Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Beyond UNIVERSEH (Beyond UNIVERSEH (European University for Earth and Humanity))
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-09-01 bis 2023-02-28
With the project Beyond UNIVERSEH, the UNIVERSEH Alliance aspires to create a framework for what will be the next European Space University research policy for Earth and Humanity.
The European Universities Initiative aims to make European universities more competitive through the establishment of strengthened and long-term strategic partnerships. The aim is also to make European universities the ambassadors of European values in education, research, innovation and science for society at local, national, European and international level. Thus, through our Beyond UNIVERSEH project the Alliance ensures that its research policy is connected and can influence
- The scientific community
- Public actors
- The private sector
- Society on a broader scale
The main ambition of Beyond UNIVERSEH is to define a roadmap for the next fifteen years that will lead to the implementation of a sustainable and integrated research and innovation network within the UNIVERSEH alliance. Besides, through this project, the partners aim to identify principles that will command the consortia’s research policies for the next thirty years.
To this end, the project Beyond UNIVERSEH, which has space as its central research theme, will pursue the following objectives:
- The identification of the needs (present and future societal challenges) that space-related research can solve;
- The identification of the barriers hampering research collaboration on space topics or hampering interdisciplinary research;
- The elaboration of a UNIVERSEH research roadmap for 2035 – interdisciplinary, collaborative, innovative, scaling excellence by joining forces;
- The elaboration of a UNIVERSEH vision for 2050;
- The development of a virtual single lab and research community among the UNIVERSEH partners;
- The reinforcement of the links between the UNIVERSEH research community and its economic ecosystem, focusing on industry-academia collaborations;
- The reinforcement of the links between the UNIVERSEH research community and the citizens;
- The sharing of the project results and the formulation of policy recommendations to improve research cooperation among European universities.
The European Universities Initiative aims to make European universities more competitive through the establishment of strengthened and long-term strategic partnerships. The aim is also to make European universities the ambassadors of European values in education, research, innovation and science for society at local, national, European and international level. Thus, through our Beyond UNIVERSEH project the Alliance ensures that its research policy is connected and can influence
- The scientific community
- Public actors
- The private sector
- Society on a broader scale
The main ambition of Beyond UNIVERSEH is to define a roadmap for the next fifteen years that will lead to the implementation of a sustainable and integrated research and innovation network within the UNIVERSEH alliance. Besides, through this project, the partners aim to identify principles that will command the consortia’s research policies for the next thirty years.
To this end, the project Beyond UNIVERSEH, which has space as its central research theme, will pursue the following objectives:
- The identification of the needs (present and future societal challenges) that space-related research can solve;
- The identification of the barriers hampering research collaboration on space topics or hampering interdisciplinary research;
- The elaboration of a UNIVERSEH research roadmap for 2035 – interdisciplinary, collaborative, innovative, scaling excellence by joining forces;
- The elaboration of a UNIVERSEH vision for 2050;
- The development of a virtual single lab and research community among the UNIVERSEH partners;
- The reinforcement of the links between the UNIVERSEH research community and its economic ecosystem, focusing on industry-academia collaborations;
- The reinforcement of the links between the UNIVERSEH research community and the citizens;
- The sharing of the project results and the formulation of policy recommendations to improve research cooperation among European universities.
During the first half of the project, a large part of the Alliance's activities consisted in taking stock of the way research activities were carried out in each institution but also in identifying activities that could be done in common.
WP2, led by the LTU partner, worked on the identification of current and future priorities of European and international actors in the space sector that will guide the priorities of future Alliance research policies and activities.
WP3, led by partner UT (INP and UT3), has been working on the identification of laboratories that could be used in common within the Alliance and the setting up of markers for our research community such as inclusion and diversity.
Together WP2 and 3 have initiated a joint work for the organisation of a workshop in May 2023 gathering researchers from the partner universities in order to consolidate the first results obtained and to go further and concretise the implementation of the roadmap of the UNIVERSEH research activities, the UNIVERSEH virtual single lab and the UNIVERSEH research community.
Within WP4, conducted by AGH, the partners have contributed to developing the Alliance's links with private sector. Thus, during the first 18 months, WP4 worked on the state of the art of the partners' projects with companies in the space sector, on the state aid available for researchers wanting to create their own companies and on the techniques of valorisation of researchers with companies. In parallel, WP4 identified and developed the activities of the future Centre for Space Technologies in connection with AGH Space Technology.
WP5, led by HHU, has first worked on the identification of the best practices of the partners in terms of dissemination of knowledge and scientific culture to the general public. In parallel, WP5 also organised public events and training for researchers on citizen science and science communication. Finally, within WP5 the partners have developed, in collaboration with WP6, the Citizen's UNIVERSEH platform which will be implemented in the second half of the project.
At the same time, the supporting WPs, WP1 and WP6, have facilitated exchanges between the WPs but also with the education component of the Alliance through common governance bodies and a Beyond UNIVERSEH dissemination plan which aims to be the counterpart of the dissemination plan defined in the UNIVERSEH project.
WP2, led by the LTU partner, worked on the identification of current and future priorities of European and international actors in the space sector that will guide the priorities of future Alliance research policies and activities.
WP3, led by partner UT (INP and UT3), has been working on the identification of laboratories that could be used in common within the Alliance and the setting up of markers for our research community such as inclusion and diversity.
Together WP2 and 3 have initiated a joint work for the organisation of a workshop in May 2023 gathering researchers from the partner universities in order to consolidate the first results obtained and to go further and concretise the implementation of the roadmap of the UNIVERSEH research activities, the UNIVERSEH virtual single lab and the UNIVERSEH research community.
Within WP4, conducted by AGH, the partners have contributed to developing the Alliance's links with private sector. Thus, during the first 18 months, WP4 worked on the state of the art of the partners' projects with companies in the space sector, on the state aid available for researchers wanting to create their own companies and on the techniques of valorisation of researchers with companies. In parallel, WP4 identified and developed the activities of the future Centre for Space Technologies in connection with AGH Space Technology.
WP5, led by HHU, has first worked on the identification of the best practices of the partners in terms of dissemination of knowledge and scientific culture to the general public. In parallel, WP5 also organised public events and training for researchers on citizen science and science communication. Finally, within WP5 the partners have developed, in collaboration with WP6, the Citizen's UNIVERSEH platform which will be implemented in the second half of the project.
At the same time, the supporting WPs, WP1 and WP6, have facilitated exchanges between the WPs but also with the education component of the Alliance through common governance bodies and a Beyond UNIVERSEH dissemination plan which aims to be the counterpart of the dissemination plan defined in the UNIVERSEH project.
Beyond UNIVERSEH is the research component of the European University for Earth and Humanity and is closely linked to the education component UNIVERSEH. The intertwining of the actors and governance bodies of both projects allows the two pillars of our European university to move forward together even if the evolution of the two pillars is done at different speeds.
The UNIVERSEH alliance aims to become a key European academic player in the field of space. In building its European university, the Alliance has worked to have a wide spectrum of stakeholders from space agencies, space industries, service providers, research institutions, and support organisations, including public authorities. This is why the Alliance's governance system provides for an advisory board that is consulted during the progress of the project. The Alliance organises the presence of its members in major events (IAC, Space Week...).
The particularity of the Alliance also lies in the integration of students in the implementation of activities. As such, a student council has been set up to ensure that there are student representatives in all the WPs of the two projects and in the governance bodies.
The UNIVERSEH Alliance is committed to being part of the European Universities initiative’s community. We are represented to and actively participate in collaborative events and exchanges of good practices.
The UNIVERSEH alliance aims to become a key European academic player in the field of space. In building its European university, the Alliance has worked to have a wide spectrum of stakeholders from space agencies, space industries, service providers, research institutions, and support organisations, including public authorities. This is why the Alliance's governance system provides for an advisory board that is consulted during the progress of the project. The Alliance organises the presence of its members in major events (IAC, Space Week...).
The particularity of the Alliance also lies in the integration of students in the implementation of activities. As such, a student council has been set up to ensure that there are student representatives in all the WPs of the two projects and in the governance bodies.
The UNIVERSEH Alliance is committed to being part of the European Universities initiative’s community. We are represented to and actively participate in collaborative events and exchanges of good practices.