The project analyses and interprets symbolic communication in Croatian territories and the neighbouring regions in medieval times. Symbolic communication manifests through material and immaterial signs and symbols – important even today in everyday life – as well as verbal and nonverbal signals and rituals, key factors for determining and defending one’s social status and the hierarchy. Medieval and early modern elites used symbolic communication: seals, coats of arms, representative architecture, art, chivalry and so on, in order to legitimise their power and status. Moreover, they used a complex system of rituals to declare war, alliances, peace or social mobility. It is a key dimension to understand the behaviour of social elites in medieval and early modern times. The project will look at symbolic communication from several aspects. We will study the way Croatian elites used symbols, ceremonies and rituals in their social and political lives, whether they were “imported” conventions and patterns from culturally dominant neighbours, locally made or mixed. Since symbols tend to contain a strong visual component, their understanding naturally includes an artistic viewpoint. It is, therefore, important to have an interdisciplinary approach. In this case history of art will be used to help traditional history in understanding the complex web of interdependencies between medieval and early modern elites and their dynastic networks. To understand Croatian history it is vital to consider the neighbouring regions such as Bosnia, Italy, Hungary, the southeast of the Holy Roman Empire and other realms whose elites nurtured familial and political ties with Croatian lands.

<< Background >>High-quality early childhood education is an extraordinarily powerful way to promote continued success in school, in the workplace, and in society. The skills and attitudes children acquire in their early years have disproportionally large impacts relative to those acquired during their later school years. The unprecedented rate of change in the world around us creates profound uncertainty about the future. Creativity, openness, collaboration, resilience, cognitive elasticity as well as social and emotional competencies are becoming an essential toolkit for any child and STEM education is becoming vital in helping children better understand the world and relate to it. This has placed increasing responsibility and demand on pre-school teachers which are the main facilitators of inciting and nurturing diverse sets of skills in pre-school children. To deepen and diversify crucial skills, knowledge, and attitudes of pre-school teachers in Europe and beyond, Cell Biology and Art Class Omnibus (CACAO) project bring together biology and music researchers, artists, pre-school teachers, and experts in technology-assisted learning from five European countries to co-create unique pre-school learning program blending cell biology, music, dance, and visual art. There is a wealth of research in cognitive psychology and neurosciences that immersion in activities that combine multiple sensory skills such as singing, playing, clapping, and dancing makes a dramatic difference in cognitive development and success in education. However, there remains a concomitant lack of education and training for contemporary educators in the early childhood sector on how they might use music effectively as an educational tool. Moreover, the STEM training falls substantially short in the core education of pre-school teachers as well.<< Objectives >>To bridge this gap by developing and implementing a highly innovative and inclusive pedagogical concept blending music, visual art, and cell biology, we gathered ten partners from five European countries. The reach of our partnership will undoubtedly greatly enhance the dissemination, impact, and exploitation of the project results thus contributing to future joint initiatives on the European level leading to a lasting and profound change. The CACAO pedagogical program will be developed for five and six-year-old children and their teachers who will get certified professional education on using music as an educational tool to teach children biological concepts. The inherent inclusive nature of music and art through which the CACAO program teaches biological concepts will support the inclusion of preschool children with special educational needs in all educational activities. All activities are inherently inclusive and will focus on the fulfillment of the personal development plan of each child involved while respecting their educational needs. This novel and interdisciplinary educational approach would not be possible without the support of two additional target groups, parents whose children will be involved in such a program, and preschool headmasters who will recognize the value and the need for such a program. In our international partnership, we have experts in different disciplines as well as preschool institutions coming from different pedagogical traditions addressing the common goals of European preschool systems. These partners will develop a strong sense of shared interests helping to frame problems from a wider perspective.<< Implementation >>To achieve this, we will organize four trainings organized by the members of our partnership. In such an interdisciplinary group, comprised of scientists, academics, and practitioners it is necessary to complement each other’s, knowledge, skills, and experiences. The first training will cover design thinking in curriculum design, basic cell biology training, and training on how to use virtual collaborative ILDE 2 platform for co-creation of the project results. The second training will cover music as a learning and communication tool and embodied learning. The third training will cover engaging communication in front of the camera and the process of creating an online course, as well as the use on online learning tools for continuous professional development. The fourth training will be hands-on training to test newly developed activities in working with children.<< Results >>During the two years of the project implementation, we will collaboratively create five project results. The first and second project results are curriculum designed for blending biology and art (with emphasis on music) for pre-school children and curriculum designed for blending biology and art (with emphasis on music) for early childhood educators and a definition of CACAO certification. Then, we will CACAO online platform with the web repository of activities, songs, video, and sound material for the CACAO curriculum. The fourth project result will be CACAO certified online course for early childhood educators following CACAO curriculum design, allowing continuous professional development in STEAM for preschool educators. Finally, we will conduct an extensive scientific evaluation of the impact of CACAO program implementation and create Final Project Report. Project activities and results are designed to strengthen STEAM learning in the preschool setting, by developing an innovative educational program and creating complementary professional training for the preschool educators as well as the wealth of material for seamless implementation of the CACAO program.In summary, for the first time to our knowledge, the CACAO project will design and implement structured multidisciplinary curricula for pre-school educators and pre-school kids, complemented with free and comprehensive training and the omnibus of interdisciplinary activities where multifaceted effects of art will be harnessed to immerse both the pre-school teachers and the pre-school children in the world of cell biology to ignite the life-long love for both disciplines.

Based on the previous cooperation of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in the field of 3D printing with the medical institutions (University of Medicine, Oncological Institute, Skull-Maxilla clinics) in the last 15 years within National / EU projects (FP7, HORIZON 2020) emphasized in the developing, testing and producing of medical implants / testing and producing new biocompatible materials /providing solutions that contributed to the saving of more than 200 patients using 3D printing methods & with the support of medical institutions it has been identified a strong need in boosting the scientific excellence level and innovation not only in research, but also in teaching, for preparing specialists in this field in order to get their competences & skills in the field of 3D printing for developing, producing and testing of medical parts, that are stringent, especially nowadays, in the context of the pandemic. In this context a curriculum was defined with the support of the Medical institutions, which comprises not only the 3D printing, but also complementary disciplines CAD/CAE/Materials Science & Strength of Materials/Flexible manufacturing systems/Process optimization & software control/ Medical Engineering), disciplines which were considered necessary for providing competences & skills in developing, producing and testing of medical parts by 3D printing technologies. Boosting of scientific excellence & innovation is needed to be done also in teaching, by bringing practical & motivational methods for engineering students, especially now in the context of the pandemic. Boosting of scientific excellence and innovation is needed to be done not only in research, but also in teaching, by bringing modernized applications that are really practical & motivational for engineering students, especially now in the context of the pandemic. The main objective of the BRIGHT project is to provide teaching resources & methods for professors coming from Higher Education institutions that are interested to find ways in providing their students relevant knowledge, skills & competences in the field of 3D printing methods used for producing medical parts , by providing e-courses that sustains the BRIGHT project curriculum, e-toolkit manuals for digital learning (which are correlated with the support courses & which provides from the experience of BRIGHT consortium previous case studies that were developed, produced & tested in cooperation with medical institutions in the last 15 years in the field of 3D printing, but not as a research book, but as an useful tool for teaching purpose, being an important resource in providing detailed description (on real case studies (e.g. skull implants) which are the required steps to follow starting from CAD, CAE & continuing with 3D printing & testing. Same approach is foreseen to be reached through the BRIGHT e-learning virtual laboratory platform that will be built by the BRIGHT consortium & will be a useful teaching method through which professors & students can follow the chain & see all stages (virtual rooms) in preparing their CAD models, CAE analysis, 3D printing simulation & mechanical / medical testing (with one very intuitive interface & interactive environment), for experiencing in virtual mode all processes that are needed to be followed for developing, producing & testing of medical parts by 3D printing methods, at the end. BRIGHT e-learning webinars on the use of 3D printing technologies in development, producing & testing of medical parts based on videos & explanations that emphasize the pre-processing stages, real 3D printing & testing equipment items (correlated with the examples provided in the e-toolkit & e-virtual laboratory platform) are provided as a useful tool for teaching purpose as well. Last, but not least BRIGHT e-case studies for project based learning method used in developing, testing & manufacturing of new medical products by 3D printing technologies in pandemic period (real case studies) are aimed to be launched on the e-platform of BRIGHT project so professors & students can use the resources provided by the BRIGHT project (e-courses, e-toolkit, e-virtual laboratory, e-webinars) for developing, producing & testing of medical parts that are coming from medical sector, in cooperation with BRIGHT consortium & support of the SMEs). BRIGHT consortium comprises 5 partners coming from different technical universities in Europe – Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, University of Nis (Serbia), University of Poznan (Poland), Sveuciliste Jurja Dobrila University of Pula (Croatia) & Slovak University of Bratislava with high experience in research & teaching & 2 partners coming from the SMEs sector – BIZZCOM s.r.o. company in Bučany (Slovakia) & B.M Plast d.o.o from Optatija (Croatia), all these partners of the BRIGHT consortium having strong expertise in providing all teaching resources that are needed for the support of the BRIGHT project curriculum, at the end.

Built upon the legacy of the original Blue-connect project, Blue-connect 2.0 is an ambitious initiative designed to deepen the relationship between the Mediterranean community and its coastal environment. The primary goal is to seamlessly integrate scientific research, public awareness, and environmental sustainability. Emphasising enhanced public engagement in science, the project aims to refine researchers' communication skills, illuminate the societal relevance of their endeavours, and champion inclusivity. It keenly acknowledges the distinct environmental challenges faced by the Mediterranean region and tackles them with tailored strategies that amalgamate public initiatives, media outlets, and educational campaigns. The methodology, inspired by the flywheel model, is a comprehensive cycle of awareness, engagement, and sustained interest. Key activities include hosting European Researchers' Night events across Croatian cities and organizing dedicated events in rural and remote areas, ensuring science reaches all corners of the community. Offering hands-on experiences for students and promoting the "I explore" brand are pivotal in fostering a consistent message. An integral part of sustaining interest is the hosting of follow-up activities that showcase the science and art works of youth and pupils, celebrating their contributions and fostering continued enthusiasm. Collaborations with prominent entities and the introduction of school ambassadors further amplify the project's reach and impact. Underpinning these activities is the commitment to evaluate the project's resonance with the public, ensuring iterative improvements and alignment with the overarching mission. Ultimately, Blue-connect 2.0 envisions a future where science is democratized, captivating, and deeply interwoven with the fabric of Mediterranean communities.