Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BI4E (BOOSTING INGENIUM FOR EXCELLENCE)
Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2023-12-31
Boosting Ingenium for Excellence (BI4E) is a joint initiative of eight European HEIs that are part of the Ingenium Alliance. The project intends to give a boost to the Alliance, making it an effective instrument to promote excellence in the partner HEIs, particularly targeted to the alliance members in the widening countries. The strengthening of the cooperation between the partner HEIs is the central objective of the project. This project is particularly focusing on the research and innovation missions, completing the strategic and operational capacities of the partners, especially those from the widening countries.
The project has been devised to produce concrete impact in key areas for the partner HEIs. Project objectives and activities address five critical areas (planning, governance, research excellence and integrity, connection with industry and talent attraction and career development) where every University needs to continuously improve to fulfil its mission and keep up in the increasingly competitive environment of higher education.
BI4E will create a cooperation framework among the partner HEIs to empower Universities (especially from widening countries) as agents of change, in order to take advantage of knowledge and innovative technologies for the benefit of scientific communities, industry and society at large. The project supports the digital and ecological transition of the HEIs of the Consortium by providing the systematics and the environment necessary to face the major challenges, as well as policy recommendations indicating the steps needed to increase their innovation potential.
Within this framework, the main priorities of the EU are addressed, such as:
- Institutional modernization of HEIs,
- Longer-term cooperation between the partner HEIs in the network, and with actors in surrounding ecosystems,
- Strengthened cooperation to increase excellence, global competitiveness and overall attractiveness for international talent and investments,
- Identification of specific organizational, administrative and regulatory barriers in HEI institutions in widening countries.
The project has been devised to produce concrete impact in key areas for the partner HEIs. Project objectives and activities address five critical areas (planning, governance, research excellence and integrity, connection with industry and talent attraction and career development) where every University needs to continuously improve to fulfil its mission and keep up in the increasingly competitive environment of higher education.
BI4E will create a cooperation framework among the partner HEIs to empower Universities (especially from widening countries) as agents of change, in order to take advantage of knowledge and innovative technologies for the benefit of scientific communities, industry and society at large. The project supports the digital and ecological transition of the HEIs of the Consortium by providing the systematics and the environment necessary to face the major challenges, as well as policy recommendations indicating the steps needed to increase their innovation potential.
Within this framework, the main priorities of the EU are addressed, such as:
- Institutional modernization of HEIs,
- Longer-term cooperation between the partner HEIs in the network, and with actors in surrounding ecosystems,
- Strengthened cooperation to increase excellence, global competitiveness and overall attractiveness for international talent and investments,
- Identification of specific organizational, administrative and regulatory barriers in HEI institutions in widening countries.
- Collecting partners’ information on good practices on strategic planning through a survey structured into two main axes: a first part on the general strategic management of the university and a second part on specific strategies related to social and technological transformations (WP2). This survey, as it covered a large aspect of the functioning of the partner universities served as a baseline for the next study visits and seminars.
- On 26.06.2023 and 28.06.2023 two study visits of Technical University “ Gheorghe Asachi “ of Iasi (TUIASI) and Medical University of Sofia (MUS) to Högskolan i Skövde (HIS), Sweden and Munster Technological University (MTU), Ireland and the 1st seminar on strategic planning (on 29.06.2023) were organized, followed in September 2023 (on 7.09.2023) by the 2nd seminar, at TUIASI, Romania. In addition to sharing good practices and experiences on universities functioning, these events brought first insights of WP2 results.
The details on the content and findings of the survey, study visits and seminars are described in D2.2 Strategic Planning Seminars and Good Practice Document.
- Designing, on the basis of the key topics identified collectively by the partnership, and applying the Survey on HEI governance and institutional transformation of the partner universities (WP3). A detailed analysis of the results of this survey and related conclusions are presented in D3.1 Good practices in HEI governance and institutional transformation.
- Establishing criteria for identifying prominent researchers and research groups and conducting interviews to collect best practices in research from the top researchers of the partner Universities. Elaborating and submitting the D4.1 List of emerging and highly performing research groups and key research areas in the partner Universities.
- Development of the CONNECT open cloud platform for matching research interests and to identify opportunities for calls (WP4). Several steps have been undertaken in this regard: AI-based algorithms, data collection, brainstorm meetings, hosting decision. The platform has become fully operational since December 2023, being hosted on the website connect.unich.it.
- Designing and circulating a questionnaire to gather good practices in technology transfer and, additionally, as much data as is practicable, cataloguing the nature and extent of the relevant services operated in each partnering university in supporting research commercialisation and spin-outs. The questionnaire provided a basis to begin the process of benchmarking the TT activity at each partner University.
- Each partner, excepting MUS, provided 3 study cases in technology transfer (WP5). An online template (MS Forms format) was produced so that each partner could input their case studies and success stories to produce the editorial content for the “Good Practices in Entrepreneurship in the University Environment” booklet. The questionnaire findings and the study cases are detailed in D5.1 Good practices in entrepreneurship in the university environment.
- Developing and applying a survey addressing different aspects of the academic career environment: work situation and satisfaction; recruitment and selection; equity, diversity and inclusion; work-life and work-family balance; career goals; career guidance and transferable skills development; networking; international mobility (WP6). The analysis of the results, conclusions and recommendations are detailed in D6.1 Study on incentives and obstacles to teachers’ and researchers’ careers.
- On 26.06.2023 and 28.06.2023 two study visits of Technical University “ Gheorghe Asachi “ of Iasi (TUIASI) and Medical University of Sofia (MUS) to Högskolan i Skövde (HIS), Sweden and Munster Technological University (MTU), Ireland and the 1st seminar on strategic planning (on 29.06.2023) were organized, followed in September 2023 (on 7.09.2023) by the 2nd seminar, at TUIASI, Romania. In addition to sharing good practices and experiences on universities functioning, these events brought first insights of WP2 results.
The details on the content and findings of the survey, study visits and seminars are described in D2.2 Strategic Planning Seminars and Good Practice Document.
- Designing, on the basis of the key topics identified collectively by the partnership, and applying the Survey on HEI governance and institutional transformation of the partner universities (WP3). A detailed analysis of the results of this survey and related conclusions are presented in D3.1 Good practices in HEI governance and institutional transformation.
- Establishing criteria for identifying prominent researchers and research groups and conducting interviews to collect best practices in research from the top researchers of the partner Universities. Elaborating and submitting the D4.1 List of emerging and highly performing research groups and key research areas in the partner Universities.
- Development of the CONNECT open cloud platform for matching research interests and to identify opportunities for calls (WP4). Several steps have been undertaken in this regard: AI-based algorithms, data collection, brainstorm meetings, hosting decision. The platform has become fully operational since December 2023, being hosted on the website connect.unich.it.
- Designing and circulating a questionnaire to gather good practices in technology transfer and, additionally, as much data as is practicable, cataloguing the nature and extent of the relevant services operated in each partnering university in supporting research commercialisation and spin-outs. The questionnaire provided a basis to begin the process of benchmarking the TT activity at each partner University.
- Each partner, excepting MUS, provided 3 study cases in technology transfer (WP5). An online template (MS Forms format) was produced so that each partner could input their case studies and success stories to produce the editorial content for the “Good Practices in Entrepreneurship in the University Environment” booklet. The questionnaire findings and the study cases are detailed in D5.1 Good practices in entrepreneurship in the university environment.
- Developing and applying a survey addressing different aspects of the academic career environment: work situation and satisfaction; recruitment and selection; equity, diversity and inclusion; work-life and work-family balance; career goals; career guidance and transferable skills development; networking; international mobility (WP6). The analysis of the results, conclusions and recommendations are detailed in D6.1 Study on incentives and obstacles to teachers’ and researchers’ careers.
- The exchange on good practices on strategic planning will serve as a source for the next deliverables due in this project, especially for the “Position paper on the Universities and the EHEA/ERA and SDG challenges” and also provides valuable inputs for the development of the new strategies of the partners, particularly of those in the Widening Countries.
- The survey on the approaches, challenges, and support mechanisms related to institutional transformation provides a rich understanding of the complexities and opportunities inherent in the ongoing evolution of higher education institutions across Europe.
- The CONNECT platform is relevant for both digitisation and green deal. For digitisation, it allows the development of a virtual environment for sharing research interests. As for the green deal, it reduces the mobility of university staff in the early stages of research collaborations.
- The sharing of good practices in technology transfer among partners provides a deeper understanding of the complex nature of the approaches required for the researcher and the technology transfer office staff in order to streamline and deliver a spin-out company in a university environment and pave the way with a definitive view to the future for this project and the partner universities.
- The preliminary study on conditions and incentives to create attractive academic career environments offers valuable insights into the expectations and challenges of academic staff in the BI4E partner universities. Understanding the challenges and motivations faced by those in the initial phases of their academic journey is crucial to implementing targeted strategies that meet the needs of academic professionals at different career stages.
- The survey on the approaches, challenges, and support mechanisms related to institutional transformation provides a rich understanding of the complexities and opportunities inherent in the ongoing evolution of higher education institutions across Europe.
- The CONNECT platform is relevant for both digitisation and green deal. For digitisation, it allows the development of a virtual environment for sharing research interests. As for the green deal, it reduces the mobility of university staff in the early stages of research collaborations.
- The sharing of good practices in technology transfer among partners provides a deeper understanding of the complex nature of the approaches required for the researcher and the technology transfer office staff in order to streamline and deliver a spin-out company in a university environment and pave the way with a definitive view to the future for this project and the partner universities.
- The preliminary study on conditions and incentives to create attractive academic career environments offers valuable insights into the expectations and challenges of academic staff in the BI4E partner universities. Understanding the challenges and motivations faced by those in the initial phases of their academic journey is crucial to implementing targeted strategies that meet the needs of academic professionals at different career stages.