LIVESEEDING contributes to the upscaling of organic production in Europe through (i) improving availability of organic plant reproductive material of organic cultivars (Organic Heterogeneous Material, Organic Varieties, landraces) of a large range of crops, bred for improved diversity and adaptation to local conditions, and (ii) strengthening and diversifying the organic seed sector informed by market demands. LIVESEEDING contributes to the transition towards environmentally-friendly, climate-neutral, healthy and fair food systems through further developing (i) cultivars suited for organic and low external input production, (ii) novel governance models linking breeders with value chain actors and citizens with local food production, and (iii) awareness around the importance of biodiversity for our food and health. LIVESEEDING focuses on the main drivers for (i) the supply and demand of organic seed and cultivars, (ii) the supply and demand of food products derived from them, and (iii) enabling frameworks and roadmaps through active policy dialogue with national and European authorities and policymakers by providing science-based evidence and best practice solutions to achieve 100% organic seed. LIVESEEDING addresses the topics in a holistic multi-actor, multi-stakeholder participatory approach involving organic and public research institutes (with proven competencies in breeding, seed multiplication and health, socio-economics, extension and outreach), variety examination offices, private breeders and seed companies, organic production and civil society associations. Additional stakeholders along the value chain are involved in the local Living Labs (LLs) and the established networks of organic breeders (ECO-PB), seed savers (ECLLD) and Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP). 15 European countries cover the different pedoclimatic zones and socio-economic contexts, including countries with a low level of development in organic seed and breeding in East and South Europe

<< Objectives >>The GIRLS project has been defined as a game about the SDGs, innovation, resilience, leadership and sustainability, which is divided into 4 parts: the board, the rules of the game, the game and Game over!The game begins by drawing the roadmap, defining the setting and the instruction manual, going through 17 boxes, one for each SDG, and looking for new sources of inspiration. The prize for the winner will be to share the experience and spread the results.<< Implementation >>Draw a roadmap,Define the pieces,Build materials and version beta,Design control center and expansion strategy,Establish the conductive thread,Define settings,Sustainability report,Write instruction manual,Carry out surveys,Follow the narrative,Start with starting box,Progress in the game,Find sources of inspiration,Establish intergenerational communication,Evaluate results,Provide feedback,Award the winner,Logbook.<< Results >>Work sessions,Elevator pitch videos,Manuals about active methodologies,GIRLS game App,Learning platform,Dissemination plan,The rules of the game,Video: “16 SDGs on women”,Quality manual,Sustainability report,Game manual,Coimbra workshop,1 digital resource for each day,Local projects,Mobility to Mexico,Experiential videos about the SDGs,Daddy's handbook,Project's book,Surveys and analysis,Bucharest Conference,Logbook.

The rational of the BE IN project is grounded in political statements like the Europe 2020 agenda regarding poverty and social exclusion, and especially on research-based evidence that shows that people with an immigration background tend to face more educational barriers compared to the indigenous population within Europe. Equally it has been shown that youngsters who have an immigration background in their family take up more disadvantaged positions within European educational systems (OECD, 2018). Especially crucial in this regard is early education - as research results show, it is difficult for children having gaps in early education, to catch up later. Besides, educational systems that segregate or track children from early ages based on standardized assessments exacerbate the problem. The aim of the BE IN project is to create a Blended Learning course for pre-service and in-service early childhood educators and primary teachers in order to improve their ability to promote the inclusion of migrant and refugee children (3 to 8 years old) in ECE settings and to address the risk of social exclusion those children face. The BL course will be used in pre-service training but also as an open learning environment in in-service training and vocational training of practitioners that work in ECE. In the design process of the BL course special attention will be paid to the development of educators/teachers’ competences, including skills and attitudes, that may allow them to handle daily challenges more effectively and enhance their ability for equity, diversity and inclusion in the learning environments.The BL course will be used in the participating universities, in the field of Early Childhood and Primary Education teacher training. Participating Universities will also work on its dissemination among other schools, colleges and universities. At the final stage of the project, it is expected to have established a larger network of universities with the aim of monitoring the use, maintenance and adaptation of BL course. This network will become not only a strategy to give sustainability to the project, but also a site for research, exchange and improvement of teaching activities connected with projects results.The consortium established for this project involves seven Higher Education Institutions, from seven different European Countries (Portugal, Spain, UK, Lithuania, Belgium, Netherlands and Turkey). Teachers and researchers involved (at least two from each partner University) come from diverse study fields, and it is assured that participants have the necessary expertise in the fields of teachers training, social and educational inclusion, and digital technologies including the design of blended learning environments. Teachers will work collaboratively but each activity will be under the responsibility of two leading universities.During the project six transnational meetings and two intensive learning programmes will provide the opportunity to work collaboratively in project outcomes as well as to get the students' involvement and contributions in the process of developing those outcomes and achieving the aimed results. In summary those results refer to: 1. A report (that will be open and available to the community) presenting the theoretical framework/common understanding that will be achieved on the training of teachers for social inclusion, on inclusive education in relation to migrant and refugee children, on the teachers’ profiles in relation to the topic and on the setting of professional competencies underlying this general approach. 2. A set of multimedia materials (such as life stories, learning stories, podcasts, videocasts, vignettes or e-books) that are intended to illustrate essential aspects of the report. These materials will be conceived to be integrated in the course that will be designed later, in Blended Learning, but also as materials that can be used in teacher training processes in the different European universities. With that purpose they will be translated or subtitled into the languages of the participating universities. 3. A virtual environment will be created to host the multimedia materials. 4. Finally, the blended learning strategy will be presented, which will include the selection of training activities and materials, learning assessment and a guide for teacher trainers, which will be also translated into the partners national languages. 5. At the end of the process an article will be written and presented to be published, as a strategy to disseminate project results and how they were achieved. This project is committed to the idea of an inclusive school in the heart of European values, and it is expected that its results will contribute to improve the education of educators/teachers of ECE on attending to the needs of migrant and refugee children. Monitoring of the project results and their impact will be attained through a broader network for research internationally.

<< Background >>The transition towards a resource-efficient, circular, digitised and climate neutral economy requires a change in peoples’ behaviour and new skills to think and act green, starting with Education and Training institutions as catalysts of change.Education and Training institutions, through their leaders, professionals and experts, have a fundamental role in: (a) training and empowering the next generation of EU citizens and workforce; (b) generating and transferring knowledge and practices to society in order to solve global problems; and (c) introducing green and sustainable practices.More than ensuring that buildings meet today’s energy standards, the greening of Education and Training institutions needs skilled teaching and non-teaching staff that cooperate towards embedding green and sustainability practices and that lead by example to enable a change in their local ecosystems.Even though there are international rankings addressing the sustainability performance of HEIs, they tend to focus more on infrastructural or quantitative aspects. However, the common vision of the U-GREEN Consortium is that the greening of Education and Training institutions is a process that extends beyond the use of resources; it requires a true transformation of teaching and learning and of how institutions operate, are managed and reach out to their local communities.U-GREEN Consortium members have been working towards promoting, in their institutional ecosystem and among local communities, sustainable development. Despite being at different stages of this process, their share the same mission and a common need to:- Reduce the environmental footprint and enhance the greening of institutions from a transversal point of view; - Promote the adoption of green and sustainability principles and embed such principles in all aspects of HEIs action, including as part of curricula, teaching and learning, and mobility;- Favour sustainability education and the development of green skills, as well as to build the capacities of staff to become agents of change and master the green transition;- Empower Education and Training institutions in acting as catalysts and in promoting behavioural change that supports the green transition among students and the wider community;- Reinforce working networks at EU level, promote the exchange of practices and experiences and test new cooperation models for more inclusive ecosystems;- Strengthen the role of HEIs in generating and transferring the knowledge and skills that will help society to address common problems, such as climate, environmental and sustainability challenges.<< Objectives >>U-GREEN (University cooperation for promoting the GREEN transition and sustainable practices in education and training) seeks to improve the readiness of Education and Training institutions to tackle the green transition and act as catalysts in promoting behavioural change and in promoting green skills among a new generation of committed European citizens. This will be achieved through the development and implementation of a common framework to assess and update green and sustainability practices, at the same time building the capacities of experts to master the green transition and also promoting the transfer of knowledge through a Virtual Knowledge Hub.Specifically, the project intends to:- Foster sustainable Education and Training infrastructures by providing easily adoptable standards on topics such as energy efficiency, water consumption, heating and cooling systems, sustainable food, recycling and waste management, digitalisation practices, as well as how to engage the community;- Empower Education and Training institutions in acting as catalysts and in promoting behavioural change that supports the green transition among students and the wider community;- Embed green and sustainability principles in curricula and to promote the development of green skills among a new generation of committed European citizens;- Raise-awareness on how to adopt green and sustainability principles among teaching and non-teaching staff and to increase the number of HEIs professionals that master more green/sustainable alternatives and strategies; - Strengthen and implement new cooperation models among Education and Training institutions and to promote the exchange of practices and experiences;- Reinforce the role of HEIs in generating the knowledge and skills that help society to address common problems, such as climate, environmental and sustainability challenges.<< Implementation >>Over the course of 30 months, U-GREEN will implement the following activities:- Definition of the standards, practices and approaches adopted by U-GREEN to support the green transition in Education and Training institutions in 3 main areas (Infrastructure & Resources; Administrative Management, Teaching & Learning; and Community Engagement and Awareness). - Preparation of the U-GREEN Guidelines for Education and Training Institutions, which will offer an overview of the proposed U-GREEN approach and recommendations for incorporating green and sustainability practices, as well as will provide tips and guidance towards creating a road map to become a carbon neutral institution.- Definition of the U-GREEN Label, including the principles, methodology, criteria, progression levels and labelling process applicable to the areas tackled by U-GREEN (Infrastructure & Resources; Administrative Management, Teaching & Learning; Community Engagement and Awareness).- Creation of the U-GREEN Label Handbook describing the rationale and needs underpinning the U-GREEN label, as well as the methodological framework adopted and the practical steps towards obtaining the label.- Organisation of an Online Collaborative Workshop for U-GREEN Facilitators, aimed at sharing knowledge and building the capacities of Consortium members to deliver the Online Training Programme for U-GREEN Experts.- Development and implementation of an Online Training Programme, aimed at building the capacities of Education and Training practitioners to become U-GREEN Experts and, consequently, to master the green transition and implement new (green and sustainability) practices and methodologies in line with the U-GREEN approach. - Development of the U-GREEN Virtual Knowledge Hub and Training Toolkit composed of Open Educational Resources that Education and Training institutions and local stakeholders can use to promote the European Green Deal and to raise awareness on the topic of environmental sustainability and promote green competences among their institutional ecosystem.These activities will be complemented by a solid strategy for the sharing, promotion and use of project results, including the organisation of Multiplier Events in all Consortium countries (Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Iceland and France) and the Final Conference in Almeria (Spain), the development of promotional materials, the setting-up and update of the project online presence (website and social media) and the preparation of 2 newsletters. Evaluation & Quality Assurance will support overall Project Management and Coordination and the entire action. Furthermore, Sustainability actions will contribute to promote the use of project results in the long-term.<< Results >>U-GREEN will produce the following results:- PROJECT RESULT 1 - Preparation of the U-GREEN Guidelines, describing a set of common standards, practices and approaches to support the green transition in Education and Training institutions (including – although not limited to – HEIs). The document will offer an overview of the proposed U-GREEN approach and recommendations for incorporating green and sustainability practices and provide tips and guidance towards creating a road map to become a carbon neutral institution in 3 main areas: Infrastructure & Resources; Administrative Management, Teaching & Learning; Community Engagement and Awareness.- PROJECT RESULT 2 - Definition of the U-GREEN Label: a common framework to assess to what extent green and sustainability practices are transversally embedded in Education and Training institutions, at the same time providing easily adoptable recommendation on how to update practices towards achieving greener institutions. The Consortium will focus on defining, for each of these areas, the principles, methodology and criteria applicable to 3 different progression levels, as well as a labelling process based on 2 assessment formats that Education and Training institutions (regardless of their level/sector) can carry out.- PROJECT RESULT 3 - Implementation of an Online Training Programme aimed at building the capacities of Education and Training practitioners to master the green transition and implement new (green and sustainability) practices and methodologies in line with the U-GREEN approach. U-GREEN Experts will be instrumental for the implementation of the U-GREEN Label and will be empowered to conduct assessments based on the labelling process and 3 progression levels.- PROJECT RESULT 4 - Development of a Virtual Knowledge Hub: an online platform that will serve as a repository of Open Educational Resources that Education and Training institutions and local stakeholders can use to promote the European Green Deal and to raise awareness on the topic of environmental sustainability and promote green competences among their institutional ecosystem.These results will directly impact and benefit: - Education and Training institutions;- Students, leaders, teaching, non-teaching and staff members involved in implementing new green and sustainable practices and/or their institutional sustainability strategy.Indirectly, U-GREEN will also benefit and engage: - Green professionals, companies and labour market actors;- Researchers;- NGOs, associations and networks active in promoting sustainable development and green and sustainable practices in Education and Training; - Policy-makers, public institutions and local authorities.Coordinated by the University of Almeria, the U-GREEN Consortium brings together 9 institutions from Spain (UAL and INCOMA), Belgium (HEPL- HEI of the Province of Liège), Bulgaria (Agricultural University of Plovdiv), Portugal (Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra), Poland (Warsaw University of Life Sciences), Italy (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), Iceland (Agricultural University of Iceland) and France (Sup’Biotech- Higher Institute of Biotechnologies of Paris).

The project is designed to define clearly the mechanisms of transfer and commercialization of knowledge and technologies, which are to be understandable unambiguously and executable within the reasonable timeframes. Realization of the project will enable to eliminate the existing difficulties and bottlenecks in cooperation with enterprises, to make structure of the cooperation more clear and robust and to give new opportunities and open new work horizons.The project is aimed to bring cooperation quality to a new level, to improve it and to enlarge. It means that new communicative, scientific and business links will be established between the enterprises and HEIs.The cooperation to be improved for the following groups: students, teaching and administrative staff of the university and the enterprise. The changes are to be executed at the level of the consortium and to be applied to all the participants. The cooperation for the abovementioned groups will be realized in the forms of internships, workshops, meetings, conferences and round tables. There are no spin-off network between Russia, Portugal, the UK, Spain, China and Georgia. The first steps to build such effectively operating network will be taken in the project by the specialists from the participating parties.The wider objective is promoting Bologna process implementation through enhancing university-enterprise cooperation via spin-off companies best practices. Specific objectives are the following: 1. Development of effective SOC-Model for university-enterprise partnership and piloting in RF and Georgia HEIs.2. Creating of virtual international spin-off network.Project outcomes: 1. SOC-Model for university-enterprise partnership.2. Guidelines for SPC-Model for university-enterprise partnership implementation in partner HEIs (EU countries, Russia, China and Georgia). 3. Training courses for spin-off developers. 4. Virtual international spin-off network.