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Successful organization of the 3rd Transnational Partners’ Meeting of the EDIFY-EDU project, by DAISSy-HOU, in Athens, Greece

The 3rd Transnational Partners’ Meeting (TPM) of the «Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions (EDIFY-EDU)» project was successfully organised on 26th  and 27th  June 2024 by the DAISSy Research Group of Hellenic Open University (HOU), the Greek academic partner. The TPM was hosted at the organisation’s premises in Athens (Greece) and provided the project partners with the opportunity to discuss and exchange on the progress of the Deliverables and results of the project.

EDIFY-EDU is a three-year project running from 01.09.2022 to 31.08.2025, co-funded by the ERASMUS+ program of the European Union (EU). It is implemented by a consortium of twelve (12) partners from six (6) EU member states, which, in alphabetical order, are: Austria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland (Coordinator) and Italy, as well as three Associated Partners in Belgium, Germany and Italy.

DAISSy-HOU actively participated at the third (3rd) TPM represented by, Mr. Achilles Kameas, Professor at HOU and Director of DAISSy, Ms. Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager, Ms. Panagiota Polymeropoulou, Senior Researcher and Mr. Anastasios Papadopoulos, the project’s Technician.

Overall, representatives from all the project’s partners took part in the 3rd EDIFY-EDU TPM and the scope of work included, the presentation of the EDIFY-EDU Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) E-learning platform and its promotion, the terms of registration and the ways of encouraging participation emphasizing on professionals and business representatives. It is noteworthy that DAISSy-HOU is responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and evaluation of the E-platform as the educational tool for facilitating the learning and exchanging among the project’s trainees.

Furthermore, the evaluation framework of the MOOC as well as the implementation plans for the national Specialisation Courses at the project partner countries, were presented. The already produced educational material was analysed and the required forthcoming deadlines were set. In addition, the content of the MOOC, including proposed candidates for presentations in online webinars, was discussed.

The 3rd TPM of the EDIFY-EDU was completed with full agreement on the next project steps and by confirming the upcoming deadlines linked with the respective Deliverables as well as the respective roles of all partners.

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Stay tuned and find out more about the EDIFY-EDU project and other activities of the DAISSy Research Group at:

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The “Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation” Greek National report is completed by the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU

edify-edu-logoDAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) has completed the national report on the skills gap in the business management education and the workplace regarding the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) competencies in Greece. The report presents the findings of the research conducted, within the framework of the project “Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions (EDIFY-EDU)”, by DAISSy-HOU, as the Greek academic partner, in cooperation with the second EDIFY-EDU Greek labour partner, the Development Entity of the Chamber of Achaia (ACHADE).

Specifically, the findings are an outcome of a thorough research carried out from all project’s national project partners by applying various methods under a specific, common methodology. In Greece, DAISSy-HOU carried out a semi-systematic review of undergraduate business courses (EQF level 6), identifying thirty (30) Programmes/Courses at bachelor’s degree, related to management, business administration, management science and related fields. Furthermore, DAISSy-HOU conducted four (4) focus groups; three (3) with professionals from the labor market with a few of them being also PhD students and one (1) focus group with postgraduate students of Management of Business Administration (MBA) from the Department of Business Administration of the University of Thessaly (UTH). Lastly, DAISSy-HOU interviewed eleven (11) participants, and in addition, ACHADE, the Greek business partner, conducted five (5) video interviews related to EDI, targeting an overview of existing best practices.

Overall, the Greek national report summarizes the competencies identified during the desk research analysis in relation to business management courses but also the competencies recognized as the most important from the qualitative findings of the in-depth interviews and focus groups on EDI topics towards the European frameworks of EntreComp, DigComp and LifeComp.

Specifically, the report highlights the need for an improved undergraduate business education, as outlined by the European Commission, that embeds equality, diversity and inclusion and can contribute to alleviating existing gendered labour market and workplace EDI discriminatory practices. It provides insights into the social impact of existing and emerging labour market laws and policies and discusses the discrepancies between current policies and practices providing a recommended list of competencies needed to address EDI issues at the workplace. These competencies are aligned to the European frameworks (EntreComp, LifeComp and DigComp) and have been considered in the design and development of the upcoming micro credential modules for the EDIFY-EDU Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).

The EDIFY-EDU is a three-year project co-funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union and is coordinated by the DUN LAOGHAIRE IADT-Institute of Art, Design and Technology (Ireland) with eleven (11) partners in six (6) EU member states (Ireland, Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Greece) and three associated partners in Germany, Italy and Belgium. The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU and the Achaia Chamber Development Entity (ACHADE) are the two partners thoroughly linked for the effective implementation of the project activities in Greece, embracing also a number of respective stakeholders aiming at the multiple exploitation of the project results and its impact.

Stay tuned and check the executive summary of the Greek National report at: https://www.edifyeduproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GREECE-Executive-Summary-of-the-National-Report.pdf

For more information on the EDIFY-EDU project, and other activities of DAISSy-HOU:

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The DAISSy Research Group of HOU presented the “EDIFY-EDU” project at the annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation

edifyedu-postThe 16th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI) was held from 13 to 15 November 2023 in Seville (Spain) on “Transforming Education, Transforming Lives“. The Conference provided a unique opportunity to exchange with a wide range of global experts, and also to present the “Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions (EDIFY-EDU)” european co-funded project, currently undergoing with the DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) as the Greek academic project partner. 

The International Academy of Technology, Education and Development (IATED) has been organizing ICERI on an annual basis for sixteen (16) years in a row. It is a Conference that has become a prominent global educational event and thus, this year it attracted seven hundred and eighty (780) delegates from sixty (60) countries. 

DAISSy-HOU was actively involved in the ICERI 2023 Conference contributing five (5) scientific papers, a result of the high-standard achievements and international collaborations of the Group. The papers showcased the results of european research projects, which produce innovative methodologies and tools regarding education in the digital era, that are undergoing by DAISSy with prof. Achilles Kameas as Scientific Coordinator. 

With regard to the axis of strengthening the cooperation between Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and the Labour market, the paper and presentation on “A Research Methodology that includes University-Industry Cooperation for the Identification of Stakeholders’ experiences on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in applied Business Management and undergraduate Business Education” has taken place. It was based on the EDIFY-EDU project and developed/ submitted by Ms. Eleni Georgakakou (HOU-Greece), Audrey Stenson (DUN LAOGHAIRE Institute of Art, Design and Technology-Ireland), H. Ikävalko (Aalto University-Finland), Josephine Browne (DUN LAOGHAIRE Institute of Art, Design and Technology-Ireland) and Achilles Kames (HOU-Greece). The EDIFY-EDU project’ presentation was prepared by Ms Audrey Stenson and Ms Eleni Georgakakou, and it has been delivered online also by Ms Audrey Stenson.

The DAISSy-HOU was represented at the ICERI Conference 2023 by Prof. Achilles Kameas, Director of DAISSy, and Ms. Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager and Researcher of DAISSy, who attended a number of sessions and elaborated on peer learning and networking-new cooperations.

The EDIFY-EDU is a three-year project co-funded by the ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant of the European Union. It is implemented by a consortium of twelve (12) partners in six (6) EU member-states and it also involves three associated partners.

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

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DAISSy Research Group of HOU presented the “EDIFY-EDU” project at the annual Conference of the European Distance Teaching Universities

edify-edu-logoThe annual Higher Education (HE) Conference of the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) was held from 04 to 06 October 2023 in Istanbul (Turkey) on “Accelerating towards a digital and inclusive campus: Empowering Learners: Microcredentials, Generative AI, and Equity“. The Conference provided an excellent context for the presentation of the European co-funded project “Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions (EDIFY-EDU)” by the DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), the Greek academic project partner.

The HE Conference is organized annually by the EADTU, which is the Association of Universities of Europe that provide open distance education and that seeks innovation in the field of European Higher Education. The annual Conference focuses on issues related to the new trends and the parameters affecting HE at  European and International level.

It is noteworthy that more than twenty-five (25) countries participate in the EADTU HE Conference on an annual basis, while last year (2022) it took place in Greece for the first time co-organized by the Hellenic Open University, which is a full member of EADTU.

The DAISSy Research Group was actively involved in the 2023 EADTU Conference contributing four (4) scientific abstracts, a result of the high-standard effort and international collaborations of the Group which were accepted and presented in its framework. The papers showcased the results of European research projects which tackle modern and timeless topics regarding HE which and that undergoing by DAISSy, with Achilles Kameas, Professor of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the HOU and Director of DAISSy, being the Scientific Coordinator.

More precisely and with regard to the axis of strengthening inclusiveness, the presentation on “Accelerating towards an inclusive Management Education: Empowering learners on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principles” attracted high interest. It was based on the EDIFY-EDU European project and developed/ submitted by Ms. Eleni Georgakakou (HOU), Audrey Stenson and Josephine Browne (DUN LAOGHAIRE Institute of Art, Design and Technology) and Achilles Kames (HOU).

The EDIFY-EDU project’ presentation was delivered in person by Ms Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager and Researcher at DAISSY-HOU, who analyzed its methodology and expected results, focusing on the educational distance teaching tools and the blended learning that are being developed in the context of the project aiming at promoting the principles of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) and the acceleration towards Inclusive HE in the field of Management.

The EDIFY-EDU is a three-year project co-funded by the ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant of the European Union. It is implemented by a consortium of twelve (12) partners in six (6) EU member-states (namely and in alphabetical order: Austria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland and Italy) and it also involves three Associated partners in Germany, Italy and Belgium. The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU and the Achade-Achaia Chamber Development Entity are the two partners which are thoroughly linked for the effective implementation of the project activities in Greece.

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

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DAISSy at the 2nd Transnational Partners’ Meeting of the european project: “Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions“

The “Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions, EDIFY_EDU“ is a three-year project (01.09.2022–31.08.2025) co-funded by the European Union (EU). It is implemented by twelve (12) partners in six (6) EU member states, which are, in A/Z order: Austria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland (Coordinator) and Italy, and three Associated Partners in Belgium, Germany and Italy.

The 2nd Transnational Partners’ Meeting (TPM) of the EDIFY-EDU project, was hosted on the 12th-14th September 2023, by AALTO University in Finland, and it provided a favorable opportunity for the partners to exchange on the progress of the deliverables, check the sharing of the tasks and agree on the next steps of the project implementation.

The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU, the Greek academic partner, actively participated at the TPM represented by Ms Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager, who delivered a detailed presentation on the EDIFY-EDU upcoming E-learning platform, for which DAISSy serves as the Leader partner on its design, implementation, maintenance and evaluation. The presentation emphasized on the platform’s structure and main elements by drawing attention to specific sections such as the, online learning space, resources and materials formats, “co-working space” dedicated to foster cooperation between participants, as well as the “consultation room” encouraging the communication between the trainers and the tutors/ mentors.

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The TPM was completed by agreeing on the next steps and confirming the upcoming deadlines linked with the respective deliverables and the roles of all the partners.

Stay tuned and find out more about the EDIFY_EDU project and other activities of the DAISSy Research Group at:

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DAISSy Research Group at the International Seminar “Skills for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion – Requirements for a fairer, more diverse and inclusive labour market”

edify-edu-logoThe International Seminar on “Skills for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion- Requirements for a fairer, more diverse and inclusive labour market”, which was organized in a hybrid mode on September, 13th, 2023 (13.00-15.30, EEST) in Espoo (Finland) by Aalto University, within the framework of the Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions (EDIFY-EDU)” european project, triggered the interest of experts and practitioners, representatives of authorities, institutions, business and academia, active citizens, and more generally stakeholders interested in the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles and their application in the labor market.

The Seminar included guest experts’ speeches, panel discussions and video presentations, which addressed not only the skills gap in the Business Management education regarding competencies on workplace in EDI, but also collected valuable inputs from the experts to be integrated into the content of the EDIFY-EDU training program to follow. Through a vivid exchange on the observations from the project’s research in five partner-countries (DE, FIN, GR, IR, IT), it achieved its target on leading the way for next actions towards a fairer, more diverse and inclusive labour market.

The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), the Greek Academic partner of the EDIFY-EDU project, supported the organization of the Seminar, and it was represented in person in the event by its members, Ms. Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager & Researcher, and Mr. Kostas Mantzos, Researcher. Mr. Mantzos also participated in a Panel Discussion and emphasized on the main findings of the national report on the skills gap in the business management education regarding the EDI competencies at the workplace in Greece.

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Stay tuned and find out more about the EDIFY_EDU project and other activities of the DAISSy Research Group at:

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International Seminar Invitation (hybrid) “Skills for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion- Requirements for a fairer, more diverse and inclusive labour market”

September, 13th, 2023 (13.00-15.30, EEST)

 The DAISSy Reseacrh Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) invites you to the International, hybrid Seminar on, “Skills for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion- Requirements for a fairer, more diverse and inclusive labour market”, which  is taking place on September, 13th, 2023 (13.00-15.30, EEST) in Espoo (Finland) and will also by streamed online. The Seminar is organized by Aalto University in the framework of the european project Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions (EDIFY-EDU).

The Seminar aims at, presenting and validating the results of the EDIFY-EDU research about the skills gap in the Business Management education regarding competencies on workplace in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), as well as, collecting valuable inputs from external experts to be integrated into the content of the EDIFY-EDU training program and also increasing awareness on EDI principles and project results so far.

 

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The Seminar is:

  • Open for all interested in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in business management, education and training
  • Provided free of charge and in a hybrid mode in English.
  • The registration is open and can be done simply, by filling in the respective form, i.e. https://form.jotform.com/231762000544344.

The DAISSy Research Group, the Greek Academic partner of the EDIFY-EDU project, is actively involved in the International Seminar by supporting its organization. Furthermore, it will be represented in person in the Seminar by its members, Ms. Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager & Researcher, and Mr. Kostas Mantzos, Researcher, who participate in the Panel Discussion about the “Differences on EDI competences” in the project’s participating european countries.

The EDIFY_EDU is a three-year project (01.09.2022–31.08.2025) co-funded by the ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant of the European Union (EU). It is implemented by twelve (12) partners in five (5) EU member states, that is, in A/Z order: Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland and Italy, and three Associated Partners in Belgium, Germany and Italy.

Stay tuned and find out more about the EDIFY_EDU project and other activities of the DAISSy Research Group at:

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The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU joined the ‘EDIFY-EDU: Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions’ transnational kick-off meeting in Ireland

edify-edu-logoThe transnational partners’ meeting of the ‘EDIFY-EDU: Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professionsEuropean project took place on 12th and 13th  October 2022, in Dublin (Ireland) and kicked-off its implementation.

The EDIFY-EDU project addresses the skills gap of Management education in regards to competencies on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). The project will facilitate skills for management students and managers in medium-sized companies, to respond to the societal transformation by setting up a system for skill assessment, learning offer and validation and recognition.

The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU, the Greek Academic partner, actively participated in the hybrid kickoff meeting, represented by its Director, prof. A. Kameas and DAISSy’s project Manager, Ms E. Georgakakou, who delivered a detailed presentation about the activities and deliverables related to the EDIFY-EDU platform, for which DAISSy serves as the Leader partner on its design, implementation, maintenance and evaluation.

The meeting was hosted by the Irish project Coordinator, DUN LAOGHAIRE IADT-Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and all eleven (11) partners from six (6) EU member-states, were represented. Namely, the partnership consists of the following organizations, of which all participated in the meeting:

The partners used this opportunity to meet in person in a most fruitful way by discussing thoroughly about the project objectives, i.e. the:

  • Identification of the skills considered strategic for the new millennium i.e. digital, green and social skills.
  • Strengthening the cooperation between the Academic and VET sectors, as well as with the Adult Education and nor-formal learning.
  • Boosting the capacity of a highly strategic sector, such as Business and Management, to tackle the new market conditions due to the pandemic.
  • Managing the challenges of the post pandemic era as an opportunity for developing a new generation of managers, with respect to the equality, diversity and inclusion principles in all business strategies and policies.

Emphasis was also placed to the exchange among the partners about the content of the project outcomes and the sharing of tasks, namely regarding the:

  • Research on training needs
  • EDIFY Curriculum outline
  • Massive Open Online Course-MOOC (EQF 5)
    • Higher Education and VET Management students, managers of small and medium sized enterprises, employers, etc
    • Sustainability and green competences for business and management, providing good practices to be implemented at the workplace
  • Specialisation Training Course (EQF 6)
    • face-to-face, virtual learning, project-based learning, and a work-based learning phase
    • customized learning paths
  • Face to face international training events (Winter School on Gender Equality)
  • Work-based learning and learning mobilities

The EDIFY_EDU is a three-year project co-funded by the ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant of the European Union and it also involves three Associated partners in Germany, Italy and Belgium. The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU and the Achade-Achaia Chamber Development Entity are the two partners which will be thoroughly linked for the effective implementation of the project activities in Greece, embracing also a number of respective stakeholders aiming at the multiple exploitation of the project results and its impact. Stay tuned!

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For more information on the EDIFY-EDU project, and other activities of DAISSy:

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU launches its activities on EDIFY-EDU European project on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Management EDUcation and professions

edify-edu-logoThe ‘EDIFY-EDU: Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of Management EDUcation, training and professions’ is a newly approved European co-funded project that addresses the skills gap in the sector of Management education in regards to the competencies on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), which are constantly in a higher demand in the present complex and digitally transforming society.

The project aims to facilitate the acquisition of EDI competencies and transversal skills for management students, who are the future managers, and actual managers in business, focusing on small and medium-sized companies which are the backbones of the economy, in order to respond to the current societal transformation. This will be achieved by setting up a system for skill assessment, learning offer (as micro-credentials), knowledge validation and recognition. Specifically:

  • The EDIFY-EDU has already kicked off its activities on analyzing the training needs on the Management education and business sector regarding EDI in Europe.
  • Following the analysis, the identified needs will be translated into a modular training Curriculum addressing EQF levels 5-6, that is based on blended learning principles and it will be realized within: a MOOC, of 6 to 8 weeks long); Specialisation Courses, of a maximum duration of 8 weeks, and Work-Based Learning (WBL) six-months activities in the participating piloting countries, including Greece. This modular training program will emphasize on the development of EDI skills as well as digital, green and social skills which are considered strategic for the new millennium.
  • At least a hundred and twenty-five (125) trainees from five (5) EDIFY-EDU countries will be involved in the process and will transfer the acquired competences and skills to the real work environments, by strengthening the relation with the actual managers and applying a “flipped classroom” approach, i.e. trainees will familiarize the company managers with EDI skills and inadvertent unconscious bias in the workplace.
  • The outer goal is to incorporate the Equality Diversity and Inclusion principles across all business management processes. Therefore, a diverse work environment and an inclusive workplace culture, in which the EDI principles are respected in the business policies and practices, will be promoted, in order to enable employees to feel valued and reach their full potential in their workplace.

The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) is the Greek Academic project partner and will be actively involved in all EDIFY-EDU deliverables. In addition, it will be one of the partners responsible for the development of the research methodological framework and tools and the conduction of the National and EU Report on the research findings, as well as the development of the Curriculum.

Furthermore, DAISSy, with its long experience, will be responsible for the whole Implementation of the Curriculum and in particular for the design, development and maintenance of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and e-learning platform, as well as the assessment and evaluation process of the training activities.

Lastly, taking into account its high-standard expertise, DAISSy will have a very active role in the standardisation of the Specialization courses and the conversion in ECTS credits, combined with the organisation of the WBL activities and the mobilities.

The EDIFY_EDU is a three-year project co-funded by the ERASMUS Lump Sum Grant of the European Union and is coordinated by the DUN LAOGHAIRE IADT-Institute of Art, Design and Technology (Ireland) with eleven (11) partners in six (6) EU member states (Ireland, Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Greece) and three associated partners in Germany, Italy and Belgium. The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU and the Achade-Achaia Chamber Development Entity are the two partners which will be thoroughly linked for the effective implementation of the project activities in Greece, embracing also a number of respective stakeholders aiming at the multiple exploitation of the project results and its impact.

For more information on the EDIFY-EDU project, and other activities of DAISSy: