to the project and its completed as well as ongoing activities, such as the WINBIZ Social Report, the WINBIZ Trainer’s Toolkit and the forthcoming WINBIZ Course on Entrepreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship. Participants were trained on engagement and communication practices within a blended learning environment specifically focused on migrant women, with inclusiveness and diversity training being high on the training priorities. Interactive activities, games, energizers and other engagement technics took place, in order to prepare the trainers for the delivery of the WINBIZ Training Course to migrant women.

The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU, Greek partner of WINBIZ, facilitated the Tutor Training and provided training sessions on “Dealing with setbacks/ how failing helps us evolve in our practice”, performed energizers and interactive activities, and presented the curriculum of the WINBIZ Training Course. It was represented by Mr Kontantinos Potsis, DAISSy Project manager, and Mrs Elena Tzamouranou, DAISSy Reseacher. DAISSy-HOU participates in all work packages, being responsible for the implementation of the e-learning platform and the coordination of the pilot training program of the project.

The WINBIZ is a three-year project funded by the ERASMUS+ European program and implemented by a consortium of six (6) partners representing six (6) European countries (Greece, Portugal, Italy, Romania, Republic of North Macedonia and Germany), with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU, being the Greek partner.

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For more information on the WINBIZ project, and other activities of DAISSy:

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Participation of DAISSy-HOU in the 2nd Transnational Partners Meeting of OpenDCO Project

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OpenDCO-p1The DAISSy research group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) participated in the 2nd Transnational Partners Meeting (TPM) of the European project “OpenDCO-Open Data City Officer” that that took place on July 6 and 7, 2023 in Guimaraes, Portugal. The activities were carried out on-site at the facilities of the University of Minho. The OpenDCO project aims to develop a professional profile focused on open data of smart cities at a European level, as well as a modular curriculum covering all the different aspects of an Open Data City Officer (OpenDCO) job role.

During the two-day TPM, partners had the opportunity to discuss the open data dimensions of smart cities and the competences required to effectively address them. In this context, the self-assessment tool for OpenDCOs aiming to identify potential competence gaps and propose alternative learning paths to fill them was presented. In addition, the partners discussed issues concerning curriculum design, development of educational materials, and pilot offering of the OpenDCO project’s educational program. Subsequently, horizontal issues of the project regarding the exploitation and promotion of the results, as well as its management, were discussed.

The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU, Greek partner of OpenDCO, participated in the 2nd TPM and was represented by Dr. Fotis Lazarinis, DAISSy Researcher, who presented the pilot delivery plan of the OpenDCO educational program. DAISSy-HOU participates in all work packages, being responsible for the implementation of the e-learning platform and the coordination of the pilot training program of the project through the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).

The OpenDCO is a two-year project funded by the European framework ERASMUS+ and implemented by a consortium of five (5) partners from four (4) European Union member-states (Greece, Portugal, Cyprus and Germany), with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU, being the Greek partner.

For more information on the OpenDCO project, and other activities of DAISSy:

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The DAISSy research group of HOU organized with success in Athens the 2nd international partners’ meeting and the train the trainers activity of the ADA project

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ada-2ndprWith success, the DAISSy research group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) organized the 2nd Transnational Partners Meeting (TPM) and the train the trainers activity that that took place on June 8 and 9, 2023 in Athens (Greece). The activities were carried out on-site and were hosted at the facilities of the Hellenic Open University (HOU). They were implemented within the framework of the European project “ADA-All Digital Academy”, which aims at supporting adult educators and trainers by offering up-skilling training activities on emerging technologies, focusing on Ιnternet οf Τhings (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The main purpose of ADA is to support teachers and learning centers, so that they acquire and/or strengthen their skills regarding the organization and the provision of IoT and AI courses as well learning experiences to adult learners.

The first day of the sessions was dedicated to the 2nd TPM and started by discussing issues related to the management and the coordination of the OpenDCO project. Then, the self-assessment tool on the digital competences related to IoT and AI was presented and the work progress of the online courses offered by the project in the form of Massive Open Online Courses, was discussed. In addition, the process of the pilot offering of the above courses was analyzed, emphasizing on the duties and responsibilities of the trainers. In addition, the organization and the program of the online seminars offered by the project, the evaluation process of the tools and the educational activities, as well as issues of promotion and dissemination of its results, were discussed.

The second day of the sessions focused on the training of the trainers. At the beginning, the profile of the two courses was presented by describing their objectives, structure, content and program, among other issues. Then, the content of the courses was presented in detail, where the teaching and the assessment material as well as the structure and the role of the learning modules of each course, were analyzed.

The DAISSy Research Group of the-HOU, the Greek partner of ADA and the host of the meeting, was represented by Dr. Theodoros Panagiotakopoulos, DAISSy Project Manager and Researcher, who during the 2nd TPM presented the project’s self-assessment tool and e-learning platform (which were developed by DAISSy-HOU), as well as the pilot delivery plan of the ADA courses. Furthermore, during the train the trainers activity, he presented the outline of the IoT and AI courses, as well as the content of the IoT course.

The ADA project has a duration of 30 months, is funded by the European framework ERASMUS+ and is implemented by a consortium of three (3) partners from three (3) European Union member-states (Greece, Belgium and Italy), with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU, being the Greek partner.

For more information on the ADA project, and other activities of DAISSy:

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The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University invites you to take part in the Summer School on “Digital Collection Curator for Archaeology”

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digitarch-frThe Department of History and Culture of the University of Bologna (Italy), under the scientific responsibility of Professor Antonella Coralini and with the collaboration of the Civic Museums of Modena and Emilia Romagna, organizes for the second consecutive year, the Summer School on “Digital Collection Curator for Archaeology“. The initiative is part of the “DIGITARCH: Digital Collection Curator for Archaeology” project and is organized in Bologna.

In particular, the Summer School has a total duration of ninety (90) hours, takes place from 4th to 22nd September 2023 and includes lectures, seminars and practical activities. The educational programme provides a high-level and unique international training, aiming at putting into practice the digital and technological competences of students and professionals working in the field of cultural heritage, focusing particularly on the archaeological sector, in line with the professional profile of the Digital Collection Curator.

The Summer School is implemented on-site, in English and provides six (6) University credits (CFU). Its aim is to train qualified/expert professionals in the field of digital humanities, in order to be able to manage all phases of the processes of creating and using digital collections of archaeological interest, from data collection in the field to their use in museums.

The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), is the Greek project partner and will be represented in the Summer School by Achilles Kameas, Professor of the Hellenic Open University, Director of DAISSy and Panagiota Polymeropoulou, Senior DAISSy Researcher, member of the project working team, who will deliver two lectures, on-site.

Detailed information about both the terms and the fees of participation in the Summer School, are available on the project website: https://site.unibo.it/digitarch/en.

DIGITARCH is a two-year project, coping with the advanced training in the technological, economic and cultural fields for an attractive European knowledge sector and it is co-funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region (Regional Council Decision no.1625/2021). It is implemented by a consortium of institutions in two countries (Italy, Greece): the University of Bologna is the Coordinator, and the partners are, the Hellenic Open University and the DAISSy research group, the Melting Pro company, the Municipality of Modena and the Civic Museums of Modena and Emilia Romagna.

Read: Manifesto DIGITARCH 2023 (ENG)

For more information about the DIGITARCH and other activities of the DAISSy Research Group:

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DAISSy-HOU organizes the hybrid info-day entitled “Empower Girls’ Creativity Through Use of Digital Technologies” within SparkDigiGirls project

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spark-01The DAISSy research group of the Hellenic Open University invites you to participate in the info day entitled “Empower Girls’ Creativity Through Use of Digital Technologies”, which will take place on Wednesday 12 July 2023 at 18.00, at the “Byzantino” Hotel in Patras (Greece).

The event is addressed to individuals and representatives of associations, institutions and bodies at local, national and European level. In particular, it is addressed to teachers, vocational education and training providers, apprenticeship advisors, vocational training teachers, students e.t.c.

More precisely:

  • Participation is free of charge and open to all
  • Pre-registration is not needed
  • Online participation is available through the Zoom electronic platform, by using the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83461700438?pwd=Tjl4QWFzQ1BJMGxyWVJCVnF4cEFMZz09 (Meeting ID: 834 6170 0438, Passcode: 301158)
  • The event will be held in Greek
  • A certificate of attendance will be provided to any participant wishing for it

The info-day is part of the implementation of the “SparkDigiGirls: Empower Girls’ Creativity Through Use of Digital Technologies” EU project, aiming at encouraging girls to explore digital technologies such as AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of things) and come up with new and exciting ideas by utilizing their newly acquired digital knowledge to chart the waters of the male-dominated STEM industry with fresh, different, and creative viewpoints.

Read the programme here.

The SparkDigiGirls is a two-year project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme (2020-1-LT02-KA227-YOU-007294) of the European Commission, with DAISSy-HOU as the Greek partner.

For more information about the SparkDigiGirls project, and other activities of DAISSy:

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DAISSy – HOU announces the student competition on the contemporary socio -economic challenges via the “Learn.Inc” project!

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logo-learnIncThe DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU is pleased to announce the student competition on “Using the digital educational environment to solve modern socio-economic challenges (Challenge Based Learning -CBL)”  to be implemented within the framework of the “Learn.Inc : Learning Incubator for Project- based Teaching and Training through Research” EU project.

In particular, with regard to the CBL student competition of the Learn.Inc project, it is noteworthy that:

  • It is addressed to all postgraduate and post doc students of Greek Universities.
  • It is carried out in cooperation with Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (Romania), Sofia University St. Clement Ohridski (Bulgaria), Canakkale Onsekiz Mart Universitesi (Turkey) and Research & Training Foundation Point Foundation (Bulgaria).

The aim of the student competition is to highlight innovative ideas in order to solve cutting-edge problems of socio-economic reality. By bringing learning and formal education closer to the agenda of the society and the local communities, the Learn.Inc project seeks to create a supportive environment for the launch of “bottom-up” initiatives, accessible to both the teachers and the students, so that they all develop knowledge in a flexible way. At the same time, research is a key element of the whole process, where students will follow personalized learning paths that will lead them to their own results and achievements. The need of the students to interface with both private businesses and social organizations, is the impetus of the CBL student competition.

More precisely, the participants of the CBL competition are invited to develop a short idea, so that learning takes place through the identification, the analysis and the design of a solution to a real social, technical  or business problem. Looking for answers to the above stages, students are invited to present their scientific proposals to an Evaluation Committee, consisting of representatives of the Learn.Inc project team and the associated partner institutions.

As a result, the participants in the CBL student competition will have the opportunity to be involved in a creative process of participatory training (in collaboration with other users and groups from the University and business community) in order to develop skills, aiming at experiencing their idea being shaped and transformed into a complete application. A pitching exchange among the various ideas will be part of the competition, to be followed by an evaluation process and an award to the most innovative proposals.

The CBL student competition of the Learn.Inc project includes the following phases:

  • Submission of applications: 22nd June – 7th July 2023 (using the following link: https://www.learn-inc.eu/en/profile )
  • Selection of candidates : 8th to 11th July 2023
  • Implementation of the competition : July to November 2023

The Learn.Inc is a three-year project, co-funded by the European Union, in the framework of the “ERASMUS+/Key Program Action 2 Sector: Partnerships for Cooperation in a field of Higher Education” program. It is implemented by a consortium of five (5) partners from four (4) countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Greece) with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU being the Greek partner, responsible for the implementation of all actions at national level and participating in all project intellectual outputs.

For more information about the Learn. Inc project and other actions of DAISSy – HOU: