Participants

Cyprus University of Technology (CUT)

Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) has as its strategic target the design and development of research activities both within the University and in cooperation with other research Institutes in Cyprus and abroad. The research emphasis of CUT is reflected in the substantial funding provided to academics for the establishment of research centers and laboratories. CUT aims at transferring knowledge (education) and producing new knowledge through basic and applied research in all the academic fields of the University’s six Faculties. Research is carried out in each different Department or between two or more Departments, under the responsibility of one or more members of the academic staff. University research activities are realized through funding secured from the following two major sources: a) From the University’s state funded budget. b) From different organizations, entities or private sources at national, European and international level who award, with or without a competition, specific research projects to research groups and/or individual members of the Academic staff. Strengthening of the research management support and infrastructure, with the aim of securing externally funded projects, is another major objective of the University. Moreover, the University has adopted the following principles in relation to research which conform with the European Union’s declarations relating to the creation of the European Research Area (ERA):

• Effective access and information support

• Equal research opportunities to all members of the academic community

• Effective support of research activities

• Promotion of competition, quality and support of research projects,

• Start – up funding for new academic and teaching members for the setting-up of research infrastructure, mainly for the creation of research laboratories.

What are the activities and experience of the organization in the areas relevant for this project? What are the skills and/or expertise of key persons involved in this project?

CUT research and academic staff is involved in various Research Activities and National and European Research Programs. In details, CUT research and academic staff is involved in more than 275 Projects with a total funding / contribution over than 42m Euro, as follows:

•  110 approximately National Research Projects funded by the Cyprus RPF with a total funding over than 9m Euro,
•  27 approximately European Research Projects funded under the FP7 with a total EC contribution 5.5m Euro,
•  40 European Territorial Cooperation Programs such as Interreg Cross Border Cooperation Greece – Cyprus, Balkan-MED, Interreg IIIB, Archimed, Interreg IVC, , MED with a total contribution 7.5m Euro,
•  25 ERASMUS+ and Lifelong Learning Programs such as Leonardo da Vinci / Transfer of Innovation, Multilateral Networks etc with a total funding 0.8m Euro, and
•  37 Projects under other Programs such as EUROSTARS, EHAC, LIFE+, IEE, COST, ECHO, EHAC etc with a total contribution 6.5m Euro
•  40 European Research Projects funded under the HORIZON2020 with a total EC contribution over than 13,5m Euro

All CUT Library staff are qualified professionals in the field of librarianship who have the skills to contribute on all the levels of organizing a library and promoting information literacy. The CUT Library at a very early stage has created the department of Subject Librarians, whose responsibility is to support and promote information literacy skills to the students. They have developed a lesson plan which can be part of the curriculum. In addition the CUT Library has created a tool, named Ihnilatis, for developing information literacy skills.

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) was established by an Act of the Spanish Parliament on 5 May 1989. From the outset it was intended to be a relatively small, innovative,public university, providing teaching of the highest quality and focused primarily on research. UC3M has four campuses in the towns of Getafe, Leganés, Colmenarejo and Madrid (Campus Puerta de Toledo).

The Getafe campus has two schools (the School of Social Science and Law, and the School of Humanities); the Leganés campus houses the School of Engineering, whereas the new Puerta de Toledo-Madrid campus serves as the UC3M center specialized in European Master’s degree programs with an international profile. The campus facilities include modern libraries, computer rooms, audiovisual rooms, recording studios, court rooms, wifi throughout the campus, and sports centers with facilities for basketball, tennis, squash, beach-volleyball and sauna, and an auditorium, among others.UC3M also has three Residence Halls with over a thousand places available: Fernando de los Ríos and Gregorio Peces Barba in Getafe, and Fernando Abril Martorell in Leganés. The mission of Carlos III University of Madrid is to contribute to the improvement of society through teaching of the highest quality and cutting-edge research in line with stringent  national guidelines. The University aspires to excellence in all its activities, with the aim of becoming one of the best universities in Europe. The university actively encourages the personal development of all those connected to the higher education community. All our activities are guided by the values of merit, ability, efficiency, transparency, fairness, equality and respect for the environment. UC3M has 600 permanent teaching staff (full professors, associate professors and senior lecturers) and a further 1.420 associate doctoral lecturers. UC3M lecturers have the highest proportion of research results evaluated favorably by the Ministry of Education out of all Spanish universities. International activity and attracting talent are two of the core points to achieve the goals of teaching and research excellence. One of the priorities of our Chairs of Excellence program has been attracting world-class researchers in order to help our departments, institutes and research groups to increase and improve its international ties and improve their scientific capabilities techniques, develop stable partnerships and sharing teaching and research experiences with these renowned researchers. Being similar in size to some of the major European universities, UC3M has 22.666 students of which 20% are international students. This proportion is notably higher at both master’s (22%) and doctoral (44%) levels. The UC3M is the 1st university in Spain and 3rd in Europe in terms of undergraduate students taking part in the Erasmus student exchange program: 50% of our students have participated in European international mobility Erasmus Program  during their undergraduate studies.

UC3M has 34 bachelor’s courses (17 in Social Sciences and Law, 1 in Humanities and 16 in Engineering) and 11 combined degree courses; 60 official master's courses (16 in Law, 16in Economics and Business, 10 in Humanities, Communication, Information and Social Sciences and 18 in Engineering and Basic Sciences) plus 27 private master courses and 19 doctorate courses in the varying fields of investigative research ongoing at the University. More than half of the degree courses we offer can be taken either fully in English, or with option in English or with a bilingual option. All the degree courses have been adapted to the European Higher Education Area requisites. UC3M is ranked 34th in the QS Top 50 Under 50, a ranking of the world's top 50 universities established within the last 50 years. The Department of Library and Information Science is a member of iSchools. The mission of the Department is to become a reference in the search, formulation and dissemination of responses to the demands of society in the area of Information and Documentation. We do this through our main activities. So, their Research activities, that try to increase knowledge and wisdom, and also critical thinking at an institutional and collective level towards the issues that arise from this evolution of knowledge. The Department is active in doing research. Its most important research activities are developed by our four research groups, also by carrying out public research projects supported by various funding bodies. Research is also done within the Doctoral Program, and within the masters and undergraduate programs, through the theses, master dissertations and final year projects. There are currently four active research groups, which are integrated by our Department members. These groups have been endorsed by the University Carlos III program for research groups ("Programa decreación y consolidación de grupos de investigación de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid").

University of West Attica (UNIWA)

The University of West Attica (UNIWA) is a Public self-governed Entity. Its general organization is guided by the state laws whereas more specific issues are subject to internal regulations. The University of West Attica is the third largest university in Greece, with approximately 35.000 students. It has five Faculties with a total of twenty-six departments and it covers most scientific disciplines. The University of West Attica employs more than 2500 people (both permanent and under contract Academic and Administrative Staff as well as specialized technicians). It maintains more than 300 agreements with European Universities within the framework of Erasmus and more than 30 agreements with non-EU Universities and Research Institutions either within the framework of Erasmus+ or with specific cooperation agreements for Research and Development Projects, in countries such as China, India etc. The University is located in a central area of Athens plays an important role in the development of the area, it is involved in major projects for the surrounding municipalities and it is regarded as a key player for the city’s activities. It has two campuses closely located to each other. The University has a strong research presence being involved in EU, national and international projects and has a strong presence in international publications, conferences etc. In 2018 the TEI of Athens merged with the TEI of Piraeus and formed the University of West Attica the third largest University in Greece with five large faculties 1. Engineering, 2. Food Technologies, 3. Arts and Culture, 4. Health Sciences, 5. Administrative, Financial, Social Sciences and Humanities. The Department The Department of Archival, Library and Information Studies (UNIWA-ALIS) is nested in the Faculty of Administrative, Financial, Social Sciences and Humanities and it aims at:

•  Preparing information professionals for employment in of all kinds of professional organizations for the public or private sector. Libraries, Archives, Museums, Documentation and Information Centers, Private Companies and Information Management Units are places of employment for graduates;
•  Promoting research either by contributing to the development of the field of Information Science and its associated disciplines or by supporting the research of other disciplines through interdisciplinary research. The subject area of the department is the management of information, regardless of the physical means in which it is stored (books, archives, administrative documents, databases,museum items, etc). This integrated approach makes use of Information Technologies and incorporates Library Science, Archives, Museum Studies and Documentation. It covers the following core areas:
•  selection, acquisition, preservation of documents (conventional and electronic);
•  the organization, processing, retrieval of information and documents;
•  design and implementation of databases and digital libraries, digital archives and digital museums
•  creation of information products/tools in printed and electronic form;
•  management and promotion of information services in all types of information units;
•  provision of information and education to users;Studies in the Department aim to provide students with the best possible education and contribute effectively to their academic and professional career development. The curriculum currently offers theoretical knowledge and at the same time maintains the proportion of laboratory experience using technological means. The content of studies is in line with international academic developments, securing high-quality education aimed at developing academic proficiency and the competitiveness of graduates in the job market. Furthermore, the Department offers a master’s program in Information Management in Libraries, Archives and Museums. The latter aims at creating highly skilled researchers and professionals in the area of information management within the context of memory organizations and employ techniques of digital humanities.

University of Novi Sad Central Library (UNS)

The academic community of the University of Novi Sad, which comprises more than 50,000 students and 5,000 staff, at 14 faculties and 2 scientific institutes, in four cities of Central Europe, shapes its own future alongside other scientific and educational institutions belonging to the European Higher Education Area, but is equally open towards collaboration with institutions situated in other parts of the world. The University of Novi Sad fulfills its mission in the domain of science, education and knowledge transfer in accordance with the system of values generally accepted in developed European countries and applies the academic standards set out in international agreements signed and ratified by the Republic of Serbia. By implementing unique European standards and acting in accordance with good and commonly adopted practices of the European countries, the University of Novi Sad removes obstacles that prevent or hinder the exchange of information, ideas, knowledge, people and resources in the European Higher Education and Research Area and thus confirms its inclination towards being an open European university. To this end however, the starting point, as a matter of principle, needs to be the fully respected fact of the University of Novi Sad being a public institution founded by the state, obliged to tend to the national interests in the field of higher education, science and knowledge transfer and to act in full accordance with the strategic documents and regulations enacted in the Republic of Serbia. The University of Novi Sad has endorsed openness and cooperation in good faith that other institutions, which are advocating internationalization, will act in accordance with the principles of mutual appreciation, equality and disapproval of any form of academic dominance.

What are the activities and experience of the organization in the areas relevant for this project? What are the skills and/or expertise of key persons involved in this project?

University of Novi Sad Central Library (UNS) is the meeting point of all librarians of the University of Novi Sad faculties and institutes. It is open for researchers, teachers, and students from all faculties. There is also active cooperation between the Central Library and various HEI, libraries, and cultural institutions in the Republic of Serbia. Central Library is the organizer of numerous workshops, presentations, and expert meetings to enhance the services provided by all librarians at the University of Novi Sad. The Library is engaged in the development of the University of Novi Sad institutional repositories, such as Digital Library of Doctoral Dissertations Defended at the University of Novi Sad (Current Research Information System University of Novi Sad – CRIS UNS), University of Novi Sad Repository (Open UNS), Central Audio-Library of the University of Novi Sad (CAB UNS). The University of Novi Sad has recognized the need to offer information literacy of its students. To solve the problem, IL modules became part of several faculty programs. Forexample, Department of Serbian Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy at the 1st Semester has course Introduction to Academic Writing, as well as the course Academic Writing Methodology at the doctoral studies. Department of Media Studies at the same faculty in the 5th-7th Semester has elective courses Information Literacy and Advanced InformationLiteracy 1 and 2.

Centre for Social Innovation (CSI)

Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) is a Research and Development organization which focuses on fostering social innovation that can bring about a positive change to local, national, regional and global contexts. CSI belief is that the four pillars of Social Interaction, Education, Development and Economic Rationalization coupled with fundamentally sound and sustainable solutions as well as disruption to streamlined solutions to systemic social problems can lead to creative solutions that impact significant change to the social fabric of every society. CSI is working closely to address market, social, economic and cultural challenges with governments, local administrative agencies, non-for profit agencies, commercial entities, and educational institutions. We identify and address systemic challenges through evidence based research, state of the art investigation of global, national, regional and local solutions, developing solutions by taking into consideration the local ecosystem, cultural dynamics, meet the stakeholders needs and implementing those solutions as we keep constant vigilance to ensure continual feedback loop and adjustments. The feedback mechanisms and processes we employ allow us certainty in keeping in touch with our stakeholders and continually update our social solutions proposition. CSI team is composed of open-minded, fully equipped researchers, educators, VET Trainers, social entrepreneurs, project managers, trainers and Information Technology Developers. CSI encompasses the capability and capacity to identify social needs, design and implement adjusted initiatives and project and provide for sustainable growth. The areas of expertise are in the fields of Vocational Education and Training, labor market, rural sustainable development, education and e-learning, social entrepreneurship, project management, project evaluation services, product validation, and training.