"<< Background >>One of the first instances of a mechanical device built to regularly carry out a particular physical task occurred around 3000 B.C.: Egyptian water clocks used human figurines to strike the hour bells. In 400 B.C., Archytus of Taremtum, inventor of the pulley and the screw, also invented a wooden pigeon that could fly. Hydraulically-operated statues that could speak, gesture, and prophecy were commonly constructed in Hellenic Egypt during the second century B.C. In the first century A.D., Petronius Arbiter made a doll that could move like a human being. Giovanni Torriani created a wooden robot that could fetch the Emperor's daily bread from the store in 1557. Robotic inventions reached a relative peak (before the 20th century) in the 1700s; countless ingenius, yet impractical, automata (i.e. robots) were created during this time period. The 19th century was also filled with new robotic creations, such as a talking doll by Edison and a steam-powered robot by Canadians. Although these inventions throughout history may have planted the first seeds of inspiration for the modern robot, the scientific progress made in the 20th century in the field of robotics surpass previous advancements a thousandfold.The earliest robots as we know them were created in the early 1950s by George C. Devol, an inventor from Louisville, Kentucky. He invented and patented a reprogrammable manipulator called ""Unimate,"" from ""Universal Automation."" For the next decade, he attempted to sell his product in the industry, but did not succeed. In the late 1960s, businessman/engineer Joseph Engleberger acquired Devol's robot patent and was able to modify it into an industrial robot and form a company called Unimation to produce and market the robots. For his efforts and successes, Engleberger is known in the industry as ""the Father of Robotics.""Academia also made much progress in the creation new robots. In 1958 at the Stanford Research Institute, Charles Rosen led a research team in developing a robot called ""Shakey."" Shakey was far more advanced than the original Unimate, which was designed for specialized, industrial applications. Shakey could wheel around the room, observe the scene with his television ""eyes,"" move across unfamiliar surroundings, and to a certain degree, respond to his environment. He was given his name because of his wobbly and clattering movements. (https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/projects/1998-99/robotics/history.html).In 21st century, technology of robots have greatly advanced, concepts like personal robots, humanoid robots, social robots have emerged. Today, the most advanced robots interacting with humans are called social humanoid robots. They are used in education, care for disadvantaged people, greeting customers in organizations, helping people in numerous purposes etc. One of these robots is Pepper Robot, which is thought by academicians that the best humanoid robot for education. In this project, Pepper Robot will be used to educate students to make the robot be used in its best facilities.Our main reason to apply for this project is making a comprehensive education program with its delivering methods and materials to be delivered for social humanoid robots, via Pepper Robot. This is a project that could only be implemented under the EU’s policies and opportunities presented for her citizens. As an experienced organization in robotics education, and our four partners who are also experienced in humanoid robots and robotics as well as Erasmus+ projects, we are capable of implementing this project under the EU’s framework and regulations. In education of Pepper Robot, there is a major gap in terms of materials and delivering methodologies, as well as a comprehensive and completely new curriculum. Students and learners from all age and education groups, specifically bachelor’s degree students as pilot learners, will be given the opportunity to be trained with the results of the project.<< Objectives >>By implementing this project, we want to make social humanoid robot education, specifically through Pepper Robot, reach a European standard, in ways both developing a curriculum and course materials, also methodological design of delivering these to students. After developing these objectives, we want to test the project outputs by giving undergraduate students pilot Pepper Robot courses. Long term objective of the project will be eventually adopting the curriculum, materials and methodologies as universities’ education program.Eventual purposes to achieve these project are:-To make university students more qualified, informed and prepared in the field of robotics and humanoid robots-To make university students' after-graduate life better and more employable-To make local communities more informed about robotics-To make disadvantaged groups' lives better and easier-To make university staff more informed about social humanoid robots-To make universities have strong base for future technologies-To make all reachable education organizations informed about social humanoid robots and their advantages<< Implementation >>There will be six core activities throughout the project. Each activity will follow the preceding and each activity will have several objectives. At the end of the project, every step and objective will have taken and completed, registered in documents and reports. These activities are listed below, in the next sections of the project these will be explained in detail.1. Promotional Activity - Seminar 1The project will begin with the seminar. Participant organization will arrange the seminar in its country. Aim of this activity is to make professionals know about the project and form a survey of needs with the assistance of participants.2. Survey of NeedsThe second activity will be finishing the survey of needs and applying it to professionals. Partners will be requested to contact professionals working with social humanoid robots and Pepper Robot and apply the survey, gather the results and create a survey report.3. Curriculum DevelopmentThe project will continue with interpreting the survey report. Partners will meet in transnational meetings and start working for developing the curriculum. 4. Course Material DevelopmentCurriculum development will be followed by course material development. With reference to developed curriculum and gathered information, course materials will be developed by the project partners. These materials will be in both physical and online forms. Materials developed in English will be translated into national languages of partners to make more people be aware of the results and project's benefits. 5. Online Courses for Undergraduate StudentsThe course materials will be uploaded to Moodle platform, making them open access for every learner. Online video conferences will be carried out, recorded videos will also be uploaded to the platform. Engineering students from partner universities will be selected as pilot learners of the project.6. International Research ConferenceThe project’s final activity will be the international research conference. Project results will be disseminated in the conference, shared with individuals face to face. More professionals will be invited to improve the impact.<< Results >>During the project, there will be four results which are explained below.1. Survey of NeedsThe basis of the project will be the survey of needs. Every other outcome will be linked to the report of needs. A plan for social humanoid robot education via Pepper Robot will be constituted after determining the needs in the field.2. CurriculumBased on the survey of needs, curriculum which is one of the main objectives will be prepared by partners. 3. Course MaterialsAfter defining the education program with curriculum, the materials that will be delivered to students will be prepared. These materials will be in both physical forms and online platforms.4. Online Courses for Undergraduate StudentsPilot courses will be executed with the curriculum and the materials. Students will be selected from engineering departments. A successful execution will lead to adopting a permanent education program in the universities.Other outcomes will be multiplier events. There will be two meetings organized during the project in applicant's country. For the first meeting, seminar, the aim will be sharing the project’s existence, its objectives and expected results with professionals. The second meeting, international research conference, will be more comprehensive. More professionals will be invited to the meeting, the project results, course materials, curriculum and online platform information will be shared, collaborations will be constituted."

The origin of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent was a pivotal moment in human history, leading to flourishing civilizations through Western Asia and Europe. Archaeological evidence shows that people began to cultivate wild plants across the Fertile Crescent during the Neolithic, 10,000 years ago. By cultivating and managing these plants, the first farmers unintentionally drove the evolution of domesticated crops. Archaeological evidence also shows that, during the same period, early farmers abandoned many of the wild grain species that had been gathered, processed and stored by earlier hunter-gatherer societies. We are interested in two important questions about the Neolithic origins of agriculture. 1. What ecological mechanisms are capable of driving the evolution of domestication characteristics in wild plants under human cultivation and management? 2. Could the same ecological mechanisms be responsible for narrowing down a broad spectrum of wild grain species to a small pool of crop progenitors during the transition from gathering to cultivation? By finding the answers to these, we will better understand how agriculture began, and how today's domesticated crops came into being. Our overarching hypothesis is that crop progenitors have characteristics that pre-adapt them to anthropogenic environments, including cultivated and managed fields. When people first began to settle and cultivate plants, these particular species therefore thrived in the fertile, densely packed environments of cultivated fields, with occasional disturbance from the animals that were domesticated at the same time. We have carried out a range of experiments to test this hypothesis with plants grown in pots in glasshouses. We have made a number of discoveries. First, crop wild relatives are higher yielding than other wild grain species when grown in dense stands, but not when plants are grown individually. This supports the idea that crop progenitors may be pre-adapted to densely packed cultivated fields. Secondly, crop relatives yield more highly than other wild species after disturbance, equivalent to grazing by animals. Their yields would therefore have been less impacted by early herd animals during the transition to agriculture. Finally, grain yield in crop wild relatives is correlated with seed size, so that selection by farmers for greater yield would drive increased seed size, a key domestication trait. In this project, we would like to follow up these discoveries with field studies in the Fertile Crescent of Turkey. Firstly, to investigate the behavior of crop wild relatives and other wild grain species under natural climate and soil conditions. Secondly, to look at the distribution and harvest characteristics of the wild grain species gathered before agriculture began, investigating how these grow plants in their natural habitats. Our work is important for understanding how agriculture began in the Fertile Crescent during the Neolithic, but also for addressing future concerns about the future sustainability of agriculture. Crop wild relatives are important for modern crop breeding, because they incorporate a diverse array of defences against pests and diseases, and mechanisms for more efficient use of soil nutrients including a symbiosis with soil fungi. By exploring the diversity of crop wild relatives, we also stand to learn more about how to grow our modern crops more sustainably in future.

<< Objectives >>This project aims to enhance the knowledge, skills and capacities of M/Rs aged 18+ by e-learning covering the content of the protection of natural resources and the environment, biodiversity, food safety, organic farming and good farming practices; thus, it is aimed to raise an awareness of these issues in M/Rs, and to improve their job prospects and living standards, and to contribute to their integration into society. Besides, the project addresses the workforce gap in the agricultural sector.<< Implementation >>The main activities of the projectProject managementLiterature review and surveyDevelopment of an Effective Farming Guidebook for Migrants and Refugees e-bookCreating E- Platform and e-Learning MaterialsUser handbookTrain the Trainers ActivitiesMultiplier Events in each partner country4 Transnational Project Meetings<< Results >>As a result of the project, the target groups of the project will become qualified workforce, contribute to the agricultural and economic development of the host country, raise awareness of the need for sustainable farming and be able to disseminate acquired knowledge, and make advances in terms of living standard and integration into society. Stakeholders in the agricultural sector and the society will benefit from these outcomes as well as the M/Rs’ home countries in case M/Rs return.

The overall Objective of the USE OR LOSE project is to prevent and draw attention to Alzheimer's disease by developing innovative practices and implementing co-operative initiatives, mutual learning and exchange experiences to promote cooperation at the European level.Specific Objectives of the project;- Prevention and awareness of Alzheimer’s and the early onset of the disease.- To raise awareness and draw attention to Alzheimer's disease at the local, national and international level.- Creating occupational therapy guidebooks for local and Europe-wide usage to assist in the improvement of memory in Alzheimer's patients and those with early-onset dementia.The first management meeting was held in Kahramanmaraş with the local partners on 15.01.2019. The meeting covered the project preparation phase and the sub-structure of the project team was established. A project team composed of local consortium members was formed to assure the successful undertaking of the project. The duties of the project teams were determined together with local partners.The kick-off meeting for “Use or Lose” was held on February 6-7, 2019 in Kahramanmaraş. Tasks and responsibilities were allocated to the partners. After discussions, a final (Pillar) decision on how to effectively and efficiently manage the project was taken.Each country was prepared reports based on the results of the latest data collected, from which both statistical and needs analysis was made. A questionnaire was prepared for caregivers and patients about the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.The second transnational project meeting was held on May 9-10, 2019 in Palermo, Italy. The main aim of this meeting was to review and discuss the surveys and the latest reports presented by the partners, as well as sharing dissemination and management issues. Each partner has applied the survey to the project target groups and the results were being analysed. The content for an occupational therapy guide book was shaped according to the results of surveys. The State Art Report was created according to the result of surveys, the latest collected data, figures, recommendations for Alzheimer and dementia care and the best available strategies in each partners’ country.The third transnational project meeting was held on 5-6 September 2019 in Trikala Greece. The sections of the guidebook per partner for the relatives of Alzheimer patients were identified. The sections of the guidebook were created per partner for the Alzheimer patients were decided in the TPM. The dissemination portfolio was created about how the project dissemination activities should be made properly.The fourth TPM was conducted in the SSW Collegium Balticum on 3-4 December 2019 in Szczecin, Poland.The fifth TPM was held on 26-26 February 2020 by Alzheimer Bulgaria in Sofia, Bulgaria.The closing meeting was held online on 14 January 2021 by KMM in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey participation of all project partners.The online multiplier events were held by KMM on 11-12 January 2021 in Kahramanmaraş with the participation of the local project partners and stakeholders. The publicity of the Occupational Therapy Guidebooks was made in the multiplier events.The project website has been established and it has been translated into project partners’ language (www.useorlose.org).The project video has been created in English and showed the project partners websites.Within the scope of the project, publicity and visibility activities were implemented.The Occupational Therapy Activities Guidebooks were created by project partners. Also, the guidebooks were printed and distributed to project partners and all relevant stakeholders. The Occupational Therapy Guidebooks for Alzheimer and Other Forms of Dementia were created for occupational therapy and treatment of Alzheimer's patients, their families and caregivers. One of them for Relatives and Caregiver and another one for Alzheimer patients. The e-books of all guidebooks were created and existed on the project website. It was a guide for patients with the onset of Alzheimer's outlining what activities can be performed to combat the disease, beneficial nutrition, what care and responsibilities the family can provide and which social activities were being effective in combating Alzheimer's. The Recommendation for Alzheimer and Dementia Patient Care Guidebook was created. the guidebook consists of suggestions for relatives of Alzheimer and dementia patients and the common misconception about Alzheimer and dementia.Despite we decided to prepare only one guidebook at the beginning of the project, we created seven guidebooks that were prepared in different languages at the end of the project. The guidebooks were created in English, Turkish, Polish, Greek, Italian, Arabic and Bulgarian language for patients and relatives and caregivers of Alzheimer patients.

The main objective of the project is to provide professional training for refugees, leading to better employment opportunities and living conditions. Through developing the abilities of refugee trainers and acquiring knowledge of intermediary organizations catering to the needs of the refugee community, the integration of refugees will be fast-tracked into the labour market or the start-up of a business, while promoting the development of innovative and effective mechanisms ensuring employment.Between 2015 and 2016, the countries of Europe and those bordering Syria, experienced an influx of more than 5 million Syrian refugees. Enabling migrants to become entrepreneurs lessens the effects of the crisis and facilitates social inclusion. Governments have been supporting refugees and integrating them into national health, education, employment and social services. However, this is not enough for integration into the labour market necessary for social-economic development.Migrants face many challenges establishing and managing entrepreneurship in their host countries. These are interlinked and stem from –•limited host-country capital•lack of understanding local labour markets•lack of local business regulatory frameworks•difficulties accessing local business networks•lack of start-up capital and business facilities•lack of language and cultural awareness•lack of training programsOur project partnership consists of 7 partners, three local institutions - Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality(KMM), Kahramanmaraş Sütçü Imam University (KSU), Kahramanmaraş Provincial Directorate of National Education, and four from Europe - International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development (CEIPES), Anaptyxiako Kentro Thessalias (AKETH), Fonix AS, Wisamar Bildungsgesellschaftgemeinnuetzige GmbH (Wisamar), Our strategic partnerships aim to support the development of adult learning and building entrepreneurial capacity for migrants, transfer of innovative practices as well as the implementation of joint initiatives promoting cooperation, peer learning and exchanges of experience at the European level.Five international project meetings will be held, with the final meeting aimed at the effective and efficient management of the project and the follow-up of project activities and budget monitoring.A needs analysis of the current refugee situation will be made by intermediary organizations working together with each partner. Analysis reports will also include how to develop the capacity of intermediary organizations to support the employment or the entrepreneurship of refugees. In addition, entrepreneurship, business planning, the legal aspects of setting up a company and the employee hiring process will receive focus. Online training sessions and F2F workshops will be arranged for trainers in Italy as well as F2F training for the target groups included in the project. The online training and F2F workshop will include video lessons on the e-learning platform for trainers; sharing the approach and lessons taught during the workshop for trainers; practical tools and examples for refugees such as business planning, the legal aspects of setting up a company and hiring employees. Entrepreneurship training activities addressing the development of employers and entrepreneurs will be given by the Public Education Centre and Kahramanmaraş Municipality Vocational Education Directorate (KAMEK). Furthermore, the web portal will be developed for trainers.All work-based learning programs for refugees through apprenticeships or those provided by refugee and intermediary organizations will be put together into one resource. An information campaign with supporting activities will be arranged to increase awareness about the benefits of hiring refugees.The general and specific objectives of the project that will be realized are - •train the trainers to increase migrant entrepreneurship • support the creation, improvement and distribution of support schemes for migrant entrepreneurs•identify potential entrepreneurs among migrants•raise awareness about entrepreneurship within migrant communities•develop sustainable multi-level partnership models integrating refugees into the job market•value awareness of social inclusion through entrepreneurship•empower disadvantaged groups among migrants by developing business skills and competencies