Cities have always been a primary destination for transnational migrants, and are therefore invariably a location where different cultures meet and interact, but where also social conflicts take place and where creativity and political reforms are located. Currently, Europe’s urban societies are confronted with massive new challenges: the trend toward urbanisation will continue; existing infrastructures are likely to collapse; economic crises increase the risk of social fractions; and political conflicts and economic disparities reinforce migratory movements that lead to heterogeneity, fragmentation and social polarisation especially in big metropolitan areas.Existing occupational fields concerned with management of urban areas have not been able to sufficiently respond to these trends. On the one hand, academia is only partially able to cope with these intercultural challenges and to develop solutions for them; on the other hand, there is a need to improve the career opportunities of graduates not only in cultural, but also in social studies by updating existing fields of study and adjusting them in a sustainable way.In light of the foregoing, the SP aimed to create the institutional conditions necessary for the education of skilled experts in the area of new “urban dynamics.” Clearly, an increased emphasis must be put on conducting interdisciplinary work at the interface between the social sciences and humanities. At the same time not only networking between institutions in Europe is required, but also other actors from other regions must be involved, since sustainable solutions need to consider also transcontinental ties.In order to realise the goals of the SP, two Latin American partners were integrated into the project. Since the urbanisation in Latin America is experiencing dynamic trends, the local population is facing specific problems. For this reason, the SP benefitted from the knowledge exchange of creative and innovative action of approaches that often move between formal and informal dynamics.In this regard, two key goals were pursued: On the one hand, a strategic goal, in which a networking and on knowledge and services based SP was established and promoted that can be used for further activities beyond the funding period. Moreover, the aim was to establish a network of contacts that continues to exist over the long term. On the other hand, education-oriented goals that are of sustainable value for universities were of major importance. Specifically, the SP succeeded in (1) generating and sharing new knowledge about global “urban dynamics” as well as general professional expertise that promotes employability and (2) creating interdisciplinary and international learning modules with specific relevance to professional fields. The UD Programme was primarily addressed to interested MA students and postgraduates in both the humanities and social sciences, including in particular those studying urban and spatial studies. Furthermore, within the idea of service-learning social demands and concerns were established and examined by active dialogue (expertise, good practice) with local partners that have socio-cultural relevance (e.g. municipal officials; developers; investment promotion agencies). In addition, the general public (panel discussions, study trips) was involved.In total, some 5,000 people (350 in limited-enrolment activities) and over 20 institutions in five countries gained from the accomplished activities. Network-oriented events were among the activities planned by the SP, including a kick-off event, a final project presentation, an interdisciplinary symposium, and international workshops. Besides the idea of developing and applying teaching material that uses blended learning material, the promotion of participants in international professional internships that deal with “urban dynamics” played a key role. Methodologically, the SP contained the following elements: (1) International exchange and transdisciplinary cooperation; (2) The development of intercultural teaching material that made use of blended learning concepts; (3) Career-oriented curricula that enabled dialogue with professionals; (4) A dynamic feedback structure that allowed the educational process to be directly revised and improved. In sum, the SP made a fitting, up-to-date contribution to vocational fields that deal with urban issues – fields that have gained increasing importance within the scope of current urbanisation trends. The SP also increased the international employability of the participating students, fostering also their socio-cultural entrepreneurship. In this way, the SP had positive social and political impacts beyond the aim of increasing intercultural awareness. The spread of cultural knowledge helps one to critically assess policy decisions, to promote socio-cultural tolerance and understanding, and to creatively leverage the potential of urban spaces.

The VAMOS project brings together universities from Europe, Brazil and Honduras to facilitate an exchange of good practice in the field of Education for Sustainable Development. The overall objective is to strengthen university education for addressing SDG challenges in society through virtual exchange and joint international learning and teaching. The project will focus on 3 main aspects (development work packages): In a first step, we will bring together ESD teachers from all partners to discuss and evaluate methods of ESD and transformative education. In a second step, will organize training for virtual teaching and virtual exchange. In a third step, we will co-create and test a Virtual Exchange course on Wicked Problems with students and teachers from all partner universities. In addition, the project will organize two ESD Dialogue Forums in Brazil and Honduras to connect the project with stakeholders outside the partner universities in LATAM. In a broader sense, the project aims to develop solutions for a more sustainable form of internationalisation.

By initiating a Latin American-European cooperation on innovation and entrepreneurship, the LISTO project adresses the LA universities' need to keep developing their capacities in connecting with the wider economic and social environment. The project has identified three target areas. 1.) University-industry relations; 2.) Teachings entrepreneurship skills; 3.) entrepreneurial universities. LISTO will establish an exchange of methods for matching researchers with industry R&D staff (AIMday), develop an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship skills module and train teachers in delivering an international classroom, and work on strategies for fostering an entrepreneurial spirit and innovation governance. There will be an open access ebook (in English, Spanish and Portuguese) summarizing the results and the teaching methods.